Exciting news: 60 juniors joined FBYC with their families in 2014!  Most of these juniors have never attended any of our camps or learn to sail programs, and many of their parents have questions about our various programs, race teams, classes and organization; and most important, how to choose the most appropriate events for their sailor.  

We very loosely divide the programs into two overlapping sections:  educational and racing.  We are especially proud of our educational programs, which will be covered in this newsletter.  Opti Kids and Junior Week form the foundation of the Junior Division.  All but 7 of the 46 racers on the 2014 Race Teams started sailing as campers during either Opti Kids or Junior Week.  Both programs are the gateway for countless kids to not only learn to sail, but more importantly, to develop a life-long love of sailing.  As follow-up to Opti Kids and Junior Week we offer Private Lessons and a Fun Sail, which are designed to keep kids on the water and learning.  It is our goal to reach as many children as possible with the joy of sailing; and whether it is racing, day sailing, cruising, or just knocking about in boats on the water, it is our hope that we foster a love of sailing which will enrich their lives.  Our motto is:  if kids have fun sailing with their friends, they will come back for more!  Many of our sailors become close friends during Opti Kids, and remain friends through the years as they graduate through the Junior Week classes and various race teams, until they finally leave our program for college.  

The following is an explanation of the educational programs and the contact information for the coordinators.  The coordinators  have been working hard for months to bring you these programs  You can find detailed information about all of our Junior Programs at www.fbyc.net.  On-line registration opens on February 1, 2015.

Opti Kids  (June 13,14 & 20, 21; ages 5 to 8)

Can kids this young really learn to sail?  YES!  Opti Kids is taught on two consecutive weekends in June, in either a morning or afternoon session.  Parents or grandparents are required to participate.  The classes are small-usually less than 16 sailors per class, and sail two to an Opti.  Club Optis are perfect beginner boats.  They are small and light, open, self-rescuing, and have a single small sail.  The sailors sit inside the boat, well below the boom, and alternate steering with the rudder or trimming the sail.  Uncontrolled capsizes are rare.  We do not use model boats for illustrative purposes, because an Opti on a dolly makes for the perfect teaching aid.  We provide the boats used in Opti Kids.    

Parents and grandparents, who serve as assistant instructors and offer encouragement, wade into the water to help corral wayward boats as the kids sail around fun marks such as turtles and whales.  This is the time for kids to be skipper, so no adults in boats!  Our protected cove, with its sandy, gently sloping beach and shallow, clear water, is perfect for learning.  The emphasis is hands-on learning, with practically no “classroom theory”.  AND NO YELLING!  In our cove the kids learn capsize recovery, “tiller towards trouble”, the “no-go zone”, and the basics of sail trim and how to steer with a rudder, as well as finding the wind, tacking and gybing, and even how to be towed.  Instructional sessions are kept short due to the age of the sailors, with plenty of time for swimming and playing games and snacks ashore.  Sailing is followed by ice-cream and a family cook-out.  In fact, it sometimes seems FBYC kids learn to sail while holding an ice-cream or frozen popsicle in one hand!  

Safety, of course, is the foremost consideration.  All participants-junior and adult-must at all times wear a PFD and water shoes.  Sailors must pass a two-part swim test on the first day of class, consisting of swimming the length of our pool while wearing a PFD; and then swimming from the end of our pier to the beach while wearing a PFD and water shoes. 

As we all know from our days in school, the instructor makes the class.  We are extremely fortunate to have Paul and Julie Ann Wash!  They are long time members of FBYC and have assisted and taught in Opti Kids for years.  They know how to gently encourage kids to try something new or challenging those who need more.  Paul and Julie Ann are not just instructors, they are parents with their own children and understand that if kids are not having FUN, then nothing is being accomplished.  Learning is great-but the real goal is that they remember how much fun they had at camp.  Please feel free to contact Paul and Julie Ann with any questions about Opti Kids at:  julieann.wash@webnext.net.     

Junior Week (June 22-26; ages 6 to 18)

Junior Week is a week long day camp which is so much more than instruction.  It is the sailing and social event of the summer, for both adults and kids!  Last year we had 145 juniors and 40 adults participate for the entire week.  Every night is filled with entertainment, including ice-cream (of course), a pool party with hot dogs, professional teen rock band, a sail-a-thon, and FUN.  It seems every house on Fishing Bay Road to the end of Stove Point, and every boat at the Club’s dock, is filled with kids and grandchildren rocking one big week long slumber party.  There may even be fireworks again this year at the Almany’s cottage!  

