Lesson Session “A” added June 9-13

Due to popular demand, the EYC will offer junior group sailing lessons during a one-week lesson session “A” June 9-13.  Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced classes are each offered during Session A. A limited number of enrollment slots are available.

Lessons are filling up fast!  Enroll now to reserve your 2014 group lessons, before your preferred dates and times are filled.  Lessons also are offered in Sessions B, C, D, E and F, through August 15.

To learn more about EYC lessons, and to enroll, go to www.eyc.org/lessons

RESTRUCTURED JUNIOR LESSON PROGRAM

The EYC has restructured its junior lesson program to reduce the number of lesson levels and simplify the curriculum.  The number of junior lesson levels has been reduced from eight to four.  The four remaining lesson levels have been renamed in a more descriptive manner, and each level corresponds more tightly to a specific type of boat.  The new lesson levels are:

Beginner, for students age 7-17.  Students formerly eligible to enroll in the EYC’s Sailing Camp, Level 1, Level 2, Level 1 Teens, or Level 2 Teens should enroll in this level.  Beginner students will be divided into separate sections based on age and experience.  This level will be taught in Optimists (for younger, smaller students) and Flying Scots (for older, heavier students).  The goal of this level is to learn basic sailing skills.  Promotion from this level is required in order to enroll in the Intermediate level.

Intermediate, for students age 11-17.  Promotion from the Beginner level is a prerequisite for this level.  Students formerly eligible to enroll in the EYC’s Level 3 should enroll in this level.  This level will be taught in 420s.  The goal of this level is proficiency in skippering and crewing a doublehanded dinghy in all conditions.  Promotion from this level is required in order to enroll in the Advanced or Racing levels.  Students promoted from the Intermediate level have a choice to enroll in either Advanced or Racing.

Advanced, for students age 12-17.  Promotion from the Intermediate level is a prerequisite for this level.  Students formerly eligible to enroll in the EYC’s Level 4 should enroll in this level or in Racing.  This level will be taught in Flying Scots.  The goal of this level is to achieve proficiency in Flying Scots (including spinnaker work) sufficient to enable the student to skipper a Flying Scot unsupervised.  Passing this level earns the student his EYC “Skipper’s License.”  This level is NOT a prerequisite for the Racing level.

Racing, for students age 12-17.  Promotion from the Intermediate level is a prerequisite for this level.  There is no longer any requirement that a student have his “Skipper’s License” in order to enroll in Racing.  Students formerly eligible to enroll in the EYC’s level 4 should enroll in this level or in Advanced.  Students formerly eligible to enroll in the EYC’s Advanced Racing level should enroll in this level.  This level will be taught in Laser Radials and in 420s.  The goal of this level is to learn racing-level boathandling and tactical skills.  There is no promotion from this level, as there is an infinite amount to learn at this level.

To summarize, if your:

…2013 report card says you are eligible for Sailing Camp, Level 1 or Level 2, or you are under age 11, enroll in Beginner.

…2013 report card says you are eligible for Level 3 and you are at least 11, enroll in Intermediate.

…2013 report card says you are eligible for Level 4 and you are at least 12, enroll in Advanced or in Racing.

…2013 report card says you are eligible for Advanced Racing and you are at least 12, enroll in Racing.

SAILING LESSON QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Q:           What if my student has been promoted from Level 2 (now “Beginner”) but is not yet 11 years old?

A:            You should enroll your student in the Beginner level and your student will be assigned to a separate section of relatively advanced Beginner students.

Q:           But my student graduated from Level 2 already, and does not consider himself a Beginner any more.

A:           Did your student win every Optimist race he entered in 2013?  No?  That means your student still has plenty to learn about how to sail a singlehanded dinghy like an Optimist, before your student is old enough and large enough to move on to the larger and more powerful 420 dinghies at the Intermediate level.

Q:          Does my student have to be promoted from Advanced in order to enroll in Racing?

