Sisters Under Sail is a leadership development program for teenage girls through sail training. Its mission is to build confidence, enhance self-esteem, develop social conscience and teach the value of sisters working together towards a common goal.
“Sail training has long been recognized as a character-building experience for young people.” says Dawn Santamaria, co-owner of Tallship Unicorn and founder of Sisters Under Sail. “As a mother of four daughters, I know from our family's personal experience that sail training, specifically with young girls, builds self-reliance, self-worth and teaches respect for themselves, each other and their community.”
Sisters Under Sail programs sold out in the summer 2006 while sailing aboard Tallship Unicorn in the Great Lakes giving 30 teenage girls from Massachusetts to Minnesota the thrill of a lifetime. This season we set sail for the East Coast, New England and Canadian Maritimes offering week-long voyages from June through August. The young sailors work closely with the ship's crew: standing watch, learning how to steer the ship, setting sails, navigating a course and learning the skills it takes to operate and maintain a 118-foot, 150-ton steel vessel. They have daily discussion and journaling sessions to connect their seafaring experience with their teenage life on land. We literally put teenage girls at the helm....for life!
“What makes this Sisters program so special,” says Santamaria, “is that it is exclusively for teenage girls. They come together as a team, learn to support and be supported by other girls....girls helping girls....a wonderful lesson to teach our daughters.”
The teens will be under the command of Unicorn's experienced and professional crew who draw upon their extensive sail training backgrounds to teach the fundamentals of tall ship sailing through team-oriented activities that are challenging and fun.
Our Girls Take the Helm