Kids Build The Boats … Boats Build The Kids

It’s full speed ahead as Samuel catches the wind in the sail of his Opti dinghy and skims across the water toward Fairlane Harbor. Photo by Bill Chambers

For young Gracie, nothing comes close to the feeling she gets when piloting her small sailboat. “It’s like I’m flying over the water,” the 9-year-old skipper says. After hearing about the Youth Sailing Foundation (YSF) from a friend, Gracie couldn’t wait to sign up for Opti class 1. That was just over a year ago. Since then the home-schooled fourth grader has been setting sail as often as possible.

She’s not alone. Since 2009, YSF has offered free sailing lessons taught by US Sailing instructors to hundreds of Indian River County children ages 8 to 15. Knowing how to rig and pilot a sailboat, tie knots and compete in races is not only fun, but it also takes discipline, determination and focus. Talk about a confidence booster.

Like so many ideas that have the potential to change lives, YSF owes its existence to a man named Charlie Pope, who, after his neighbor Varoujan Karentz – Pops – informed him that the county didn’t offer a sailing program for youth, rolled up his sleeves and said, “Well, then, let’s get to work.”