CitySail is a learn-to-sail organization that introduces city youth to the sport of sailing every day. There are inumerable examples around the world. Nevertheless, here is a heartwarming story that we felt should be shared with the J/Communithy: "Simone is 15 and too old and too cool to be bothered with all the boys seeking her attention (pictured at right). She won’t come to our after school center because she feels like she is too old for that stuff. But she’s just the right age to sail. This summer her mom signed her up for City Sail and she reluctantly came to the first class. We were teaching nautical terminology to all the kids. Simone was one of the quickest kids in the class. Later that week when for the first time in her life she stepped on to a sailboat, she feigned indifference. But once a boat leaves the dock, all the fronting stops. Kids either beg to go up on the bow and get rocked by the waves for the sheer joy of it, or they hang on for dear life. Simone was one of the former. All the layers of smug superiority melted off her face as the wind and the waves pulled the laughter and surprise out of her. By the middle of the summer I was trusting Simone with the tiller in an 18 knot wind. On one such occasion I leaned over and asked her how many of her friends at school had ever sailed in such a wind. She smiled the smile of someone who has just realized their own achievement and said, “NONE!”
She wasn’t quite right. Over the last five years we’ve taken out over 100 Jersey City school children. This is a huge privilege for us. Although the kids live within a mile of some of the most exciting visually stimulating sailing around, they literally never get out on the water. They might as well live 1000 miles from the water for as much as they are able to enjoy it - until City Sail. "Without City Sail I'd never have learned to sail," says Derrik age 14. Dozens of children entered our free sailing school and competed for points through three
levels of seamanship. Our top point scorers this year were invited to apprentice for a week on a working 80 foot schooner. Next year we would like to make this opportunity available to even more kids. We are looking to add a J/24 to our fleet. Anyone interested in helping us can contact us at citysail@gmail.com. All contributions or boat donations are fully tax exempt.