Classes include Beginner I, II & III, Advanced Beginner, Intermediate I, II and III, Opti Racing, Advanced Opti Racing, Laser Racing, 420 Racing, and Group Sailing on keel boats.  Instruction is from 9 am to 4 pm, with an hour for lunch, followed by entertainment after sailing.  Again, it is the instructor that makes the class; and it is the instructors that make Junior Week so successful.  The classes are taught by a combination of professional, internationally known coaches retained by the club, certified instructors, and very experienced volunteers.  In fact, Junior Week could not exist without our parent volunteers as lead instructors.  Most have taught for years and are life long sailors.  Many learned to sail as kids at Junior Week.  All love teaching, and have committed to the future of sailing-and our club-by instructing during Junior Week.  Parents and grandparents are encouraged to volunteer and join in the fun.  No watching from the sidelines!  Bring a kayak if you have one.  After years of teaching and doing a fantastic job of heading up the program in 2014, we are fortunate to again have Doug and Jennifer Bendura leading Junior Week in 2015.  You can bet they will make it fun!

Beginning Opti is taught much like Opti Kids, but is geared towards slightly older sailors and reviews and builds on the concepts introduced in Opti Kids in longer sessions.  Classes are divided on the bases of age and prior experience, and techniques for sailing alone are introduced.  Opti Kids is not a pre-requisite.  We provide the boats for Beginner Opti.  Advanced Beginner and the Intermediate Classes encompass the widest range of experience, and are carefully divided into small groups of similarly experienced sailors by us.   Racing is introduced in Intermediate III.  The Opti and Laser racing classes are for more experienced sailors and are more intense; and they may also be divided based on experience.  Sailors must provide their own Optis after Beginner.  The 420 Class is unique in that while it teaches racing concepts, it is also appropriate for older juniors who have no sailing experience but have outgrown or aged out of the Opti and do not wish to sail Lasers.  (Optis lose their appeal to most sailors at approximately 130 pounds and age 15.)  Less experienced sailors in the 420 Class will be paired with those with experience, since the 420 is a two person boat.  Group Sailing is for older teens who are interested in sailing on larger boats with crew, and again, no experience is required.  An emphasis is placed on sailing to destinations such as Gwynn Island, for the day.  We provide the boats for 420 and Group Sailing.  Doug and Jennifer can help guide you in choosing the best class for your sailor, based on the sailor's experience, age, size and interest.  Contact Doug and Jennifer at: doug.bendura@capitalone.com.  

Private Lessons (By Appointment, May-August; ages 6 to 99!)

The Private Lessons program has evolved into a cornerstone of our educational program for those who want to continue their development after Opti Kids and Junior Week.  The individualized instruction is a perfect follow-up.  Demand was so high last year that we are adding an extra instructor for 2015.  The lessons are taught by the Opti Development Team Coaches in the Club’s Optis, Lasers or 420s, and are customized to fit the needs of the individual student; from beginner to very advanced.  We will even teach adults on Lasers and 420s!  We can also handle small groups of up to five students so that friends and siblings may sail together while retaining the one-on-one approach of Private Lessons.  The program will again be coordinated by Mary Almany, who is herself  an experienced instructor.  She will be happy to create an individualized lesson plan to meet the needs of either junior or adult students.  You may contact Mary at:  malmany@verizon.net.Fun Sail (July 11, with the option of adding dates; all ages)

The Fun Sail is another chance for juniors to get out on the water with their friends and have fun.  The sail will be led by an experienced instructor, Paul Almany, assisted by an Opti Development Team Coach.  Juniors may sail their own boats or a Club Opti.  Activities might include watermelon races, backward races, a cruise to Stove Point to swim and a harbor cruise aboard a Flying Scot; as well as instruction.  The goal is to get on the water and have FUN in a supervised environment while learning.  Parents and grandparents are encouraged to sail in the Club’s Lasers and 420s, or bring their own boat.  The day will end with pizza at the pool!  For additional information contact Paul at: palmany@verizon.net.  

Next Newsletter: FBYC Race Teams and Racing!

Happy Holidays!

Mark Hayes, Junior Division Commander