Bart wrote:
Taught a class to a Frenchman and his nine year old son
today. Winds were strong and tacking upwind with just
a reefed main (no jib) to keep the boy calm (he didn't like
heeling), we were getting nowhere, so I unfurled the jib.

The boat heeled over quite a bit on a close reach and
we actually surfed a bit down the backs of the waves.
When heeled over, the side of the boat looks flat to the
water, and boats that normally don't surf, will surf, abeit
briefly.

It was fun, but the boy freaked out again, so we dumped
some main to flatten out the boat and he calmed down.

I feel sorry for the kid. His father is pushing him a bit too
hard. He belongs in a kids program starting off in light
air. 5 days in an Opti didn't prepare him for this. The kid
did fine motoring us in an out but didn't want to do anything
while under sail. At one point he went into a fetal position.
Twice he turned away and started crying when the boat
heeled over hard. I think he had a bad experience on the
Opti's. I think I will call up the the father and talk to him
about it. I'd hate to see a kid driven away from sailing
by a pushy father. He is nine but small for his age. I'd
give him at least another six months before I put him
back in a boat, and then I'd surround him with kids in a
kids program. He would be too busy having fun to get
scared.


I agree with you totally. When my grandkids were in the sailing program
at the yacht club, one was in the Opti class and the other in the
Butterfly class. Both had been out many times on our boats but had
never done anything except sit in the cockpit...there were some kids in
the classes who had done the Opti's 2-3 times and several that were on
their 3rd and 4th session in the beginner's Butterfly...the younger
grandchild chose to stay with the Opti's and the older went on to do a
few in the Laser class (cuter boys...hey..it's an incentive..) Like with
any sport, if you push them past their comfort point and there is no
visceral reward, tehy are going to abadon the sport at a later
date...Dad needs to get a clue...he will turn his kid into a wimp if he
keeps forcing him into situations that scare him like that...