Lido 14 Sailors - the Next Generation

Guest post - Written By: J. Manuel "Manny" Moreno,  ASA Certifed instructor  in collaboration with W.D. Schock OUR SAILING STORY Ready to tour the factory The idea of a creating a youth sailing program never occurred to me until  the summer of 2012 when I unexpectedly found our fleet's first sailboat hidden in a garage, tucked under a canvas, like a precious hidden gem.     Forgotten about and left forlorn, this beautiful Lido 14 with a dark blue hull and white top deck had been stored away for over two decades. Surpisingly, it was in outstanding condition, which speaks to the quality of the Lido 14 build.     This vintage treasure sparked the beginning of a grand idea - share the joy of sailing with young latino youth who otherwise might never have the opportunity to experience the beauty of sailing. We had our first boat and a certified sailing instructor (myself), what we needed was a unique place to sail that we could call our own in order to run the program  efficiently. Our first Lido out on the lake Location was easy. We chose Otay Lakes in Chula Vista, CA,  which is just a few miles north of the California / Mexico border. This lake is perfect for our program, as it sits right in our back yard. Its public launching ramp and well-structured pier make it a perfect place for a junior sailing program.    Beautiful Otay Lake In a quest to find more Lidos, I made a phone call to Alexander Vucelic, owner of W.D.Schock Corp. It was a phone call that ultimately launched our program into high-gear.     WD Schock's Alexander Vucelic has been one of our top supporters. He has introduced us to the vibrant and welcoming Lido 14 Class. Exploring a Harbor 20 mold They also gave us the opportunity to tour the factory over the children's holiday break from school. Wow! What a grand organization. They embraced our program with open arms, riding the coat-tails of both W.D. and Betty Schock in the company's long tradition of promoting family daysailing. The tour was amazing, and the kid's eyes lit up while exploring the factory. Our tour guide, Guadalupe Torres, with over 35 years of boat building experience, explained every detail of the building process, from the resin that forms the molds, to the final product, W.D. Schock produces an exquisite array of vessels. Posing in front of three new Lidos The pride in their craft is evident throughout. The kids and I are still in awe of the number of vessels they've fabricated throughout their 67 years in business. Our second Lido     In an effort to find our second Lido, W.D. Schock put us in contact with Paul Makielski of Lido Fleet 6 in Alamitos Bay, CA. Their generous donation of a beautiful Lido puts Reality Sailing  well on our way to fulfilling our goal of sharing the beauty of sailing.    The opportunity given to us by W.D. Schock was truly amazing.  Maybe one day a Harbor 20 is in our furture Helping the kids gain more knowledge about how W.D. Schock's boats are manufactured adds so much more value to our sailing program.  It was an experience we'll never forget.  Otay Lakes, our home   Our goal is to share the knowledge of sailing and save the oceans by simply promoting the sport while learning more about this magnificent transportation system.  Our program is currently in development and is reaching out to different home  owners' associations, local businesses and the sailing students' parents for support. We are also currently working with the Olympic Training Center in hopes of using their boat house dry dock yard to store our fleet.    Reality Sailing is currently looking a for a third Lido and welcomes any philanthropic contribution.     Times and Contact Info: OTAY LAKES SPRING 2013 WED, SAT & SUN.  11:00 am to 3:00 pm.    Phone: 619 249-2660   Email: instructions@realitysailing.org _______________________________________________________________________________ Until next, sweet sailing.