Lessons

The Winchester Boat Club offers an 8-week sailing program with lessons for beginner, intermediate, advanced, and adult sailors.  Children must be nine years old or entering the 4th grade to participate in sailing lessons.  We aim to develop sailing and boating skills that will last a lifetime and will help to nurture a sense of independence, responsibility, self-esteem and respect for the water in our junior sailors.

We welcome and encourage the involvement and support of parents.  We need volunteers for a variety of events this summer.  Please contact the Sailing Director or Fleet Captains if you would like to get involved!

Important Notes:

• Please consult the WBC Calendar for exact dates and events.
• For fees, please consult the dues and fees page under MyWBC.
• In order to register for sailing lessons, children must be nine years old on or before September 1.
• Boats at the WBC are privately owned (with the exception of 420s which are used in the Tactics class).  It is each family's responsibility to arrange for a boat for their child's use in sailing lessons.  We ask that you have your boat arrangements made and registered in the office by the Wednesday before lessons begin.  Please see our Sailing FAQ page for helpful information.
• In order to participate in sailing lessons, children must complete the sailing swim test before July 5.
• The sailing swim test entails swimming two lengths of the pool fully clothed in long pants, a button down shirt, and a bathing suit.  Upon completing the two laps, the sailor must disrobe while treading water, and then tread water for five minutes more.  The clothes should be light weight and easily removable because they must be taken off before treading water.  The test is administered by the lifeguards during adult swim.  This test is important, but the kids are allowed to take it as many times as they want until they pass.

Beginner

Teaches the fundamentals of sailing for novice and younger sailors. Sailors will be instructed in rowing, rigging of boats, basic maneuvering, and safety.

To advance from Beginner to Intermediate the sailor demonstrates the following skills while sailing alone / independently:

1. How to rig/derig boat
2. Tie square knot, eight knot, bowline and cleat
3. Identify major parts of the boat including the main-sheet, boom vang, cunningham/downhaul, outhaul, halyard, blades
4. Sail upwind (stay close-hauled for the entire upwind leg, should not have trouble getting stuck in irons)
5. Let his/her sail out appropriately on the downwind or reach leg
6. Know the standard 3 minute dinghy start
7. Know which tack is starboard/port and port-starboard right of way rules

The overall importance of this test is to make sure that the child understands the wind. He/she should understand that it is the interaction between the wind and the sail that makes them move, and therefore they must pay attention to their sail, keep the right sail trim, and know where the wind is coming from.

Intermediate

Sailors will have passed the Beginner level. Sailors will work on refining basic sailing techniques and building up to racing.

To advance from Intermediates to Tactics the sailor demonstrates the following skills while sailing alone / independently:

1. Sail an EFFICIENT upwind course.
2. Show a general understanding of the shape of his/her sail, and how to adjust it.
3. Have a general understanding of the racing rules of sailing including windward/leeward and buoy room.
4. Show efficient tacking method (roll tack, switching hands behind back).
5. Have correct posture in boat
6. Sail in at least two off lake regattas.

Tactics

Sailors will have passed Intermediate level. Sailors are taught the advanced tactics of racing using the club's 420 racing boats. This class races most days during lessons and is encouraged to compete both on and off the lake.

After two summers of tactics, sailors can elect to try out for the Junior Race Team. To be considered for the team, the sailor should demonstrate the following skills while sailing a club 420:

1. Properly rig, launch, land and de-rig a club 420.
2. Set, jibe and dowse the spinnaker.
3. Sail a port-triangle race course, including start and finish.
4. Show an understanding of how to adjust his/her sails according to wind conditions.
5. Have an understanding of the racing rules of sailing as well as race instructions.
6. Show effective roll-tacking, roll-jibing and penalty circles.
7. Have correct skipper/crew positioning and weight placement in boat.
8. Sail in at least one off lake regatta in a club 420.
9. Have knowledge of 420 transport.
10. Have a willingness to practice, travel and compete as part of a team.

Note: sailors may use a crew of their choice while demonstrating these abilities.

Junior Race Team

Team members will have passed the Tactics level. The Junior Race Team is a competitive group of 420 and Laser sailors who wish to pursue competition on and off the lake, building team work skills and bringing racing tactics learned in previous years, to a higher level. They will learn how to make the Club 420 and the Laser go fast in different wind conditions, using strategy, tactics and tuning. While mostly focusing on fleet racing, the group will also learn team racing. Sailors will become well-versed in the racing rules, protests, regatta registration and boat care and transport. Team work and good sportsmanship are key elements in the daily operation of this team, on and off the water. The race team will practice three days a week in the summer.

