Two scouts and two adult leaders from Sea Scout Ship 100, DOMINION, donned their formal dress white uniforms to perform the flag raising during the opening ceremony of Quantico Yacht Club‘s fourth annual Open House. Shortly thereafter, they swapped out uniforms for sailing clothes, so they could enjoy the unit’s first race, the QYC’s first annual Ocean Research Project Regatta. Scouts Zach Skiles and Aidan Wiecki were accompanied by the unit’s skipper,Todd Skiles, and adult leader Peter Wiecki.Though I am “officially retired” from Sea Scouting, at Skipper Skiles’ request, I put my Sailing Coach hat back on for this special occasion. The five of us sailed Ship 100’s Catalina 22, BENJAMIN CHASE, the vessel named after the two Tiger Cub Scouts killed in the Sandy Hook mass shooting.
The first two hours were marked by light to no air–which was a challenge for our crew–but they came up with ways to pass the time until the wind finally picked up just before we made the first mark.
Once we were “really sailing,” spirits brightened and everyone enjoyed the jaunt back down river to the finish. It did not hurt that we took home the 3rd place award for spinnaker class.
The scouts were real troopers, made the best of conditions, learned a lot, enjoyed the day, and have a great story to tell about their first race. Aidan summed up the experience when he said, “This was the best day of sailing so far!”