Jason Beal grew up in Vero Beach listening to his grandfather talk about the ‘good old days’ in the early 20th Century, when the land was being drained and Indian River County was being opened up for growth that has continued to this day. A graduate of Vero Beach High School and the University of Central Florida, Jason is the longtime owner of the Vero Beach-based title-search company Atlantic Coastal Land Title Co., LLC.
Jason recalls sailing his aunt’s Hobie catamaran on Sarasota Bay on boyhood summer vacation visits. He got a taste of cruising on a 19-foot Hunter sailboat. College, establishing a career, and starting a family intervened until late 2024, when a Google search for sailing opportunities brought Jason to YSF Community Sailing.
Jason Beal at YSF Office
J.D. Mumford, Director of YSF’s Adult Sailing Program, served as Jason’s instructor for the 12-hour learn-to-sail course. One of YSF’s new Fly Scot 19-foot sailboats served as a user-friendly platform to learn the fundamentals of sailing and safety protocols. Near the end of the course, Jason returned to his childhood roots, sailing the 12-foot Hobie Wave. Jason remarked: “J.D.’s laid-back style of quiet confidence and his professionalism made my return to sailing easy and an absolute pleasure.”
Upon completion of the course, Jason joined YSF’s Sail Club, a boat share program, giving him access to the Flying Scot and Wave. Less than a month later, a sea story was hatched that has become part of family lore. Jason and one of his teenage daughters sailed the Wave to an isolated beach on an island south of the 17th Street Bridge. One of our late afternoon thunderstorms loomed up in the west. A quick radio call to YSF’s safety officer and a glance at the radar indicated there was time to launch and sail back to YSF before the storm arrived. The training kicked in, the winds cooperated, and the Hobie Wave flew over the water. Home safe before the onslaught father and daughter regaled the family with their sailing adventure.
Sailing takes one away from the humdrum of everyday life out to a place where wind and water require one’s full attention while sailing small boats on a broad Lagoon. It can be peaceful and exhilarating at the same time. Every sail presents its unique challenges and rewards. Sailors aged 8 to 80 launch off YSF’s beach virtually every day, year-round. All have a common bond to the satisfaction sailing brings to the lives of those who venture out.
Youth Sailing Foundation (YSF) of Indian River County, Inc. is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit that eliminates cultural and financial barriers to sailing. YSF was founded in 2009 to use sailing as a medium to help children achieve their full potential. We operate under the banner “YSF Community Sailing” to reflect that we now serve the entire community. We make it easy and affordable for children, adults, and families to enjoy the thrill of sailing. For more information or to make a tax-deductible donation, please visit: www.ysfirc.org Contact: Email info@ysfirc.org Phone 772 492-3243
