Samantha's Summer of Sailing

Samantha set a lofty goal for the summer - to earn the difficult rank of Lightning Skipper at Camp Seafarer.  Because of its difficulty it was a goal that, at the outset, was not clear whether she would obtain in her last year as a Camper.

Sam in Sunfish #9

Since Sam has been going to Camp she has been a sailor.  She has a natural talent on top of the water, rowing or sailing.  At eight years old she learned to sail a Sunfish - a one small, one sail, sailboat that can fit two people.  (Like the ones pictured here).  She could rig it, un-moor it, and sail it for hours on end.  In the following years she developed a talent for racing these little boats and made the racing team for several years in a row.  She even taught her older cousin to sail and even got her on the team last year.  

Close Quarters

Sam is a easily earned her Sunfish Skipper several years ago.  Of course, with Sam, once she achieves one thing, she want to go the next bigger thing, and in this case the next biggest thing was a Lightning - a two sail, 500 lb boat that can fit up to seven people.  It is not the type of boat you'd expect to see a fifteen year old sailing by herself. 

William J Adams IV Regatta Camper Sailing Teams

Sam dedicated her last year at Camp Seafarer at earning this rank.  To earn a Lightning Skipper means that she can take out one of these boats all by herself.  From all accounts, she poured herself into the classes and passed her water survival test; thirty minute dead man's float, 500 meter swim, among other things because it turns out that the prerequisites to take the final test are just as hard as the final itself.

Lightning Sailboat

She took her final and failed.  That's right, she failed.  By all reports - she was crushed.  Expectedly.  She sobbed and sobbed, according to inside sources.  Who can blame her?!  When you put that much effort into it and when you have that much heart you never expect not to get what you want.

I want my kids to fail from time to time.  I don't want them to win each time they set a goal.  That means the goal might not have been lofty enough in the first place.  I want them to feel that sting and be willing to try again.  Especially if they know victory is just around the corner.

When I saw Sam at the William J Adams IV Regatta on Saturday it had been two days since she failed her Lightning Skipper test.  She was sailing - racing - Sunfish in the regatta.  There were Lightnings on the water too.  I asked her about the test and in a sign of maturity she blamed no one but herself and stated with confidence that she would pass the second time.  After all, this is Camp, and how can you build confidence if you don't get another opportunity to succeed?  She told me that she was going to try again on her fifteenth birthday.

She actually tested the day after her fifteenth birthday and was on the only Camp Seafarer Camper of the Second Session to P-A-S-S her Lightning Skipper test. 

Congratulations to Samantha for earning a real challenging achievement!