The Bohemian Sailing Team
Mission Statement and Program Outline
January 28, 2008
Introduction
California has become a powerhouse in high-school sailboat racing. Whereas competitive sailing scarcely existed at the high-school level in California twenty-five years ago, today many California high schools up and down the coast maintain sailing teams; and the young sailors on today’s teams are among the best in the country.
Consider that Sailing World’s Junior All Star List for 2007 (kids 14 to 17) was made up almost entirely of California sailors — 5 out of 7 kids were from California. In fact, since 2001 nearly half the sailors winning a position on this prestigious list were from California.
Why has California come to dominate a sport that was once the province of East Coast prep schools? The obvious answer is that our temperate weather allows us to practice year-round. But at origin of each successful program lies the initiative and commitment of adults. Without the vision and energy of Californian parents, many young Californians would never have had the opportunity to enjoy the athletic and intellectual thrill that is competitive sailboat racing.
A New Team
Though Sebastopol is just half an hour from an outstanding sailing venue — Doron Beach — offering good winds and topographical shelter and ready access, we have no sailing team. It is not for lack of interest, certainly. In discussing the prospect with parents I find that many would eagerly get their kids involved. It is not difficult to convince even non-sailors that the sport presents a unique opportunity for kids to enjoy more fully the rich and diverse offerings of our region.
Sailboat Racing as a Sport for Kids
Sailboat racing is both physically and intellectually challenging, and kids love it. From one perspective, it is a pillow fight on the water—wet, wild and giddy-making. Yet sailing is also often compared to chess—speed chess, most aptly, where clocks are hit and time matters very much.
Sailing is accommodating of different body sizes and shapes. No matter your size, or age for that matter, there is a boat and a team mate for you. If you are big, then you pair up with someone small. If you are small, you pair up with someone big. You don’t have to be strong, or tall, or small for that matter. Whatever your particular advantages, you can put them to work for you in sailboat racing.
Sailing is a co-ed sport. Not only are girls and boys commonly on the same team, they are commonly paired up in boats together, and that in itself is fun.
Kids discover in sailing a sport they can enjoy for the rest of their lives. As beginners, they sail the deftly-named Optimists—tiny bathtubs with single sails. As youths, they sail dinghies and high-performance skiffs. Then they move on to larger boats, ones they don’t have to jump around so much in. You only become too old for sailboat racing when you can no longer get into a boat. It is truly a life-long sport.
High-school sailors leaving our new team will graduate to college sailing. The best universities in the country recruit top high-school sailors heavily. Sailing is not only fun and rewarding; it is a great thing for a college-bound kid to have on his or her resume.
Program Outline
The Bohemian Sailing Team will be an independent, not-for-profit entity. It will not be associated with any particular high school. We will draw from the various communities of Sebastopol and vicinity.
As currently conceived, the Team will consist of boys and girls in grades 7-12. We will practice in Bodega Bay, in 2-person “dinghies”, of the type typically used in high-school sailing programs. We will have as many boats as we can raise funds for — no fewer than 8; as many as 20. If we have more interest than boats, preference will be given by necessity to children of parents whose efforts have helped to create, or maintain the team.
Two chase boats will coach and monitor the kids, making sure they are always safe and get help when they need it. We would hope to recruit an experienced adult racer to serve as head coach, with a volunteer assistant, which position might rotate among willing parents.
Our team will practice during the week, training against each other. On weekends we will travel to compete in open regattas or directly against other high-school teams.
Phase 1: Completed
Initial investigation into the use of Doron Beach as a location has been completed. It appears to be an outstanding venue. This needs to be confirmed.
Phase 2: Raise Funds
We need to set up the organization, and establish its status as a tax-free entity.
Most immediately, we need to raise money with which to buy boats and other equipment. We will begin with 8 to 12 boats, perhaps as many as 20, depending on funds available, plus two motor boats. We will need to either find a volunteer coach, or raise the funds to hire one.
How Can I Help?
There are many ways you can help. Most crucially and immediately, you can help us formally establish an organization and raise the necessary funds. Please contact Alex Mountjoy, the team’s founder and coordinator, for more information.