Posted on: Friday, August 29, 2003
Two groups offering boating safety courses
Advertiser Staff
The Honolulu Sail and Power Squadron will be offering a seven-session boating education course beginning Sept. 8.
The courses will be at the Waikiki Yacht Club on Monday evenings at 7. There is a $25 fee for instructional materials.
The class is designed for sailing enthusiasts of all levels and is open to men, women and teenagers.
The course will cover safe handling of sail and power craft, anchoring, basic knots, chart reading, plotting courses, using a mariners compass and marine radiotelephones.
Early registration is encouraged. For information, call 728-0114. Boaters who complete the class may be eligible for insurance discounts.
Flotilla 20 course Flotilla 20, the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary will offer a boating skills and seamanship class Sept. 8 through Oct. 22.
The classes will be Monday and Wednesday evenings at McKinley High School, AC-4, from 6:30 to 8:30. There will be a $35 fee for optional instructional materials.
Boaters who complete the class may be eligible for insurance discounts.
For information, call Julie Schoen at 523-1762, or Arlen Walsten at 478-8997. Local facilities will receive USTA awards Central Oahu Regional Park's year-old tennis complex and the Hilton Waikoloa Village Kohala Tennis Garden will be among 20 winners of 2003 U.S. Tennis Association Facility Awards. The honors will be officially announced next month. The USTA's Outstanding Facilities Award, now in its 22nd year, encourages higher standards for the construction and/or renovation of public tennis facilities throughout the country. Winners belong to one of five facility types: Small (2-10 courts), large (11 or more), collegiate, public tournament (permanent seating for at least 3,000 and field courts), and private (supporting USTA and other public programs). The criteria for selection included overall layout, excellence of court surface and lights, accommodations for players, spectators, media and officials, and aesthetics. Both facilities will be recognized at the USTA Semi-Annual Meeting in New York and receive a plaque, a sign for display at each facility, a one-year membership to the USTA, and an inscription on the Facility Award plaque located in the lobby of the USTA National Tennis Center, home of the U.S. Open. Waikoloa was responsible for bringing professional events back to Hawai'i in 2000. "It's a great honor to get recognized for the energy we put into giving back and growing the game of tennis," said Erik Vervloet, its Tennis Director. "This was truly a collaborative effort put forth by the USTA Hawai'i section, Hilton Waikoloa Village and Kohala Tennis. All three parties really used their strengths to put on great events along with maintaining one of the best facilities in the nation." Futures dates scheduled Hawai'i will be home to two $15,000 men's Futures tournaments later this year. The Honolulu Futures will be Nov. 8-16 at Ala Moana and Diamond Head Tennis Center. The Waikoloa Futures will be at Hilton Waikoloa Village on the Big Island, Nov. 17-23. Each event will be preceded by a wild-card tournament, with top finishers getting a place in the Futures main draw. The Honolulu wild card will be Oct. 3-5 at Turtle Bay Resort. Waikoloa's wild card is Nov. 14-16. Futures Tournaments are part of the USTA Pro Circuits, the world's largest developmental professional tour. USTA Pro Circuit events are the gateway to tour-level competition for aspiring tennis professionals and established players working on their game. Andre Agassi, Anna Kournikova, Patrick Rafter, Andy Roddick, James Blake, Michael Chang and Robby Ginepri have all played on the circuit. More than 600 players from some 50 countries compete on the circuit each year. Players earn ATP Entry System and WTA Tour Ranking points as well as prize money. Each of Hawai'i's Futures tournaments will feature community tennis events such as schools day, special populations day, free clinics and kids day. "These tournaments provide an excellent opportunity to tie tennis and the community together," USTA Hawai'i Pacific Section Executive Director Ron Romano said. "They provide top quality professional tennis, community tennis events and the opportunity for local businesses to tie-in and support tennis in the community."
