What’s New at Sail Caribbean

Read the full article and see Briana's outstanding photos and interview! (PDF File)

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You asked for a challenging marine biology research adventure.

We listened…and Sierra was born!

    This program’s course work will fuel your passion for all things aquatic. It will strengthen your knowledge and research skills. You must be a certified diver or ready to become one to participate. Join BVI field researchers in a comprehensive, hands-on curriculum focusing on marine ecology. We’ll help you develop methodical research practices and valuable field skills. This is also your chance to make a difference by contributing to local marine conservation efforts. You’ll explore the anatomy of a fish, tow for and identify plankton species, explore marine environment on the microscopic level,  catch and tag sea turtles and record their measurements – all in a perfect outdoor Caribbean classroom. Based on the marine biology topic of your choosing, you may even design and carry out an independent study project and obtain school credit. Join Sierra and you’re sure to become a more educated and effective steward of the seas. Read more about the Sierra program.

Sierra- Tropical Marine Science for Divers

PADI eLearning allows Open Water Divers to complete the written portion of the course online, from the comfort of their own home. Used for the first time in 2009 with our Bravo and Echo programs, the eLearning platform was a great success and has been expanding to included all Sail Caribbean Open Water Programs for 2010.

There are a number of advantages to eLearning as opposed to the traditional classroom model. eLearning is extremely flexible and can be divided into several separate learning sessions to accommodate any student’s attention span or available time. Additionally, eLearning assures consistency since the training is exactly the same of every student. Students must complete required question sets at the end of each section before proceeding. If students need extra support during the course, students have the option to contact a member of Sail Caribbean Divers with questions or concerns.

Most importantly, with the class room work completed before arrival, students can make the most of their time in the Caribbean, moving directly to the most fun part- learning to become qualified, capable, and safe divers!

More about eLearning and the Sail Caribbean Diving Experience
More information from the PADI website (click on course details)

The successes and accomplishment of Sail Caribbean staff members often extend far beyond their tenure in the Caribbean. We would like to take a moment to recognize H.L. DeVore, an oustanding staff member from the 80’s for his recent success at the Shields National Championship.

DeVore, his team, and “Mermaid” recently won the 2009 Shields National Championship held at Chicago Yacht Club. Scoring five top 3 finishes, DeVore took the title by a single point, narrowly defeating the runner up from the host club to capture the National Championship. Congratulations to H.L. DeVore and his entire crew on their recent successes!

Check out the links below for the full story and for more information on the fascinating story of the “Mermaid”

http://larchmontyc.org/2009ShieldsNationals.shtml

http://www.shieldsfleetone.org/Photos/Photos_231_Salvage/231%20salvage.htm

Sail Caribbean is very proud to have one of our staff recognized by US Sailing, the United States National Governing Body for the sport of sailing. Greg Koman has just received a prestigious award, Volunteer Coach of the Year.  Way to go, Greg!!

US SAILING’s 2009 Volunteer Coach of the Year: Greg Koman
When Koman first joined the University of Vermont Sailing Team as the assistant coach in the fall of 2007, he knew the team was up-and-coming and had the potential and talent to take off – and it did. An invaluable asset to the UVM team, Koman, a volunteer, strives to run efficient practices with two coaches and coach boats, allowing the team to focus on upwind, downwind and starting line drills in smaller groups. As a result, this customized and efficient coaching process has had a direct impact on the team and has translated into results. In 2009, the team finished the fall season ranked eighth in the United States and fifth in New England’s collegiate performance rankings. Also thanks to Koman, UVM’s women’s sailing team, which is primarily comprised of young, developing sailors, returned to prominence this fall when they received national recognition in the collegiate rankings...

To read more about Greg, and see the distinguished group of coaches that he joins, go to the US Sailing announcement.

This is something very nice to warm up the holidays for Greg, and for all of us!

Over the past several weeks, students and staff have been posting their best photos from the summer to our Sail Caribbean Facebook Page for their shot at an authentic Sail Caribbean hooded sweatshirt. After much deliberation and careful thought, these seven winning photos have been selected from an outstanding entry field.  Congratulations to all our winners and thank you to everyone who entered.  You can see all of the entries by visiting our Facebook page.

