600 Charleston school children participate in Atlantic Cup Kids Day

by Julianna Barbieri on 27 May 2016 Nearly 600 children participated in Atlantic Cup Kids day today at Charleston City Marina. Atlantic Cup Kids is a program of the Atlantic Cup presented by 11th Hour Racing that teaches children about offshore racing and the environment.

Students ranging in age from nine - twelve representing six area schools including Mitchell Math and Science Elementary, Goodwin Elementary, North Charleston Creative Arts Elementary, Simmons Pinckney Middle, Hunley Park Elementary School, Military Magnet Academy and St. Andrew’s of Math and Science spent two-hours at the Atlantic Cup base.

Students rotated through five stations that included knot-tying, a plankton and whale experiential learning station run by Sailors for the Sea, a station teaching the Archimedes Principal where students tried to make a hull float out of play-doh, an alternative energy station where students got to see and feel solar panels and a Watt and Sea hydrogenerator. The fifth station included a boat tour on one of the Atlantic Cup competing boats.

Former Atlantic Cup Champion and Kids Director, Dave Rearick said, 'It was a fantastic turnout and such a wonderful opportunity to expose kids to the ocean, environment and sailing and how we're all connected worldwide. There was one little girl who said 'I can't do this', but within five minutes she was tying the toughest knot (bowline) we had and loving every minute of it.'

Rob Windsor of Amhas, 'I really enjoyed today. Many of the kids on board were really interested and excited. I asked all the kids what they wanted to be when they grew up and it was great to hear, and show them that you can be whatever you want to be because I wanted to be a sailor when I grew up and that's what I'm doing.'

Catherine Pourre, from team Earendil said, 'I was impressed by the number of kids. I think this is good especially because just about all of them didn't know anything about sailing and it was great to show them the boats and what it's all about. The conditions of living on board was most interesting to them. I don't do anything like this very often, so this was really nice.'

Atlantic Cup Kids will run in Brooklyn and also in Portland. If teachers or parents are interested in participating they can contact Dave Rearick at Dave@AtlanticCup.org.