While the SailGP professional athletes raced in Bermuda last weekend for the Season 3 opener, Marina del Rey, Calif.’s, next generation of sailors got their first taste of foiling thanks to the United States SailGP Team’s Foiling First initiative.
Held at the Santa Monica Windjammers Yacht Club, 16 youth athletes from six different programs around the area spent two days with Foiling First coaches at a Learn to Foil Camp on SMWYC’s Nikki foiling craft.
The youth athletes between eight and 16 years old, all successfully learned how to foil and according to Steve Potter, Program Chair, “They can’t wait to do it again.
“Most importantly everyone had a blast getting on the water and taking advantage of professional coaching to improve their foiling skills alongside friends, new and old, from the clubs who joined us at the camp. We do everything possible to make our foiling program available to all kids and try to break down barriers to entry.”
Foiling First next heads to Bristol Yacht Club in Rhode Island May 27-29, for the initiative’s first coaches clinic where U.S. SailGP Team athletes will coach sailing coaches from Santa Monica, Chicago Yacht Club, Jackson Park Yacht Club (Chicago) and Bristol on how to instruct foiling.
The coaches clinic is open to Foiling First partner organizations and is designed to set the local yacht club coaches up for success as they continue to encourage and inspire the next generation of foiling athletes around the country.
