Larchmont, N.Y. July 21, 2017 -- Storm Trysail’s 21st Larchmont Junior Safety at Sea Seminar set a new standard for our seminars. Total attendance of juniors and their instructors totaled approximately 215. Twenty boats ranging from a J/92 Thin Man to the Sydney 43 Christopher Dragon and Nielsen 46 Froya experienced a great sailing day, light northerlies in the morning and 12-18 kts in the afternoon.
Everyone was thinking safety that day. Sadly, two days before the seminar a 12-year-old junior sailor lost his life in a coach boat accident in Centerport, Long Island. Fortunately we had two great Coast Guard speakers come down from Cape Cod to make a one hour presentation on the role of the Coast Guard and in particular Search and Rescue. LCDR Simon Greene, a helicopter pilot and experienced sailor, and AST2 Paul Mills, a rescue swimmer, captured the kids’ attention discussing the role of the Coast Guard and demonstrating the rescue equipment.
For the third year, under the leadership of Peter Becker, we offered the more experienced juniors a Level 200 advanced course with a big increase in participation. Last year's three-boatloads of juniors doubled to six boats - a total of 63 sailors, with a wait list. Next year we will plan on 8-10 boatloads. Each level 200 crew hit the water at 10 am after the Coast Guard talk, and with two top level Storm Trysail coaches, spent the entire day on and in the water. They handled flares and rockets, performed various types of MOB recovery with swimmers in the water, and even inflated life rafts and abandoned ship! We understand the coaches then raided the sandwich bags.
Meantime, back ashore the Level 100 juniors attended Bob Behringer's Heavy Weather presentation, Rand Milton’s showing of our MOB film followed by a throw line bag competition, and then a dockside demonstration of mainsail reefing, setting storm sails, and proper bosun chair technique. After lunch Dick York, with Aragorn tied off the dock, demonstrated methods of hoisting wet junior MOBs on board.
In the afternoon the Level 100 sailors boarded boats and practiced MOB and other drills. For the Level 100 tallboy buoys were used for the practice.
The day ended with the juniors quickly disposing of fifty pizzas!
As with all Storm Trysail events, there are dozens of volunteers. See the list below of boats, owners, coaches and presenters. Special thanks to Lisa Schinella assisted by Marcy Trenholm in organizing the logistics of this Seminar.
Richard du Moulin, Past Commodore Moderator
| Boat Owners | Boat | |
| Todd Aven | Thin Man | |
| Peter Becker | American YC | Young American |
| American YC | Vareki | |
| Richard T. duMoulin | Lora Ann | |
| Mark Ellman | Next Boat | |
| Frederick Heerde | Maudelayne | |
| Roberts Kari | Ishkoodah | |
| Bengt Johansson | Zig Zag | |
| Adam Loory | Soulmates | |
| Carl Olsson | Morning Glory | |
| Leonard Sitar | Vamp | |
| Briggs Tobin | Froya | |
| Andrew B. Weiss | Christopher Dragon | |
| Richard York | Aragorn | |
| Noroton YC | JHawk | |
| Port Washington YC | Hokulea | |
| Riverside YC | Zuma | |
| Riverside YC | Strange Brew | |
| Coaches | ||
| Andrew Berdon | John Fallon | William R. Padin |
| Andrew Besheer | Brenda Lewis | Edward R. Padin |
| Bob Behringer | Bob Mathews | Mike Puleo |
| Halsey G. Bullen | Mary McKiege (EMT) | Christopher J. Reyling |
| Ed Cesare | Rand Milton | Rick Royce |
| Charles T. Corning, III | Ann Myer | Devin Santa |