NAHANT — The Nahant Sailing Program Committee is in need of a director.
Committee member Mark Patek said the board has a candidate in mind, but is still considering whether to hire the person. This particular candidate has experience in running a sailing program, he said.
“Going back many years, our director has been one of the instructors who has grown up with the program,” said Patek.
He said past directors have started as camp counselors-in-training and proceeded to gain experience as sailing instructors before ultimately gaining certification from U.S. Sailing, the national governing authority for the sport.
But Patek said the committee has found that the town’s senior sailing instructors are not returning to the program this summer. This has caused a shift in how the committee is searching for its new director, he said.
The Nahant Sailing Program is unique because it is run by the town, Patek said. In addition, he said young instructors lead the program with guidance from the town’s sailing committee.
Patek said the town has been more successful with recruiting residents for the director position, rather than searching for candidates in other communities.
While the COVID-19 pandemic has caused other youth programs to close in town, the sailing program was able to weather the storm and remain operational, Patek said. The town’s Health Department has worked with the committee to keep it safe, he said.
Last summer, up to five students were allowed to be in a sailboat at once. In July and August of last year, 124 people — 91 youths in the daily classes and 25 adults in the evening sessions — participated in the program.
“The people that were able to participate — the parents were grateful; the kids were grateful,” he said.
Patek encourages former sailing-program students to apply for the director position.
