Youth Sailing Foundation Commissions Solar Powered High-Tech Weather Station

NEWS RELEASE

YSF Sailing Director Mary Morgan helps young sailors launch their Optis after checking the wind conditions. Photo credit Wyatt Hyora.

Youth Sailing Foundation’s solar powered high-tech weather station was commissioned today and went live online with real time wind speed and direction. With a link to YSF’s website, instructors, safety officers, and sailors, as well as other interested parties and the general public, can monitor wind conditions remotely in real time via any device with internet connectivity.

Solar powered weather station situated just south of the 17th Street Bridge.

YSF Sailing Director Mary Morgan remarked, “Having real-time wind information at one’s fingertips is invaluable in planning practices and regattas. Wind speed and direction are critical components in deciding who can safely go out on the water and in the set-up of marks for drills and race courses.”

The wind sensor is installed near YSF’s launch ramps just south of the 17^th Street Bridge. The information is available 24-7 to all maritime interests in Indian River County including the Sherriff’s Department, Coast Guard Auxiliary, Power Squadron, Vero Beach Rowing, ORCA, and the boating public, simply by visiting www.ysfirc.org and clicking the weather station link.

The new instrumentation was funded with a generous donation from YSF volunteer Richard (Dick) Gates. Mr. Gates is often out on the water instructing special needs sailors in YSF’s Adaptive Sailing Program. As a master mariner who has sailed the world’s oceans, he knows wind conditions dictate sailors’ decisions on when and how they can safely go out on the waters of the Indian River Lagoon.

YSF plans to build a complete weather station by adding sensors for recording temperature, relative humidity and barometric pressure. With solar power and connectivity to the Verizon cell tower network the YSF Weather Station will offer reliable, complete, real-time weather information to all members of the community wherever they might be in the world.

Youth Sailing Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit offering free instruction as a means to engage local children who would otherwise have no opportunity to experience the enjoyment and challenge of sailing. To learn more, volunteer, or make a donation, please call 772-492-3243 or visit www.ysfirc.org.