Proof That It Works (Alternative Pathways)

There is an exciting movement happening in Hawaii. Kid's are sailing nontraditional boats and getting more excited than ever about the sport. Proud sailing mom Karen Lattanzi reached out to us on the West Coast Sailing Facebook page to share this video and a quick story about her daughter Pearl and best friend Ariana. She wanted to let us know that there is proof that it works.

What do we mean by that? We're talking about alternative pathways, and term we often use to describe the use of non traditional boats (think O'Pen Bic and RS Feva) as opposed to more traditional classes (think Opti, Laser and 420) as a pathway to high performance sailing. While many junior sailors burn out in overly competitive programs or simply lose interest in sailing, kids in the programs at Hawaii Kai Boat Club are proof that modern designs, paired with innovative approaches to teaching, can instill a lifetime of passion for sailing.

"Pearl Lattanzi began sailing O'Pen Bics at 10 and RS Fevas at 13. She has never sailed an El Toro or Opti, and only a Topper and Laser one time to see what they are about. She just started sailing a 29er and this (as shown in the video) was their first day out of the marina and in wind over 8 knots. Her best friend, Ariana Long, has been sailing for a year and a half. She also started on an O'Pen Bic and quickly moved into the RS Feva. She has never sailed any other boats. They have pledged to each other to try to make it to the 29er World's. Pearl has won Top Overall Girl in the Open Bic North American's, as well as the Goblin Regatta, Baron's Cup, and Dinghy Transpac in the RS Feva class. Ariana has proven herself in other sports. She holds the Punahou 3000 intermediate running record, a mile time of 5.23, and ran a marathon at 13. She has discovered sailing to be A LOT more fun and less damaging to her legs:! They sail about 5 days a week and have been best friends since they were 3."

Wow! To Pearl and Ariana, we applaud your passion and dedication to sailing!

Sep 20th 2016 West Coast Sailing