Sailing instructor Sam Fleuchaus worked the better part of the end of an hour reinforcing the idea of wind and maneuvering on the river.
The sailing campers, in for the Tuesday afternoon session, were at once looking at a southwest wind that abruptly turned from the west. Before the campers left shore, phrases of straight into the wind and irons followed with close haul, beam reach, broad reach and running were repeated and reinforced. The campers moved the sailfish out from the marina after clearing the docks and went out to enjoy an afternoon sail on June 25 at the Belle Haven Marina sailing school.
Fleuchaus explained that straight into the wind was called “irons” because in the grand day of clipper ships and schooners and warships, if a ship was caught in the straight wind it would take a slow, long time to maneuver it out and therefore whoever took the ship into the wind would be put in irons.
The sailing instructors encompass a majority of former sailing school campers who love the water and the river and sailing are under the watchful eye of dock master Chip Johnston. The Belle Haven Marina offers sailing classes for children and adults throughout the summer and fall. See www.saildc.com.