Green Fleet
The Optimist Green Fleet program is intended to be an introduction to sailing for sailors ages 8-15 who have either completed one or more two-week sessions at a CRYC summer camp, or a similar program, or are beginner racers. In the Green Fleet program, young sailors are taught sail trim, sailboat racing, rules, tactics, and basic strategies. As an introduction to sailing, Green Fleet is somewhat more relaxed and includes fun trips to close islands and sandbars, fun days, “Big Boat” days, and many other water related activities.
The CRYC Green Fleet Program is fortunate to have some of the most experienced and energetic coaches in the sport today. Our full time coaching team are often supported by equally talented guest coaches and coaching assistants from South Florida and around the world.
Maykel Alonso
Opti Green Fleet Program, Head Coach
A sailor since the age of 5, Maykel Alonso quickly found his passion for sailing on the Optimist Dinghy. Recruited to join the Cuban National Sailing Team at a young age, he took home the "Copa Cuba" trophy in 2000. After winning several national championships in the Optimist Class, Maykel found success in Lasers, 470s, and Sunfish as a teenager. Since his arrival in the U.S., Maykel has pursued coaching sailboat racing as his career. Between 2008 and 2015, he worked as the Head Coach of Coconut Grove Sailing Club's Green Fleet program, consistently generating talented dinghy sailors. Since January 2015, Maykel has been the Head Coach of Coral Reef Yacht Club's Green Fleet Program. Already, CRYC sailors racing under his guidance have won the 2015 Orange Bowl International Youth Regatta, the Green Fleet division of the 2016 St. Thomas International Youth Regatta, and the 2016 Green Fleet National Championship.
During the Fall and Spring racing seasons, Green Fleet meets at CRYC to practice three times per week - once during the week and twice over the weekend. For the current racing season, practice is held, weather permitting, based on the following schedule:
Saturday and Sunday from 8:30am to 1:30pm
Thursday from 4:00pm to 6:00pm
All practices are optional, but if your sailor is serious about sailing and driven to perform, our coaches highly recommend attending every practice possible because “time on the water” matters.
Private coaching is also available for non-practice days and can be scheduled directly with the CRYC coaches. On weekends that our sailors are participating in a regatta, our coaches will determine if practice will be held and will communicate this to the team in advance.
Regattas
During the Fall and Spring racing seasons, the Green Fleet attends approximately one local or regional regatta per month - primarily within a one to three hour drive from CRYC. Your participation in regattas is not required, but they do offer an opportunity for family-time and to socialize with other youth sailing families. In fact, the parents of our RWB and 420 sailors often reminisce that their young sailor’s time in Green Fleet were some of the best in their sailing lives.
If you are a current Green Fleet sailor or family member, you can request access to our dedicated TeamSnap account which we use to communicate information about practices, regattas, and other events.