Edison Sailing Center is a non-profit organization dedicated to teaching children and youth 8-18 the passion for sailing.
Located on the Caloosahatchee River in downtown Fort Myers, Florida, the Center teaches children the fundamentals of sailing. In addition to its fleets of International Dinghies, Optimist and Lasers, we also teach children (ages 10 and up) to safely operate motorboats. Group classes, adult instruction and private lessons are scheduled as registration warrants.
For those who want to go beyond the basics, the Center has a year-round program that teaches all areas, with an emphasis on racing. Our sailors participate in regional, state, and national regattas. We also offer Level I USSA Instructor training for interested individuals.
Edison Sailing Center was conceived in 1984 as a way to bring sailing to Southwest Florida’s young people. Using donated Optimist prams and lasers, the group (then operating under the name Royal Palm Sailing Club) started teaching sailing to kids during the summer months. Response to the program was so positive that classes continued throughout the year. The children not only wanted to sail, but they also wanted to race, giving birth to the Royal Palm Sailing Team.
Our members have raced in many statewide regattas as well as national and even international events. In 1992 the city of Fort Myers leased the present downtown location. In keeping with the local theme, the new facility was named the Edison Sailing Center.
Today, the sailing center maintains 250+ boats for instruction and racing. Sailing classes are taught in our Summer Sailing Programs. The beginning classes take the group from the basics – this is a sail – to being able to sail the boat by themselves. Intermediate and advanced classes continue to sharpen their skills and deepen their understanding of the effects of weather and an awareness of their environment.
Each participant is assigned a boat and is responsible for rigging, sailing and unrigging that boat. Because the boats are bigger than the sailors, we apply teamwork and collaboration. One of the most important lessons we target is “Independence.” It is important to learn to be self-sufficient on the water. As the sailors learn to think situations through, they gain self-confidence. Each class is accompanied by U.S. Sailing Association certified instructors using powerboats to instruct and encourage the new sailors.
The racing season runs from September thru May. During that time we travel to regattas all around Florida. We also host one of the largest regattas in the state in October. Qualified skippers are eligible to go on sailing/camping weekends which includes our annual July 4th trip to the Dry Tortugas.
As a community sailing center, over the years we have worked to bring sailing to children who might otherwise not have the opportunity to try it. We operate on the funds from summer programs and donations
At Edison Sailing Center we believe in equipping each young sailor with life skills for now and for the future.
A sailor must be self-disciplined – from the steps and processes required to prepare the boat for launching to the knowledge, skills and behaviors required of the sailor on the water. The sailor is truly the captain of his own ship – and while safety-rescue boats may be available for emergencies, it is ultimately the sailor who has ownership of all that sailing entails.
Sailors need to be adaptable to any and all situations, e.g. how will the sailor adapt once the threat of a storm is on the horizon? When another boat appears to be on the same course? When equipment breaks down…and it will break down. Coupled with adaptability is a positive attitude. Most of the Seven Dwarfs would not have made good sailors! Attitude is everything.
One of the attributes of a sailor is the ability to use one’s imagination. Imagination paired with knowledge goes a long way, i.e. “ I’m sailing at a pretty good speed because my tell-tales are streaming backward and the boat is moving, but what if I….” – and that is the start of an excellent internal conversation. We can’t dismiss intuition here, either. Sometimes that little voice in your head is giving you direction and guidance.
And that leads us into learning from successes as well as mistakes. Our imagination and skill can take us only so far. How we apply our attitudes, behaviors and skills in each situation may be very different. The important thing is that our young sailors learn from each experience – did this work? Why/why not? Is there something different that I could have done? How will I apply this to my next sailing experience?
Opportunities – sailors learn something every time they are on the water. Each experience is another opportunity to experiment with how far the sailor can push the envelope, or simply enjoy the breeze flowing through the sails.
No sailor is worth his salt if he is not a steward of his environment. Being a responsible boater means being thoughtful about the chemicals we use to clean our boats & sails; whether we wash down our boats after we’ve come out of the water to make sure microbes & sea critters have not been added to our shores or down our septic systems. Marine debris trackers log thousands of tons annually, creating gyres that are literally floating trash islands. This is not the ocean legacy we should leave behind.