Ida Lewis Distance race, "Junior" class

[Joe Cooper]

Ladies and Gentleman,
Joe Cooper here;

The planning committee of the Ida Lewis Distance Race, on which I sit, is planning to offer a "Junior" class in this years Ida Distance race. Basic plan is to offer an entry category for PHRF boats with (at the moment) 75% of the crew 18 or under. The basic concept being to expose more youth sailors to "big boat" sailing.
More particulars will be coming to hand as the planning for the race progresses. http://www.ildistancerace.org/2010/index.php

Parallel with but not particularly connected into any formal sense will be the (i think 5th) running of the Storm Trysail Club's Junior Safety a Sea seminar in Newport. This is a one day affair based on the normal SAS programs, with the same goals (as for the ILDR): I. E. exposure for kids to the issues surrounding operating a bigger boat.

The date for the STC seminar is TBD. The Ida race is 20 August.

In discussion with Kim Hapgood, I discovered that the NBYA Jr sailing activities finish just before the Ida race, so the STC seminar will most likely be in the space between the Race and Jr sailing finishing so as not to conflict with already planned Jr. sailing events on NB.

The two events (the race and the STC Jr. SAS seminar) are not (intended to be) mutually inclusive. In other words kids will not be required to do the STC seminar (although very much encouraged to do so) because there will be some sort of SAS "lite" (like a 90 minute briefing)for the kids entered in the race after the skippers meeting on the Thursday prior to the race start. The Day long STC Junior SAS is much more like the "grown up" version with a raft inflation and so on. (not sure yet about the flares....)

If you are not particularly familiar with the Storm Trysail's Jr. SAS seminars (they have been a fixture on the sound for about 15 years, you can read up on the overall report from the 2009 series of seminars. http://www.stormtrysailfoundation.org/s ... elease.pdf

The next planning meeting of the Ida race c'tee is 4 Feb and more info will be forth coming so this post is merely a heads up.
Any questions contact me on the cell number below
thanks
Cheers
Coop
Joe Cooper
401 965 6006 MOB

[Joe Cooper]

Hello folks,
The NOR for the Ida Lewis Distance Race is posted here:http://www.ildistancerace.org/2010/index.php
Scroll down for info on the event. Click on the NOR for a PDF of same.
The basics are:

• There is not a separate NOR for the Youth Challenge.
• Entry must be under the flag of a YC or community sailing organization. The goal here is to encourage the yacht club or organization to use the participation in the Youth Challenge to help motivate the kids in the summer programs: I.E. “we are going to take the best x number of kids on this distance race”
• Age range is 14-18 years old
• MORE than 50% of the crew needs to be with in this age band to qualify for the youth challenge.
Boats may sail with kids outside this band in the race, BUT they will not count towards the 50% threshold for crew headcount for youth challenge class. So for instance, if you have a 12 year old or a 19 year old, they MAY sail BUT will NOT be included in the Junior crew head count.
• There must be at least 2 adults aboard one of whom is the Person in Charge.
• The goal is to involve the kids in the actual sailing of the boat, not merely have them sit on the rail…, well, as well as sit on the rail, involve them in sail handling, pre-race discussions on strategy, tactics, sail handling, crew coordination, navigation & safety issues etc. In short all the categories of decision making and thinking that goes into a “big” boat yacht race as distinct from their normal high school and or local YC summer dinghy sailing programs.
• All youth sailors in the youth challenge class will be required to attend a brief meeting after the skipper's meeting (Thursday 19 about 1800) to get briefed on big boat sailing night sailing etc.. All crews are welcome to attend but it is mandatory for the Youth Challenge class youth crews.
• Separately there will be (the 5th I think) Storm Trysail Club Junior Safety at Sea Seminar earlier in the week. This is a full day deal with life rafts, safety discussions, boat and sail handling, VHF comms. etc.
• This will most likely be at Sail Newport and will have a fee, usually around $30-40 including lunch.

Race web page here: http://www.ildistancerace.org/2010/index.php
Youth Challenge info here: http://www.ildistancerace.org/2010/news ... llenge.htm
Page with link to PDF of the NOR here: http://www.ildistancerace.org/2010/2010 ... f_race.php
Storm Trysail junior SAS basic info here-This year’s info is not up yet. http://www.stormtrysailfoundation.org/index.htm
There is also a Face book page here: http://www.facebook.com/search/?q=ida+l ... init=quick

Thanks for the interest,
Hope to see you there, and tell your mates.
Cheers
Coop
401 965 6006