Royal Victoria YC Junior Sailing Program

[John Nantz]

While we were visiting the Royal Victoria Yacht Club (RVYC) in Victoria, BC, this summer we got a chance to see some of their junior sailing programs in action.

One thing that was really, REALLY impressive was the one where they can start the kids at 4 years old. For some kids that is about the time they get their first tricycle! But here they are out sailing double-handed in a dinghy. The next step is sailing solo.

The more advanced kids get trained in racing and the video shows one of the exercises in action on the hard. The instructor critiques their progress and times them with a stopwatch and records their times.

A scan of some of the fleet of boats shows why the RVYC has a lot of good sailors.

Here is a link to the video: https://vimeo.com/74023075

 

[Joe]

Thanks for that, John. The benefits to kids learning to sail is more than many people realize. Maybe others know of Jr sailing programs in their area they'd like to promote.

 

[Stretch]

Love to see that, we have a growing junior and beginner program at the SYC, thanks to an Olympic legacy donation of 2 420 advanced trainers and 2 similar trainers thanks to the WVYC, as well as some donated Opti's.
Our training program is set to expand next season and our club will host more racing events.
These kids have a great time.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUyrB1hX088

 

[Joe]

Love to see that, we have a growing junior and beginner program at the SYC, thanks to an Olympic legacy donation of 2 420 advanced trainers and 2 similar trainers thanks to the WVYC, as well as some donated Opti's.
Our training program is set to expand next season and our club will host more racing events.
These kids have a great time.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUyrB1hX088

awesome! thanks stretch.... the kids are having so much fun... it warms my heart.

 

[IainB]

I was the junior sail director at the Whitby Yacht Club on Lake Ontario years ago. All junior sail programs deserve and need the support of the senior members of yacht clubs. They are the future of our sport. We had 120 kids come through the program one summer and all had a positive experience and we held an awards night for them as well. From Optimists to Lasers to Laser 2's to 470's and 420's they all have fun.

 

[Worldwalker88]

I am lucky to be included in a fledgling program being started in SE Wisconsin by a physics teacher at one of the Charter High Schools. Mr. Tim Overocker (the aformentioned teacher) has started a sailing team at Lakeview Tech HS (my son attends there, which is how I've gotten involved) and is also working with Harborside Charter HS, both in Kenosha. From what I understand, they are trying to interest high schools all along L. Michigan. He has gotten support from the Kenosha Yacht Club, too.
A real grass roots effort.
Mr. O, as the kids call him (and his wife Mrs. O, who is also a qualified sailor) is seeing growth he really deserves recognition for his work!

 

[Pat]

Our club in Wichita (Ninnescah YC) has made a commitment to encourage the children of both members and non-members to enroll in both classes and camps that our club operates all summer. The club makes the boats available and the club provides certified instructors who with adult help and parental supervision make the program such a success that the parents I've spoken with believe it changes the lives of their children....The membership is proud of the Junior Sailing Program. Pat

 

[Mike4116]

It is important to include our youth in learning the many joys of all aspects of sailing. From competition to gunk holing it is a life-long past time we all can enjoy from our child hood to our second child hood. For my part, as I am not involved in any formal children's sailing programs, I take my grand kids and the kids of my neighbors out for time spent on the water learning the "ropes" of our sport. Of course I passed along my love for the sport to my son and my step son and, frankly, that time spent with the "kids" was and is one of my most rewarding spent at the helm of the boat and the helm of being a parent.

 

[topman]

These programs are fantastic , my 14 year old son has been in the program at Sidney North Saanich Yacht Club for about 5-6 years now and has grown to love the sport. He is also now racing on keel boats on the weekends when not dingy sailing. This has also grown to schools such Parkland Senior Secondary having a Sailing academy where they sail twice a week and learn other aspects of boating / sailing when they can't be on the water. Many of the kids that go through these programs end up teaching in the summer courses and passing on the knowledge that they have learned.

 

[Goodwind16]

This is just fantastic! Great video, too! I love the little voice in the background, "Is anybody worried about anything?" Another voice, "I hurt my head." I can't get over the fact that some of these kids are only four years old! Wish I'd learned about sailing 54 years earlier!!

 

[alo4]

Our yacht club, Meydenbauer Bay Yacht Club, Bellevue, WA on Lake Washington, has been training kids 8-18 years for 17 years. We started small and have grown to a fleet of 22 sailboats and 6 inflatibles. We have Opti's, V15's, Lasers, and 2 - 29ers. We train about 250 kids every summer and some have become our instructors. We also have a racing team which participates in a number of Northwest races. We host one race at our Club every summer for the other sailing programs in the area.