Adult

Casual lessons to teach adults the basics of sailing.

Private Lessons

Private sailing lessons can be scheduled to supplement our sailing program. Private sailing lessons may be arranged for both adults and children.* The rate is $40 per hour per boat. Members should contact the instructor of their choice directly to schedule a private lesson. Payment is made directly to that instructor. Instructors may only schedule private lessons during their off hours.

For the most part, private lessons will be conducted with the instructor joining the sailor in his/her boat. If a club motorboat is required, permission must be granted by the manager on duty.

*Private lessons are made available for children to supplement our summer sailing program. They should not be arranged in lieu of participating in the sailing program.

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Boats Utilized in Sailing Program

Beginner sailors may use either an N10 dinghy or an Optimist (Opti) dinghy. We encourage two beginner sailors per N10. The Opti is designed for one sailor. Intermediates may also use N10s or Optis, however, all sailors in this class are expected to sail solo to become more proficient with their skills. Sailors in the Tactics class primarily use Club owned 420s, a two-person dinghy with two sails (mainsail & jib). We have a total of thirteen 420s available to support our more experienced junior sailors and, depending on participation levels, we will incorporate other boats such as lasers, N10s, and Snipes as needed.

In order to participate in sailing lessons, children must complete the sailing swim test before July 5, 2010. The sailing swim test entails swimming two lengths of the pool fully clothed in long pants, a fully-buttoned long sleeve shirt, closed-toe shoes, and a bathing suit. Upon completing the two laps, the sailor must disrobe down to his/her bathing suit while treading water, and then tread water for five minutes more. The entire test must be completed in a continuous manner, without the participant taking any breaks or touching the pool wall. The clothes should be light weight and easily removable because they must be taken off before treading water. The test is administered by the lifeguards during adult swim. If a child does not pass, he or she may repeat the test again until they do pass.

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Regattas

On-Lake Regattas

There are numerous WBC regattas held on the lake for all levels of junior sailors for both the N-10 and Opti fleets. Check the WBC Calendar for dates.

Off Lake Regattas

Parents are responsible for getting junior sailors and their boats to and from off-lake regattas. We will help organize this effort. Instructors are not authorized to transport sailors to regattas.

Off-lake regattas that may be of interest include the following:

• Hingham Bay Regatta @ Hingham Yacht Club
• Lipton Cup @ Squantum
• N10 New England Open
• Marblehead Race Week
• Quincy Bay Race Week
• N10 Midget Regatta
• N10 Junior Regatta
• Make-A-Wish Regatta
• Junior Olympics

Check the WBC Calendar for all the regatta dates.

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Parent Obligations

PLEASE HAVE YOUR BOAT READY TO SAIL THE FIRST DAY OF CLASS!

Boats and Partners

It is the responsibility of the parent to arrange a boat (own, borrow or share) and partner for their junior sailor.  (See the last page of this handbook for helpful boat borrowing guidelines.)  These arrangements must be made BEFORE the first day of sailing classes.

Our sailing instructors are not authorized to use valuable instruction time to find boats and organize partners.  This is not the job of the sailing instructors and when they have to leave the docks to do so, it causes safety concerns for our sailors.

Broken Boats and Missing Parts

The WBC is not responsible for finding any lost, misplaced, forgotten or stolen parts.  Be sure that both you and your child know what parts belong to you, and that your child knows to put everything away after class instead of leaving it on the docks.

• All boats used in beginners and intermediates are privately owned, and are therefore not the responsibility of the WBC.  If you are borrowing or renting a boat, arrangements should be made in advance to determine how any damage to the boat or loss of parts will be dealt with (i.e. who is responsible for paying for repairs and performing the repairs).
• The WBC is not responsible for repairing damaged boats.  The Club keeps a box of commonly broken/lost parts, and will sell them to you at cost.  However the club is not responsible for installing said parts or finding/purchasing any parts that are not in the parts box.*
• Any parts that are not in the parts box can often be found at West Marine.
• Please repair your boat as soon as possible.  We cannot guarantee that your child will be put into another boat, and he/she may lose valuable time on the water.
• The sailing instructors are not responsible for lost/misplaced/ stolen parts.  Some of the most commonly misplaced parts are:
• Sail bag

  This is by far the most commonly misplaced item.  Children often forget to put it away after taking the sail out of the bag and leave it on the docks to be blown into the water.  They also all look EXACTLY the same, so it is a good idea to put your family name and sail number on the bag (with a permanent marker) to identify it.

