Wednesday, January 25th, 2012
As the EYC’s racing program grows, we see more and more EYC parents who want their children to race successfully. Here are a few thoughts on helping your junior race with success.
First, recognize that the definition of “success” may vary from one junior to another. How does your junior define success? Getting around the race course by herself? Winning? Learning and improving? Having fun in the boat with friends? Once you know how your junior defines “success,” you will be in a better position to help. Each race has only one winner, but there are dozens of races in a season, and most juniors recognize that improvement over the course of a season is a significant achievement.
ENCOURAGE. Your child might need encouragement just to show up, or a reminder that racing opportunities exist. Learn the EYC’s racing schedule and make sure your junior shows up on time and raring to go!
EQUIP. Make sure your junior is equipped with the personal gear she needs to race: sailing gloves, proper clothing or foul weather gear, nonskid shoes, a watch with a countdown timer (Flying Scots only), and a PFD which isn’t too nerdy-looking and fits right.
FIND A RIDE. Help your junior get a position crewing for another skipper. Crewing is a great way to learn and to make new friends, but some juniors are too shy to ask adults or others if they need crew.
RIG. If your junior draws an EYC-owned boat to race, help your junior rig that boat. Making sure the rigging is right and that your junior is on time for the start is half the battle in junior racing. If you are not sure of the finer details of rigging, ask other EYC members or staff to help you and your junior.
CHEER. Stay to watch the races, cheer your junior on, and socialize with other parents and grandparents. You might even be offered a ride on someone’s spectator boat, or a cocktail!
SAIL TOGETHER. Sailing can be an excellent family sport. If you are a proficient sailor, your junior can learn from you (just make sure to keep it fun). If you are a beginner sailor, you can crew for your junior, a rare opportunity for your junior to play the role of the knowledgable teacher while you are the learner.
LEARN. Even in the off season, you can encourage your junior’s interest in sailboat racing, and help him learn, with sailboat racing books, DVDs, and magazine subscriptions. Check our the store on US SAILING’s website at www.ussailing.org
BUY A BOAT. Nothing tells your junior that your are committed to his sailing success like buying a racing sailboat. Lasers, Optimists, and Flying Scots in good used condition are less expensive than you think, hold their resale value, and will repay your investment many times over, by making sure your junior always has a boat to race. Racing a private boat means your junior can be confident that his skills and determination, not his boat, determine his race results.
Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011
If you have a fanatic racer or just a casual sailor in your family, consider a sailing-related gift for the holidays. Here are some ideas:
A sailboat (or just new sails). See the article in the Fall 2011 issue of the Eagle’s Cry listing all the reasons why owning a sailboat — instead of just sailing on EYC-owned boats — is a good idea. Among the top reasons is not having to worry whether you will draw an EYC boat on those days when the number of skippers in the draw exceeds the number of EYC-owned boats. Or, if your fanatic racer already has a boat, new racing sails are always appreciated, and will pay dividends on the race course.
EYC Membership. Do you have a son or daughter who is now too old to be included as a Junior member in your Family membership? An Individual EYC membership would make a great gift. Junior members (children of Family members under 25 years old) don’t have to pay the $200 initiation fee if they become Family or Individual members within one year after their 25th birthday! Or, maybe you have a grandchild who will want to take lessons next year. That grandchild will need to be a Student member in order to take lessons (unless his or her parents will be Family members). To download the membership application form, go to www.eyc.org/membership
Sailing Lessons at the EYC. You may be an excellent sailor, but perhaps your spouse or child would prefer to learn to sail from a professional EYC instructor in a relaxed atmosphere without any family dynamics? The EYC offers group and private lessons for juniors and adults. Keep an eye on the EYC website at www.eyc.org/lessons for the 2012 lesson schedule and sign-up link, which will be posted early in 2012.
US Sailing Membership. US Sailing is the governing body of the sport of sailing in the U.S. The member benefits are well worth the annual membership cost, including regatta entry discounts, a subscription to American Sailor magazine, e-mail newsletters (which include a lot of valuable racing how-to advice), and discounts on books and gear from the US Sailing online store. To join go to http://membership.ussailing.org
Sailing World Magazine subscription. This magazine is the only monthly published in the U.S. focusing on sailboat racing. Keep your sailor’s appetite whetted for next summer, with a year-round monthly dose of sailboat racing news and how-to. www.sailingworld.com
A Sailing Vacation. A winter (or spring break) sailing vacation with friends or family is a great way to cure the winter blahs and will provide memories to last a lifetime. Skippered and bareboat (unskippered) charters are available in spectacular locations all over the world. When you compare the cost of a week-long charter to the cost of a week-long family stay at a resort, you will be pleasantly surprised. Among the best — and closest — places for first-time charterers are the British Virgin Islands. Just Google “British Virgin Islands Charters” for lots of information.
Sailing Gear. Does your sailor need a new PFD, sunglasses, sailing gloves, foul weather gear or sailing shoes? Check out West Marine www.westmarine.com or your local yachting store.
Books and Videos. Search the Internet for books and videos on sailing, covering every subject from the racing rules and tactics, to dramatic accounts of to solo circumnavigations, to idyllic sailing getaways. Examples:
Understanding the Yacht Racing Rules and Winning in One-Designs by Dave Perry
The Annapolis Book of Seamanship, by John Rousmaniere and Mark Smith
Sailing for Dummies, by J.J. and Peter Isler
Sailing Alone Around the World, by Joshua Slocumb
The Greatest Sailing Stories Ever Told, Christopher Caswell (ed.)
Fifty Places to Sail Before You Die: Sailing Experts Share the World’s Greatest Destinations, by Chris Santella
Atlantic High, by William F. Buckley
For videos on a variety of sailing subjects, including basic instruction, cruising guides, and the classic movie Captain Ron starring Kurt Russel and Martin Short, search on amazon.com under ”movies and TV” for “sailing”.
Monday, October 17th, 2011
EYC teens who have taken the EYC’s Advanced Racing class or who race on their high schoool sailing team should consider attending this two-day advanced sailboat racing clinic at the UW-Madison sailing club (“Hoofers”) on October 22 and 23. The clinic is taught by UW-Madison team members in 420s and Flying Juniors, and costs only $100.
This clinic will be a good introduction to what college racing is like, for any EYC junior who is considering racing at the college level.
For more information and to sign up: http://www.uwsailingteam.org/wisco-clinic-2011
You are currently browsing the archives for the Racing category.
"New Years" party Bic Open cruising deadline Education Ephraim Regatta flying scot fs Junior midwesterns NAC party Racing raffle Regatta Sailing lessons teen activity Un-regatta US Sailing whiffleball
© Ephraim Yacht Club
All Rights Reserved.
P.O. Box 331 10071 Water Street Ephraim, WI 54211
Summer Phone 920-854-7107
The Ephraim Yacht Club is a family oriented non-profit organization focused on forwarding sailing education and racing to students of all ages located in the town of Ephraim, in Door County, Wisconsin on beautiful Eagle Harbor.