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Ceiba.- Children and young people are putting wind in the sails of Puerto Rico’s sailing classes. The group of children and young people attending the Marlin Sailing School in Ceiba show enthusiasm and a clear focus on raising the bar in this discipline.

Juan Gabriel Del Campo is the instructor and director of the school, which was formalized four years ago on the shores of the former Roosevelt Roads naval base. “We are in one of the most beautiful places in Puerto Rico,” asserts the Cuban, who studied physical education in the Canary Islands in Spain and arrived on the island in 2013.

Del Campo is responsible for training the students, who can start their classes from the age of seven. In fact, some of his students have already competed in national and international regattas and have even qualified at the global level.

“That’s my passion, teaching them. This is my sport, I’ve been practicing it since I was little. Teaching children is always a new experience for me because they’re all different and require different approaches... You have to know how to guide them. The excitement with which they come running, greeting, that’s the most beautiful thing about day-to-day life. Receiving them, teaching them, guiding them, and giving them my best,” expresses Del Campo about his role as a teacher.

Training sessions, which run from Wednesday through Sunday, start with student preparing the sailing equipment. Then, they have a half-hour theory class before heading out onto the water to put the techniques into practice. While all his students are on the water, the coach guides them from his small inflatable boat.

“The most important thing about this sport is that every time they go out on the water, it’s never the same, because it’s not a standardized space. Today, the wind today comes from this direction, tomorrow it may come from another, it has a specific intensity one day, and a different kind another,” explains the academy director.

“In the sport of sailing, athletes are interpreting something they cannot see; however, with time, that interpretation becomes automatic. They go sail, they gauge the wind, and already know how to set their sail. What’s more is, as a discipline that works directly with nature, they understand the importance of protecting the environment that allows them to practice the sport,” adds the former athlete.

Jeaneliz García Cruz, one of the students, attests to this. She won two awards in her very first regatta after less than a year of practicing the sport.

“You feel relaxed. You feel the wind blowing on your face, and for all the kids or teenagers who can sail the 420, I would recommend it,” said the young girl, who wants to represent Puerto Rico internationally.

“I think that in the future I’m going to bring you the old. Don’t worry. One of my goals is competing in a world championship, or if I’m able to, competing in the Olympics for Puerto Rico, that would be an honor,” said the confident Jeaneliz, winner of the third and first place medals in two different categories of this year’s Summer Cup Regatta.

For more information about the classes, visit their social media pages on Facebook and Instagram as Marlin Sailing School or call 787-409-2001.