• Rudder

  This is by far the most stolen or unintentionally swapped item.  Just like with the sail bag these all look EXACTLY the same.  Make sure to put your family name and sail number/boat name on the rudder in permanent ink, and do something to it to make it unique at a glance.  For example: buy multiple colors of electrical or duct tape and wrap it around the rudder/tiller in a unique pattern (make sure to do this ABOVE the waterline).

• Sail

  Not very often misplaced, but be sure to know your sail number just in case.  It can be very easily spotted if it is accidentally switched with another boat.

*If your boat needs work, you may hire an instructor to work on it.  However, this must be by private arrangement and must take place outside of instructor work hours.  The private rate for boat repair is $15.00/30 minutes plus cost of materials.

Moorings and Lockers

Please be sure that you have arranged for a mooring and a locker and that you and your child both know your correct mooring number, locker number and lock combination.  Your mooring number and locker number may change from year to year, so you must sign up for each at the start of the season.

Drop off and pick-up

Parents are responsible for dropping off junior sailors promptly at the start of their sailing class.  Parents are also responsible for picking up junior sailors who are under the age of 10 (and therefore not allowed at the club without adult supervision) in a timely manner.  There is no instructor supervision when the program is over.

Equipment

All sailors must have the following equipment on the first day of class:

• Personal Floatation Device or Lifejacket

  All Sailors will need a lifejacket the first day of classes and will be required to wear the lifejacket at all times on the water and on the dock.  Lifejackets can be purchased at West Marine in Woburn on Washington Street or at many sporting goods stores.  The lifejacket must have the proper fit, not be sized to grow into, and the sailor should like the color and style of the jacket, as they will wear it often.

• Whistle – attached to lifejacket with cord
• Paddle
• Bailer
• Rubber-soled, closed toe shoes

The following are optional but strongly recommended:

• Hat/sun block/sunglasses
• Water bottle

Kid Zone

Only registered class participants (no parents, siblings, guests, etc.) and Club employees should be on the floating docks during pre-lesson rigging, lesson times, and post-lesson de-rigging.  One of the main goals of our program is to encourage independence in our junior sailors.  In addition, the docks are very crowded during this time and we cannot afford to have the extra bodies on the docks.  If you are seen on the dock, you will be asked to leave.  Please respect this rule.

Notify partners of absence or vacation

If your child will be absent from class for one day or for a week, please make sure to notify his/her partner so that they can make alternative partner arrangements for that time period (try to find someone else whose partner is also absent from class).

Occasionally, we will put three sailors in an N10, but only on a temporary basis.  In addition to the safety issues and the capacity for instructors to maintain the attention of three sailors in a boat, the sailors will not get enough hands-on time with the tiller or the mainsail, and they will be fall behind the rest of the class.

Discipline Issues

Parents should be aware of our discipline policy.  All participants in the sailing program are expected to follow all the Rules and Regulations outlined in the WBC Handbook.  In addition, all sailing program participants are expected to follow the directions of Sailing Instructors and all members of the WBC staff.  To the extent possible, Sailing Instructors/Staff will address violations of the Club Rules and Regulations (or of the policies set forth by Instructors or Staff) directly with the student.  In cases of consistent infractions, or infractions that jeopardize the safety of the individual or others, Instructors may need to remove the individual from the class.  Students that have to be removed from class will be sent to the Club office and the Manager on duty will notify parents.  If behavior consistently hinders the ability of Instructors to teach and ensure the safety of the entire class, parents will be notified and the student may have to be removed permanently from the Program.

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Sailing Rules & Expected Behavior
Listed In Order of Importance

1. A US Coast Guard approved life vest with a working whistle securely attached must be worn, zipped and fastened as designed, at all times while on the docks and on the water.
2. Closed-toe shoes are required at all times for sailors.  Sandals are not permitted.
3. When sailors want to go out sailing on their own, they must first check-in with the office staff.  The Manager on duty will then determine if the weather conditions are suitable for sailing.  Upon returning from the lake, the sailors must again check-in with the office staff.
4. When sailing for Mystic Magic points, a Beginner sailor must be accompanied by a second-year Beginner or an Intermediate sailor until he/she has received permission from the Head Sailing Instructor to sail independently.
5. The sailing swim test must be passed prior to the conclusion of the second week of Beginner sailing lessons.
6. There is absolutely no swimming in the lake, unless under the direction of the sailing staff.
7. All boats need to be returned to their moorings at the conclusion of the class/day.  Boats are never to be left at the dock for the evening.  Fines can result.
8. The sailing locker room should be kept neat and orderly.  All tillers, rudders, sails, life vests, etc., must be stored in the lockers and not left on the floor.
9. The rowboats are only used for transporting boats to and from their moorings.  There shall be no recreational rowing of the rowboats.  Rowing practice is acceptable inside the “Gut” the first two weeks of sailing class.
10. The sailing staff shall have the discretion to remove a sailor from the classroom or the lake if they feel this sailor is causing an unsafe situation for himself/herself and/or for the other sailors.  If this occurs, the sailor’s parents will be contacted by the sailing staff or the Manager on duty.
11. Respect other people’s boats and belongings.  Care and caution should be used at all times while on the dock and on the water.  Avoid collisions with other boats at all cost.

