Adam Bonilla

Katie Cavallucci 

ENG 160-28

30 September 2022

                                                             Whatever Floats Your Boat

The water is glistening and shining from the sunlight’s reflection, and the scorching heat of the sun is hitting my skin.The wind is howling, and I can feel the breeze blowing through my hair. The sail is bellowing and filled with salty sea air. During all of this,  I am surrounded by other boats experiencing the same conditions as I am. I am practicing for my regatta taking place in a few days, so I can achieve 1st place in my boat fleet in Long Island. A regatta is a term that means a race with boats.

Sailing has been a big part of my life, and ever since I was 11 years old, I was able to participate in sailing. This sport is very expensive because of all the equipment, but I was able to join due to the fact I was chosen to be a part of a charity foundation which allowed underprivileged children to engage in sailing. First, in year one was a very difficult year for me as a sailor due to the fact that it was my first time, and I was nervous meeting new people. I felt so out of place because I felt like I would be bullied for not learning to sail at a very young age.Usually you start at 8 years old, but I started later because this charity foundation was brand new. Also I was under a lot of pressure, since I had to set an example for future children who wanted to try sailing for the first time. As the weeks went on, I became more comfortable and started making new friends and became close with the sailing instructors. Although I did not participate in any races for sailing, my time was worthwhile due to the long life friends I made and memories.

My second year of sailing started improving. The first year of sailing was excellent, and they decided to continue the program, so I could still be involved in the sport. I met more people and started bonding with them. I started to notice that it was difficult to balance the boat because my body outgrew the small boat I was sailing. With this problem, I still overcame and won an award for sailing. I won an award for spirit which gave me a lot of motivation to continue sailing. I did not participate in any races that year because I felt like I was not ready to compete since most sailors have years of experience while I only had two.

My third year was very special to me since I was given a bigger boat to sail in. This boat is meant for two people, so I let my best friend join me to sail. This was my best year for sailing. We qualified for champs which you need to qualify to participate in multiple regattas and win races. Although we qualified, we were reluctant to enter the race because we were not confident competing against sailors who had been training since they were seven years old compared to our novice status of three years of training. However, it was this year I met my favorite instructor. He taught us a lot about sailing a bigger boat, and later he was the main reason why I got my job as a sailing instructor.

After I turned 17 years old , I decided I wanted to work as a sailing instructor. I knew there was good pay, and it is a job that I enjoy doing. I was looking for sailing jobs, but I could not find any. At my age it was considered almost impossible to get a job because you need to be 18 or older and have a lot of responsibility to watch children on water. I would also like to mention my instructor who taught me how to sail the bigger boat, he told me they needed sailing instructors and helped me with getting a job in Port Washington. This was perfect because Port Washington had a bigger program compared to other yacht clubs and a lot more resources that we could use. My best friend applied for the same job, and we met a lot of new people with similar backgrounds in sailing. This was a great experience, because I had many networking opportunities which helped me for future instructor positions.

 During my position as an instructor, I had some of the best memories training young sailors. I taught children how to sail for the first time which made me proud because I was teaching a new generation of sailors and seeing how much they enjoyed sailing just like I did when I was a child. Everyday was something new because we depended on the weather and wind to determine if we should go out sailing or try some on land activities. Throughout the summer, everyone was able to sail independently and find their own way of navigating through the water which reflects my ability as a good instructor. Like me, when I was their age, they were excited to sail the next year. This past year, I decided to work again as a sailing instructor, and this year they decided to hire people from England and Ireland to help us teach sailors. We had a great time with the European instructors, and they caused no problems and helped us improve our skills in teaching and preparing sailors to sail competitively and win some races. This past year, my sailing group had some experience with sailing, so I decided to switch them to bigger boats, so they could receive experience, and it transitioned smoothly. By the second week, they wanted to compete with others in the same boat fleet, which showed me how much they enjoyed sailing and how eager they were to start the next challenge in racing.

 Throughout my years of sailing, I  met many people who were role models and showed me new skills that I never thought I could learn. I also have so many fun memories of sailing and memories with people that will last a lifetime and can not wait to make more in the future. Sailing for me has become a part of my life and I am very grateful I was given this opportunity to be a part of it.