Welcome to the 2008 Youth Summer Program!
We intend to provide as many children of our community as possible the opportunity to learn and practice sailing in a fun and safe environment based on US Sailing Guiding Principles.
We are happy and honored to share with them our enthusiasm for sailing.

BEGINNER COURSE (GREEN FLEET)
Pre-requisite: 8 years old
Max Class Size: 12
Boat: Optimist/ Vanguard Pram
Student Age Recommendation: 8-11 years old

The intention of the beginner class is to offer to children positive early experiences on the water while sailing. Building confidence, ensuring safety, developing a friendly relationship with the equipment, the water and each other are primary goals.

Optimist Prams are used for instruction. Through various fun sailing games and drills on land students will be introduced to parts of the boat, knots, points of sail, and they will practice rigging and de-rigging, steering, capsize/recovery and casting off/ docking.

The session includes a sailing adventure on Rat Key and Olympic games on the water on the last day.


INTERMEDIATE COURSE (BLUE FLEET)
Pre-requisite: Beginner course or Sailing Instructor’s approval
Max class size: 12
Boats: Optimist and sunfish
Student Age Recommendation: 8-12 years old

The intermediate is an extension of the beginner class. The intention is to help our junior sailors to refine boat control, boat handling skills, to grow confident to sail around a course in the Sea Plane Basin, and to be introduced to the sunfish dinghies.

Through fun games and drills both on the water and on land the following sailing skills will be practiced: Upwind/Downwind Sailing, Rigging/De-Rigging a sunfish, Tacking/Jibing, Casting-off/Landing, Getting out of Irons, Sail Trim and points of sail, Man Overboard Recovery, Basic Rules of the Road

Exploratory sailing trips in the Sea Plane Basin (outside of Garrison Bite) and Olympic games will be part of this session.


ADVANCED COURSE (RED FLEET)
Pre-requisite: Intermediate course or Sailing Instructor’s Approval
Max class size: 12
Boats: 420
Student Age Recommendation: 12-15 years old

The advanced course offers to junior sailors the opportunity to experience sailing a double-handed boat and to further their sailing education on a high performance boat.

Practicing both as a skipper and crew, sailors will develop an understanding of how to work as a team on a boat. The class will focus on the Introduction of a Jib, Proper Sail Trim, Using A Spinnaker, Man Overboard Recovery, The Basic Concepts Of Racing and An Introduction To Navigation.

Races and fun excursions in the Sea Plane Basin are part of this session. The last day the intermediate and the advanced program will participate together in the Olympic games.