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Boat Borrowing Guidelines

1. Find a Boat.  Talk to your friends—most members find boats through the grapevine—look in the swap shop section of the WBC website (user id and password required) or on the bulletin board in the WBC lobby for owners willing to lend their boats, or sign-up at Opening Day to borrow any available boats.
2. Coordinate with the lender. Adults need to take care of this step.  Often a boat is borrowed by more than one party (i.e. a beginner sailor and an intermediate sailor borrowing the boat for different classes.)  It is important to understand who will be using the boat at what time and for what class.  Make sure to get the lender’s locker combination and mooring number for access to sails, rudders, etc.  Exchange phone numbers to communicate during the summer about schedules, vacations, and general information.
3. Offer to help maintain the boat.  Offer to help get the boat ready for the season or clean the bottom of the boat—a weekly cleaning is ideal.  The key is to be responsible for the boat you are using and to respect how the owner prefers to have the boat de-rigged, moored, and maintained throughout the season.  Bailing an N10 after a big rain storm is always appreciated!  Make sure that your child puts the boat away properly at the end of the day.  Boats left at the dock may be subject to fines.  These fines will be charged to the boat owner and could put you, the borrower, in an uncomfortable situation!  Be aware that there are mooring/locker fees and N10 association dues for every boat.
4. Be prepared to pay for any damage.  Occasionally, boats will get damaged.  Make sure you and the lender have an understanding about how this gets resolved before an incident occurs.
5. Thank the lender.  Have your children thank the lender for using their boat for the summer.  It is a privilege and a tradition at the WBC.

If you have any other questions about the Junior Sailing Program please refer to the Sailing FAQ or contact the Sailing Director.

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Race Committee

The WBC has a very dedicated Race Committee that officiates at all the weekend races on the lake.  It is very interesting and fun work for anyone who wants to get out on the lake without sailing, and the committee is always looking for volunteers.  To learn more, contact our Race Committee Director.  There is also a Race Committee Handbook if you are interested in reading about the process. To sign up for Race Committee, visit our race committee schedule page.

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N-10 Fleet

Check the Calendar for all the N-10 Regatta dates.  The N-10 Association requires that all boats be weighed prior to competing in any official N-10 Association regattas. The N-10's must meet a minimum weight requirement in order to pass the test. Contact the N-10 Fleet Captain if you need to have you N-10 weighed for competition.  Please remember that ALL boats must be registered with the N-10 Association to participate in regattas. A completed registration form and the annual dues should be collected when attaining a mooring or signing up for the sailing programs, 

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Optimist Fleet

Check the WBC Calendar for all the OPTI Regatta dates.

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420 Fleet

GUIDELINES FOR SAILING THE WBC's 420 BOATS

Sailing of club 420s is encouraged for all qualified members provided that the conditions are safe and that the on duty staff is informed and available to assist in the event of an on the water emergency.

To facilitate the safe usage of the club 420s, the WBC requires that sailors pass a basic sailing test before using the boats.  This test can be administered by any of the club's full time instructors as well as other qualified members.  Office staff will help in arranging for one of these individuals to meet with you at a convenient time.  The sailing test will consist of simple rigging and sailing.  The rigging test ensures that the boats are setup safely and rigged correctly.  The sailing test would determine if the sailor is approved for sailing in light air or heavy air.

Once you have passed the test, your name will be placed on a list of sailors who are qualified to use the 420s.  (Office check in is still required before each use of a boat but the test does not need to be repeated.)    Junior members who wish to sail a club boat during non-supervised periods must be approved by the summer sailing instructors for boat use and must have a parent's approval on file with the office.

In all cases the club manager should have the final say as to who is allowed to sail the club owned boats.

Please inquire in the office for further info.

Check the WBC Calendar for all the 420 Regatta dates.

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Snipe Fleet

Check the Mystic Lake Snipe Fleet Website for more information on the snipes; including their fleet racing calendar.

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