Chilmark Community Center

  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  description below  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