January 2021

​Happy New Year from the Manatee River Pram Fleet! Our fall racing and recreational seasons wrapped up last month, with both finishing on a high note.
 
The race team took our 420 down to Sarasota Bay for the final inter-club race of the fall series. The day brought light and shifty air, so James and Cooper got plenty of practice tacking on the shifts. While this can make for a long day of racing, it was incredible to watch them compete in only their 2nd regatta together. They took 5th place in two races! They also had a couple moments of leading the entire fleet of 14 boats, and after a grueling 7 races, they posted an overall 7th place finish. That’s a stellar showing and we look forward to these two young sailors developing as teammates and competitors in 2021.
 
Sunday recreational sailing ended in beautiful fashion, with a journey to the mouth of the river on one of the best sailing days 2020 offered. There is something special about watching our fleet cruise with the BYC big boats racing in the background. Even the dolphins and manatees joined in the fun. Our sailors continue to enjoy learning to sail different boats, with the Sunfish being a popular choice for recreational sailing as they grow out of their Opti’s.
 
We look forward to resuming race team practice this month, with recreational sailing resuming in March. Here’s to a new year full of perfect sailing weather!