Remember the sea turtles Crush and Squirt in Finding Nemo, riding the East Australian Current?  Well, now there's Suzie, an adult female green turtle, who recently navigated over 400 miles from the Turks & Caicos Islands to the British Virgin Islands, and continues her voyage down the Caribbean chain.  Suzy was tagged and released off East Caicos in late June by the Turks and Caicos Islands Turtle Project.  Her special tag transmits her location whenever she surfaces.  In early September, she left those islands and navigated a near-perfect straight course to the BVI, where she checked out Jost Van Dyke, Tortola and Anegada, before continuing to the Leewards.  Thanks to our friends at the BVI Department of Environment & Fisheries for sharing this story with us.  Read more and check out Suzie's progress.

This summer, Sail Caribbean Divers, our BVI Scuba Diving center, organized a contest for the best underwater photograph taken by a Sail Caribbean student.  The results were emailed to all participants at the end of the summer.  Armando Jenik, our friend and renowned underwater photographer, helped with the final selection of the winners:

1st Place:  Tyler Davidson's photo of a school of fish.  Tyler is the proud winner of a Digital Underwater camera.

1st Runner Up Chase Schoelkopf's photo of a skin diver	2nd Runner Up Neil Hershman's shot of a plane wreck

Well done Tyler and everybody else who sent in their pictures!

The definitive guide to sailing in the British Virgin Islands recognizes Sail Caribbean's 30 year history in its August 2009 YachtGuide edition.  Based on interviews with founder Mike Liese and Mike Rowe, Sail Caribbean Divers' own PADI Course Director, this article describes how Sail Caribbean started in 1979 as "a bit of survival and a bit on a yacht", and has grown into today's leading teen summer adventure program and premier dive center in the BVI.  Check out the full story on BVI YachtGuide.

Our early summer programs, Echo College Leadership & Sailing Expedition and Early Bravo Sailing, Scuba & Watersports, have already sailed, dived, tubed, wakeboarded, snorkeled, hiked, learned, danced and explored the Caribbean.  Those students can now entertain their friends at home with tales of adventure.  Check out the Photo Albums from those programs.

The rest of our teen summer adventure programs (Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta, Foxtrot & Tango) have left the docks.  Be sure to follow their travels on our Trip Updates.  Sign up to receive updates by email - just find the trip updates you want and follow the link on the right side of that page:  "Sign up by email".

The winner has been chosen for The Gallery Collection's 1st Annual Write-A-Greeting-Card Scholarship Contest. The winner will take part in Sail Caribbean's Foxtrot Environmental Service, Scuba & Sailing program, participating in marine preservation, scuba diving, sailing, water sports, and ocean exploration throughout the British Virgin Islands.

Congratulations to Dominique Pankey of Appomattox, Virginia, who submitted the winning entry - a creative and effective message about the importance of preserving our environment, written on the inside of a greeting card to President Obama!

To read Dominique's entry along with the four additional finalists and the 15 honorable mentions, visit the Gallery Collection's blog: http://www.gallerycollection.com/blog/eco-friendly/write-a-greeting-card-scholarship-finalists/.

Sail Caribbean and The Gallery Collection would like to thank all the entrants for the effort you put into writing such persuasive and inspirational messages to President Obama. The top one hundred entries are being sent to President Obama!

Our Tango program (formerly "Foxtrot Jr") and our friends at Tortola's Youth Empowerment Project (YEP) made the news in the Virgin Islands!  Check out the story on the Virgin Islands news website:

U.S. and Local Youth Join Together to Learn More About Protecting our Environment

Great work!!

Basseterre, St. Kitts, July 15, 2008 (SKNIS): UNESCO Youth Path Project Participants recently hosted Sail Caribbean to an exploration of the life, culture and heritage of the Federation.

Sail Caribbean is a group from the United States, which, as the name suggests, sails the Caribbean Islands every summer to learn about youth in the region.

According to Project Coordinator Maria Crawford, the goals of the Youth Path Project are similar to that of Sail Caribbean...  Read more..