SINT MAARTEN (SIMPSON BAY) - The Sint Maarten Yacht Club’s (SMYC) Primary School Sailing program will conclude its season on Friday June 16. This year, the program included 4 primary schools: Sister Regina Primary School, Seventh Day Adventist Primary School, Leonard Connor Primary School, and the All Children Educate Foundation. In addition to the four schools, sailing classes were provided to the Youth Brigade as part of the program. All the 48 students began their participation in September 2022. Each school selected 12 students who had the opportunity to enjoy free weekly sailing and swimming classes throughout the school year.
“It is wonderful to see how much progress the students made throughout the year. At the beginning of the season, many of them felt anxious about being near the water or sailing a boat. But now, after 9 months of swimming and sailing, most of the students can confidently sail on their own, and everyone has become comfortable in the water. This will be a valuable life skill for the students, that they will enjoy for the rest of their life.” Said Sam Peeks, Sailing Instructor at the Sint Maarten Yacht Club.
Just like last season the SMYC organized ‘Swim 2 Sail’, as part of the Primary School Sailing Program. This project offers help for kids who need to improve their swimming skills before joining the sailing program. Under supervision of Mr. Busby, 15 children participated in this program, improved their level of swimming and received a ‘water-confident’ diploma.
Last week, the students were rewarded with a sailing diploma handed out by their sailing instructors. Teachers, parents, instructors and SMYC staff were invited to witness the progress of the students during the last class and cheered for the students during the diploma ceremony.
In the previous sailing season the SMYC was able to run this program for 2 schools, including 24 students. In September 2022 the SMYC was able to grow the program and expand to 48 students. This was made possible by the funding, assistance and help from R4CR.
The R4CR program is financed by the Government of the Netherlands via the Sint Maarten Trust Fund. The Trust Fund is administered by the World Bank, monitored by the National Recovery Program Bureau (NRPB) and implemented by VNGI.
The SMYC is proud to announce the continuation of the Primary School Sailing Program, for 48 children, including the Swim to Sail program, during the 2023 – 2024 school year, funded by local businesses, private sponsors and subsidy.
“We are thanking ICE (Independent Consulting Engineers), Lagoon Marina, the Gustavia Yacht Club and the Sports Department, within the Ministry of Education, of the St. Maarten Government, for their trust in this program. With their support we create more opportunities for young individuals to discover the joy and benefits of sailing and open the door to the Marine Industry on St. Maarten” said Saskia Revelman SMYC Manager.
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