The Summer 2008 Program

Our summer of fun-based instruction begins Monday, June 23th and lasts for eight weeks. All groups are taught in school-owned Widgeons and 420's, and a combination of school-owned and privately-owned International Optimist Dinghies. Class sizes are limited in order to guarantee safety and the quality of instruction necessary to teach solid sailing skills. All Senior staff are US Sailing certified and have Red Cross certification in first aid and CPR.

Learn-to-Sail Optimist

Monday - Thursday, 9:00 am - 12:00 noon
Classes are conducted with beginners sailing two in a boat. This gives the two students a chance to share the steering and the control of the sail. No previous experiece is assumed. Instruction starts with the fundamental basics and then progresses through tacking, gybing, sailing upwind and landing at a dock. Recommended enrollment is two weeks.
$140 per week.

Learn-to-Sail Widgeon

Monday - Thursday, 9:00 am - 12:00 noon
The roomy interior of the widgeon makes it an ideal boat for students to learn the basic skills of steering and trimming the sails under the watchful eyes of the instuctors. Beginning sailors are always in a widgeon with an instructor giving the small crew focused attention. In addition to the physical skills of sailing, students learn the parts of the boat and sails, the maritime rules of the road and how to determine wind direction. Fun and laughter are second only to safety, as much of the learning is accomplished through games.
$140 per week.

Learn-to-Race Opti

Monday - Thursday, 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm
LTR Opti helps sailors start with the basics of racing and progress up to an intermediate level. No racing experience is needed or expected. Sailors must, however, have successfully mastered basic skills in either of our Learn-to-Sail programs. In addition to racing, sailors still play games out on the water, but with the goal of making their boat move faster. Skills include refining the ability to sail upwind, trimming the sail, proper boat trim, sailing downwind, starting a race, basic racing rules and tactics. The Friday morning Junior Series races are included, and encouraged, as part of this program.
$140 per week.

Intermediate Opti

Monday - Thursday, 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Intermediate Opti is for sailors who are confident about the skills they learned in the morning programs. The focus is on sailing upwind, and in a variety of conditions. Students will learn how to handle both tiller and mainsheet, as they are sailing alone as both captain and crew of their own vessel, while sailing effectively. The Friday morning Junior Series races are included, and encouraged, as part of this program.
$140 per week.

Intermediate Widgeon

Monday - Thursday, 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Intermediate Widgeon is open to all sailors who have mastered the skills in our morning Learn-to-Sail programs. It is ideal for older students who are not interested in racing or for students who want to transition from an Opti into a boat with a crew. Sailors not only take their basic skills to a higher level, but also learn new sailing skills. The instruction is pitched at a more sophisticated level encouraging a greater understanding of how and why sailing works.
$140 per week.

Racing 420s

Monday - Thursday, 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm
The Racing Program uses our fleet of 420s -- fast boats with enough sophistication to make them a standard for high schools and colleges. Students will continue to expand their knowledge about racing, with increased focus on the understanding of how to make a boat sail faster. 420s are equipped with spinnakers, hiking trapezes, tiller extensions and a myriad of sail controls. The learning curve is steep and rewarding. This class is open to students who have successfully participated in Intermediate Sailing or LTR Optis and have been encouraged by their instructors to move up. We encourage sailors to be 90 lbs. and 12 years or older to move up. Previous participation in Intro to Double-Handed Sailing is helpful. The Friday morning Junior Series 420 races are part of this program.
$140 per week.

Intro to Double-handed Racing

Wednesday, 11:30 am - 1:30 pm
This year, for the first time, we are offering a short course specifically designed to help sailors make the transition from Intermediate Widgeons and Optis to Racing 420s. The class will feature concentrated work on spinnakers, racing tactics, bouy roundings,and other maneuvers requiring teamwork between skipper and crew. Students must be enrolled in one of the afternoon programs to be eligible for this class. Students are expected to bring their lunch with them and will participate in their regular afternoon class. Class is limited to 12.
$20 per week.

BYC Junior Racing Series

Friday, 8:30 am - aprox. 12:30 pm
The Buzzards Yacht Club sponsors a Junior Racing Series which is included as part of the Intermediate Sailing, LTR Opti, and the Racing classes. Each session starts with a 10-15 minute onshore clinic covering the basics of racing. Then students hit the water for a bit of practice on the topic covered ashore followed by two races. A cook out and post race analysis of the day's sailing, as well as acknowledgement of the winning sailors top off this fun morning. Students are encourage to race in weeks that they are not enrolled, but must pay per week tuition. Fees for racing will not be collected with online registration.
$ per week.