PROPOSED SUMMER 2008 SAILING PROGRAM

  Course Offerings and Descriptions:

•   Introduction to and Development of Sailing and Seamanship Skills is designed for all those sailors who have reached their eighth birthday and fall into the novice/intermediate category (are either new to the sport of sailing or have one or two years of experience) or just enjoy being on the water in a non-competitive environment.
•   See the attached description of the Sail Martha’s Vineyard core curriculum.
•   This program will be taught five days a week, Monday through Friday, from 9 AM to 12:00 PM.
•   Classes will be taught in Optimist Prams (“Opti’s) for Novices and Dyer 9’s for Intermediates.
•   The maximum number of sailors per session is eighteen.
•   The course will be taught by a minimum of three US SAILING Level One Certified Instructors

•   Advanced Sailing and Seamanship is for those students who have demonstrated to the instructors that they have a fundamental mastery of the skills taught in the Introduction/Development course. This course is designed to introduce sailors to the basic concepts of racing while at the same time increasing their confidence on-the-water reinforcing the concepts covered in the Introduction/Development course. Wind awareness, heavy air sailing, steering, sail trim, starts, mark roundings, general tactics and an introduction to the Racing Rules of Sailing are covered and reinforced.
•   This program will be taught five days a week, Monday through Friday, from 1 PM to 4:00 PM.
•   Classes will be taught in Optimist Sunfish and 420’s.
•   The maximum number of sailors per session is twelve.
•   The course will be taught by a minimum of two US SAILING Level One Certified Instructors

•   Racing Camp
•   This course is available on Wednesday afternoons from 1:00 PM to approximately 4:00 PM
•   Sailors will participate in the Wednesday afternoon Menemsha Pond Races under the watchful eye of a Sail Martha’s Vineyard Instructor/Coach
•   Sailors will sail either Sunfish or 420’s
•   The maximum number of sailors is twelve
•   Sailors will be responsible for their own transportation to and from the Harriph’s Creek ramp, where they will meet with the Instructors
  
  

CORE CURRICULUM

General Safety and Skills

•   Proper behavior and attitude on and around the water
•   Respect
•   For the sea
•   For yourself
•   For each other
•   For your Instructors
•   For the floats
•   For the equipment
•   For Sail Martha’s Vineyard
•   Safety
•   First and foremost and at all times
•   A watchful eye on the other guy…be aware of what is around you
•   Know the morning routine
•   Morning briefing (weather, wind, expectations, day’s goals)
•   Commission boats (cooperative effort)
•   Debriefing after day’s activities
•   Prepare boats for afternoon classes
•   Know the afternoon routine
•   Afternoon briefing (weather, wind, expectations, day’s goals)
•   Properly de-commission boats (cooperative effort)
•   Debriefing after day’s activities
•   Demonstrate the ability to swim and tread water
•   Determine the right size PFD and put it on properly
•   Name parts of the boat
•   The value of looking around BEFORE you get in a boat (kind of like “look both ways before crossing the street”)
•   Determine the direction of the wind
•   Where should I launch/tie up?
•   How do you safely get in a boat?
•   What do you do first when you get in a boat?
•   Bail
•   Check/secure your lines and equipment
•   Let someone know where you are going and when you expect to return
•   Make sure there is no traffic in the immediate area
•   Basic knots (square knot, clove hitch, two half hitches, figure eight knot) and cleating
•   Introduction to commonly flown marine flags and basic flag etiquette
•   Casting off
•   Row forward
•   Row backward
•   Change direction
•   Docking/coming along side
•   Shipping oars and oarlocks
•   Securing boat at dock or on the beach (condition of boat…no sand!)
•   MOB recovery…teamwork
•   Storm preparation (what are the considerations?)

Introduction to Sailing

•   Name parts of rig and equipment
•   Name parts of the sail
•   Identify points of sail
•   Rig boat unassisted
•   De-rig boat unassisted
•   Tell starboard tack from port tack
•   Trim sail correctly
•   Helm correctly (facing sail, tiller in back hand)
•   Steer straight course across the wind
•   Master tacking and gybing
•   Sailing upwind
•   Sailing downwind
•   Rounding a buoy (both ways)
•   Capsize recovery
•   Sail off beach
•   Sail off dock
• Proper approach to the beach
• Proper approach to a dock
• Proper approach to a mooring