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 Published:  The Bitter End Sailing School: You’ve come a long way baby! By Gordon “Gordo” Overing, Director of Guest Activities  At 7am on May 17th, 1986, I am awakened by the sound of workers busily preparing the property for another day. I head down to breakfast and meet my new boss, Nick Trotter. This is my first day as a windsurfing instructor at Bitter End Yacht Club, and I still can’t believe it. Nick makes sure to introduce me to my new work mates and gives me the grand tour of the property. We check out the watersports equipment, go for a tour of Eustatia Sound and visit one of the Beachfront Cottages. My jaw is dragging in the sand the whole time—I am amazed by what I see. We head back to the watersports desk, which consists of a fin storage bin doubling as a desk covered by a palm frond roof. (The current Sailing School was the administration building, home to none other than Don “The Fox” Neal, Bitter End’s first manager.) The Watersports desk was located just across the path, easy shouting distance for Nick or Don. Lowly sailing staff were kept on their toes with a steady barrage of to do lists. But I was a Windsurfing Instructor—right? I was going to teach sailing all day long. Wrong! I quickly realized that as a sailing staff member, you could be called upon to do anything that needed doing. If a windsurfing or sailing lesson came along, that was great, but I seem to remember doing more boat painting, bottom grinding, mooring diving, fuel pumping and anything else Nick or Don needed doing. But I didn’t care. I loved it. In 1987-88, Bitter End grew to include the Lobby building, the addition of several more beachfront cottages and a renewed vision for the Watersports department. Myron Hokin believed that the toys and activities offered at Bitter End were the real reason people came back year after year. We had a wide variety of sailboats and an enthusiastic group of young people ready to pass on their knowledge. What was missing was a sailing school. And so, in 1988, the Nick Trotter Sailing School was born. Drawing from a wealth of information supplied by would-be Sailing School Directors, Mr. Hokin and Nick Trotter set out to establish a sailing program that fit into the overall Bitter End philosophy. Former sailing staff member John Kantor of Longshore Sailing School fame was asked to write the manuals for the fledgling school. The courses would be simple and compact, providing the essential knowledge to get people out on the water as quickly and safely as possible. The formula has been a huge success. As we approach 2003, The Bitter End Sailing School is busier than ever. Myron Hokin’s vision has been fulfilled. Not only have thousands of guests been exposed to the thrill of sailing and windsurfing, but many of them have gone on to become competent bareboat skippers, often returning to Bitter End by charter boat to see what’s new. Our sailing staff has evolved as well. We are proud of the international flavor of our staff members, all bringing knowledge and expertise to the students they teach. Our curriculum has not changed that much. Guests can take part in as many classes as they want and still have time to enjoy the many other attractions the BVI has to offer. We have added specialized courses for kids, available while the adults take their courses, and our private lesson program has taken over as the leader in guest participation and satisfaction. Almost 15 years and 10,000 students later, the Bitter End Sailing School just keeps getting better and better! |
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