We started the program with donated boats and volunteers from the Club and we are now self-sustaining with a regular boat replacement program.

We continue to do our part to bring new sailors into the world and it gives us pleasure to see them move on to racing, cruising, and boat ownership.

 

[John Nantz]

Instructor "Walk(?) with the Ladies" comment

Aren't these kids wonderful? They are having such a good time.

Speaking of comments from the kids, …..

I love the little voice in the background, "Is anybody worried about anything?" Another voice, "I hurt my head." I can't get over the fact that some of these kids are only four years old!

One of them I think was priceless was after the instructor said something to one of the girls like "Walk with the Ladies" (about 4:16 in the timeline) and she came back with something but said "We aren't Ladies". Not sure who "she" was but I think the one in the pink lifejacket on the bottom/aft end of the mast.

The instructor was really good about it and said "You're all Ladies", and it goes on from there with a little back and forth.

As for the FOUR years old - that blew me away and I still can't get over it.

Watching the one in the pink try to lift the dagger board up? Heck, the dagger board was longer than she was tall! At that age it is like me handling a 4 x 8 foot sheet of plywood.

The girl, er …. lady in the pink reaching down and swishing her hand in the water … maybe she'll be a wildlife biologist someday.

As for the kids going by trying to talk to me, I couldn't talk back because the mic was on the camera and the audio would have been overpowered.

The last "chalkboard talk" was way too short but that was all the file footage I had on it. The choice was to take it out or leave it in and I left it in. Ditto the one without any audio. I felt both clips added to the video.

Just so the folks down south don't realize all our days are like this, they aren't. We get one month of unusual weather and it comes around August. That's one month a few days before, during, and after August. That's why so many Northwesterners head south for the winter. The Canada Geese follow the RVs both ways.

Stretch: Those were some good on-the-water shots. After seeing your video I'd like to include something like that next year, especially with them actually sailing. I was on the dock so I couldn't get out to the sailing area.

I'm really glad to read so many comments about other clubs who are getting their Jr programs up and running. Many of the kids today don't have the wide open rural areas that many of us grew up in so Jr sailing is a great recreational and educational opportunity.

 

[Indysailor]

Our sailing association partners with the city to provide a week long sail camp. They have space for about 15 kids and sessions are usually full through the summer.

Here are a couple of great kids, talking about it.

 

[Jackdaw]

Thanks for that, John. The benefits to kids learning to sail is more than many people realize. Maybe others know of Jr sailing programs in their area they'd like to promote.

Great idea Joe.

The Wayzata Yacht Club on Lake Minnetonka in Minneapolis has a strong bond with the Wayzata Community Sailing Center (WCSC). We financed the Center's recent move into their new facility, which is right next to the club. There they can use all of the club's resources while promoting sailing to a very wide group; in particular to the youth of the area. It's am amazing sight, often when we head out 100 boats strong to our Wednesday night races, there will be the laughter of nearly 100 optis, lasers, and 420s in the bay as we glide by.

 

[John Nantz]

Hartwarming Posts

It's really heartwarming to read the posts about the clubs that are helping the kids to have a good time learning to sail. People are donating their time, money, and facilities to make this happen are to be commended for their efforts.

Jackdaw: What the Wayzata Yacht Club on Lake Minnetonka did to create a sailing center next to the yacht club is outstanding, a regular sailing mecca. And to generate so many boats for the Wednesday night races is also awesome.

As for the links above, the one by Stretch with the on-water shots and the other by by Indysailor with the interview both give me ideas for additional video work next year.

A few years ago the Poulsbo Yacht Club (PYC) got its Jr Sailing program started with a gift of 10 Opti boats by one of the members. Since then many more boats have been added including other class boats. There is a core of high school aged sailors now who came up through the ranks, as it were, and are doing well in local competition.

One project on my to-do list is to make a video of how to use the our PYC portable pump out. Oh yes, really exciting, tell me about it, but its important to know the proper way to use this all important piece of equipment.

Last but not least, I want to ad a "Thank You" to Greg Delezynski for his post about his electric outboard motor test. His video was the spark that got me to post the RVYC video.
Link to Greg's post and his video: http://forums.sbo.sailboatowners.com/showthread.php?p=1068673&highlight=electric outboard test

I'm always open for more ideas that can be used to turn into boating videos.