Giving kids a gift for life

Encouraging young people to sail not only supports the future of the sport, but also, as George Day offers in this Cruising Compass report, cultivates necessary life skills:

The cruising kids we’ve known over the years, including our own two sons, grow up knowing the independence, self-reliance, and camaraderie that are all part of the sailing life. They also learn how to cope with adversity and how to be flexible in the face of changing circumstances. They learn that you can’t change the weather, but you can trim the sails and alter course.

If they have traveled far and wide, they will know that the world is a mighty diverse place and that getting along with people of different cultures, religions, and races requires the ability to walk in their shoes and appreciate their values and the qualities of their unique cultures.

And, if they have become proficient sailors, they will have learned strategy and patience because you can’t always point the boat at your destination but have to tack up wind or jibe downwind to get there. And, if they have come to love sailing, then they’ll have developed a passion that lasts a lifetime.

This summer, if you can give the gift of sailing to a youngster or two, you won’t just be giving them a summer program, you’ll be giving them, perhaps, a gift for life.