Many get pleasure from free sailboat rides at St. Thomas Crusing Middle Open Home
by Carol Bareuther 4 Nov 23:38 HKT
November 3, 2024
Peter Holmberg (far proper) takes a bunch out for a sail within the STYC Open Home © Rian Bareuther
Two phrases summed up 5-year-old Cason O’Brien’s half-hour experience on an IC24 sailboat throughout Sunday’s St. Thomas Crusing Middle’s (STSC) Open Home.
“Too enjoyable,” stated O’Brien, who, together with his mom, Stacey O’Brien, was considered one of many members of the general public who got here to pattern the game of crusing. The O’Brien’s did so with St. Thomas native, Olympic silver medalist, and America’s Cup skipper Peter Holmberg, one of many afternoon’s volunteer skippers.
The STSC, the sail instruction arm of the St. Thomas Yacht Membership, hosted the occasion, which provided free rides on IC24 sailboats and Hobie Wave catamarans and supplied details about crusing programs, court docket sports activities, and Membership membership.
“I have never sailed for years, since I used to be a younger lady with my dad on a lake,” says Carol Hawkins, who, together with her husband, Kevin, are the brand new homeowners of the Inexperienced Iguana Lodge.
Newlyweds Megan Darlington, and husband, Dixxon, visiting from San Antonio, TX, had by no means sailed. They had been on the lookout for a spot to snorkel and found the Open Home. “It was a complete new world, so peaceable on the market,” says Darlington.
Robert ‘Bobby’ Brooks, director of the STSC, says, “At this time’s Open Home on the St. Thomas Yacht Membership gave the individuals of St. Thomas a firsthand take a look at all we’ve to supply, from newbie crusing to aggressive racing. Regardless of a wet begin, the skies cleared to disclose a lovely afternoon, good for getting out on the water. We’re excited to welcome extra native islanders into our applications, offering an reasonably priced solution to discover the fantastic thing about our surrounding waters. We look ahead to seeing a lot of at the moment’s guests again quickly to affix our rising crusing group.”
The STSC provides a number of crusing programs, from 3-hour Intro to Hobie instruction that lets college students, even those that have by no means sailed earlier than, safely skipper a 16′ Hobie Wave catamaran to an intensive 7-day Bareboat Certification course that permits college students to bareboat constitution a sailboat in locations just like the Virgin Islands. Different programs embrace Uncover Crusing, 3-hours of instruction to study the fundaments of crusing similar to factors of sail, sail trim, and boat components; Study to Sail; Efficiency Crusing, which covers expertise for each cruising and racing; and Cruising Course, 4-days of sensible liveaboard instruction. Non-public classes are additionally out there aboard the STSC’s luxurious Hanse 38′ cruising boat. All our main programs embrace a Blue Water Membership within the St. Thomas Yacht Membership for 30 days, the place you’ll be able to get pleasure from all of the facilities the membership has to supply: bar, restaurant, tennis and squash courts, seashore, and extra.
The subsequent STSC Open Home will likely be held February 2, 2025, from 1-4 p.m.
For extra data, name (340) 690-3681, E-mail: , or go to: stthomassailingcenter.com