A:            No.  Your student has to be promoted from Intermediate in order to enroll in Racing, but there is no longer any requirement to pass Advanced (formerly called Level 4), nor is there a requirement to pass the Skipper’s Test, in order to enroll in Racing.

Q:           Does the Advanced level prepare students for the Racing level?

A:            No.  Students who are promoted from Intermediate can choose either Advanced or Racing in each subsequent session.

Q:           Upon promotion from Intermediate, is my student’s choice of the Advanced or Racing level a permanent choice?

A:            Students must stay in the enrolled level (either Advanced or Racing) for the length of each session.  However, in each subsequent session, a student can choose either Advanced or Racing.  Students can switch back and forth between Advanced and Racing as many times as they like, from one session to the next.

Q:           Why might my student want to enroll in the Advanced level if she could just go straight from Intermediate to Racing?

A:            The Advanced level focuses on teaching the skills relevant to sailing a Flying Scot, which is larger, heavier, and more complex than the boats used in the Racing level.  The Advanced curriculum is designed to train the student to pass the EYC’s Skipper’s test.  The Advanced curriculum includes certain skills not taught in any other level, like anchoring and using a spinnaker.  Passing the Skipper’s test (earning a Skipper’s License) is required in order for the student to be able to skipper an EYC-owned Flying Scot outside of lessons, including in EYC races and regattas.  If your student never wants to skipper an EYC-owned Flying Scot, and does not desire to learn how to raise, fly, jibe and douse a spinnaker, then certainly the student might choose to go straight from Intermediate to Racing, which focuses on Laser Radials and 420s.

Q:           My student is just not that interested in racing, but still wants to sail.  What do EYC lessons offer to him?

A:            The EYC’s Beginner and Intermediate levels are focused on overall sailing skills, and not necessarily racing, although racing skills are sometimes taught, and some Beginner and Intermediate drills have racing aspects.  Upon promotion from the Intermediate level, students who are not interested in racing should enroll in the Advanced level, which focuses on seamanship and general sailing skills, and not much on racing.

Q:           Are the textbooks the same as last year?

A:            We have upgraded our textbooks to better match the lesson levels.  The 2014 Beginner textbook “Learn Sailing Right – Beginning Sailing” ($10) is the same as the textbook used for Levels 1 through 4 in 2013.  The 2014 Intermediate textbook “Learn Sailing Right – Intermediate Sailing” is new for 2014 and therefore all Intermediate students will be required to purchase this textbook ($10).  There is no required textbook for the Advanced class.  The Racing class has a new textbook called “Getting Started in Sailboat Racing” and therefore all Racing students will be required to purchase this textbook ($20).

Q:           How do I purchase a textbook?

A:            You pay for your textbook during the lesson registration process, and pick it up on the first day of lessons.

Q:           Why is my daughter being charged $385 for her afternoon Racing class, while my son is being charged $300 for his afternoon Intermediate class?

A:            The per-hour rate which the EYC charges for group lessons has not changed from 2013.  EYC lessons are priced at $11 per hour for morning classes, and for afternoon classes which are not also offered in the morning.  Thus a 30-hour morning Intermediate class is $330, and a 35-hour afternoon Racing class is $385.  To encourage afternoon enrollment, afternoon classes which are also offered in the morning cost $10 per hour.  Thus a 30-hour afternoon Intermediate class costs $300.

Q:           My student wishes to enroll in Session C Advanced, which is only 8 days long instead of the usual 10 days.  Will I be charged only 80% of the normal tuition?

A:            Yes.

Q:           Can I enroll in the Laser clinic even if I am an adult?

A:            Yes.  The Laser clinic is open to junior and adult students ages 12 and up.

Q:           Can I enroll in the Adult Women’s Racing class if I am a novice sailor?

A:            No.  The Adult Women’s Racing class is intended for students who already possess basic sailing skills, who wish to learn racing-level boathandling techniques, racing tactics, and racing rules.

Questions?  Contact [email protected]