Session 2 of the Junior Program has ended, and we are now moving on to Session 3 beginning this Monday, July 20th. The last two weeks of classes were tremendously fun for me as an instructor, and I am sad to see my students go. In this past Session, both of the classes I taught exceeded expectations on the written exam and in sailing abilities.

Longshore’s Junior program is designed in a way that urges students to repeat courses at least once before moving onto the next level. It is our belief that you can always take something new from review of the same material, and can always benefit from more on-the-water experience. That being said, there is no “failing” at Longshore Sailing School. Students who repeat a course usually have a stronger grasp on both theory and skills than do students who move directly from one course to the next. We do not ever expect every student to “get it” on the first try. We were all once students as well and therefore know that it sometimes takes a while for certain concepts to click both in the class room and on the water. Nonetheless, five students in my Intermediate Sailing course still received perfect scores on the exam and over half of the class received a 90% or higher. My Start Boating Right course similarly had five students tie for our high test score award. Successful classes like these with such eager students are what make me and my fellow instructors love working at Longshore Sailing School.

But don’t worry! We do much more than lecture and drill. Throughout Intermediate we had races, free sailing, and a very, very fun game of sponge tag in which two instructors (including myself) rapidly became involved. In Start Boating Right, we had kayak races, kayaking trips to Cockenoe and Compo Beach, and again, more sponge tag and capsizing practice during sailing, which is always a hit with the kids.

Each class is unique and stands out. I will take memories from this Session, and hope that my students do too.