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SMSA Junior Sailing Program
                        

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2019 Sailing Classes

2019 NEWS AND CHANGES
Welcome to all our new sailors and we’re so happy to have our old sailors back again!! Registration is now open for the 2019 summer season, with classes from June 17 through August 16 - so we know there is a two week period that will fit your schedule! Why should your sailor do two weeks - because it really helps in learning the skills and practicing boat handling. They get to practice the basics more, be on the water more with their hands on the boat’s tiller, get more class discussion on what makes the boat go and why. The repetition, as in any sport, is key to getting their sailing skills going. So, if at all possible, plan to enroll your beginners for TWO WEEKS to really see them bloom as sailors. And you don’t pay the membership fee for any second or subsequent weeks. We again offer two week intermediate and advanced classes, while our youngest sailors have one week classes.

INTERMEDIATE/ADVANCED SAILING COURSES
Intermediates/Advanced – these classes are two weeks long and give students a chance to solidify the skills that establish their confidence for successful sailing. It also helps prepare them to continue on with advanced dinghy racing and into sailing teams at the HS/MS ages. Throughout our area, from Harve de Grace all the way to Southern Maryland, there are sailing teams for students in the 8th through 12th grades. And colleges all over the country have competitive, travelling sailing teams.

SMSA High School Sailing Program
The SMSA Advanced Dinghy Racing class is specifically designed to advance young sailors’ skills for participating in MS/HS sailing teams. SMSA offers a HS/MS Racing Team program that features 10 week sessions in the fall and spring as a member of the Interscholastic Sailing Association. Your young sailor can continue sailing through these team events with after school practice and training plus optional weekend interscholastic junior varsity and varsity racing programs. Teams from throughout our area, VA, MD, PA, NC and up and down the Atlantic coast, participate in a variety of regatta opportunities. Our philosophy is for our junior sailors to have fun, sail safely and courteously….and winning is nice, but the fun and teamwork are really important. To learn more about the High School Sailing program visit smsa.com and click on High School. High School sailing will start shortly after the close of summer sailing camp in 2019.
Are there 'sponges' on your sofa? Send them sailing!

 

Which class is right for you?

Sail training class eligibility is based off student age, sailing experience, and US Sailing Small Boat Sailor Record. 

See the below chart to determine which classes you and your child are eligible to attend.

Registration fees include a Junior Membership. 
(Current-year SMSA Members receive a $75 discount on registration fees.)
Multi-week participants receive credit for Junior Membership fee after 1st week.
Adult Lean to Sail class open to SMSA members only.

Ages

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

Adult

Kids Intro to Sailing

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beginner Dinghy Sailing

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Intermediate Dinghy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Teen Beginner Sailing

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Adv Dinghy Sailing/Racing Intro

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Adult Learn to Sail

 

 


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Kids Intro to Sailing


Monday through Friday
9:00am - 4:00pm

Tuition: $325

Register!


Age: 6 - 7 years old

A week-long course designed to give the youngest sailors in our program an introduction to the Chesapeake Bay and sailing. Emphasis will be placed on fun, teamwork, and enjoying the water. This course will include:
-rigging/de-rigging/stowing the Optimist boat
-capsize recovery
-finding the wind
using the sail and tiller
-sailing to an objective and back
-who can get there first
-tying knots


Beginner Dinghy Sailing
Monday through Friday
9:00am to 4:00pm

Tuition: $325

Register!


Age: 8-12 years old

Our Beginner Dingy classes offer instruction for beginners by introducing basic seamanship including rigging, steering, and beginner sailing. Emphasis is placed on safety, learning, and fun. Students are introduced to water safety through classroom and on the water activities:
-rigging the entire boat
-basics of wind directions and sail trim
-sailing upwind and downwind
-sail to an objective and back
-knot tying
-capsize recovery drills
-proper seating and tiller handling
-points of sail
-basic boat rules of the road


Intermediate Dinghy Sailing
2 weeks: Monday through Friday
9:00am to 4:00pm

Tuition: $575


Register!



Age: 8-12 years old

This class is a two week class for the intermediate sailor who wants to improve their sailing skills. Students who have previously been enrolled in a sailing class with SMSA or have other sailing experience are invited to join. The class emphasizes improving the students’ basic skills of seamanship, and of course FUN! Two weeks give the student the opportunity to refine their knowlege of points of sail and boat handling. Like any sport, repetition is necessary to get the skills to sail with confidence and success! The course includes:
-Sailing on all points of sail
-Getting out of irons
-Starting a sailboat race
-Sailing a planned course and rounding marks
-Controlled jibing, capsize recovery
-Basic racing rules and sailing rules of the road
-Knot tying
-Fun races


Teen Beginner Sailing


Monday through Friday
9:00am to 4:00pm

Tuition: $325


Register!


Age: 12 - 16 years old

 Young teens and tweens interested in learning to sail will be introduced to the fun of sailing in a social environment. With 2 students working together to sail Club 420 sailboats, they get all the fun & learning they crave. These older students grasp the basics of sailing quickly so their curriculum is more intensive than the beginner dinghy sailing including:
-rigging the entire boat
-basics of wind direction & sail trim
-main and jib handling
-sailing upwind and downwind
-getting out of irons
-sailing to an objective and back
-knot tying
-capsize recovery drills
-proper seating and tiller handling
-extended points of sail
-racing starts and sailing a planned course 



Advanced Dinghy Sailing/Racing Intro


2 weeks: Monday thru Friday
9:00am - 4:00pm

Tuition: $575


Register!


Age: 12-16 years old

 Tweens and Teens will advance their boat handling skills, wind vs. sail trim techniques, and expand their race course acumen in this 2-week course. Participants need to have intermediate level sailing skills. Basic boat handling is not covered in this course. The course uses Club 420s and includes:
-boat handling on all points of sail
-race starts and roundings
-controlled jibing
-crew coordination for tacking and jibing
-hiking and balancing the boat for speed
-controlling the boat in increasing wind speeds
-capsize recovery drills
-man overboard drills
-introducing sailing with a spinnaker  

 


Adult Learn to Sail


Course Dates:
TBD



Open to SMSA Members*.  Register Here!
Not a Member?  Join Now!

*Regular, Young Adult, & Emeritus Memberships

Age: 16 and up

 Our Adult Sailing program is taught on Sunfish, 420s, and small keel boats.  This course focuses on the fundamentals of small boat sailing.  The course is open to any sailor interested in learning or improving their small boat sailing skills.