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How Does One get Started Sailing? |
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You may have these questions. If you have never sailed, if you do not know one boat from another, then how do you get started? How do you learn to sail? If you wish to have your own boat, how do you know what boat to buy? How much do boats cost? Are there used boats for sail? CSA offers several ways to help you with these questions. Additionally, on Sunday when races are held, feel free to wander around the boat parking lot and ask questions. Most boat owners are proud of their boats and most willing to talk to you about them. Additional ways are:
CSA Adult Sail Seminar The CSA Adult Sail Seminar, aka Adult Learn-to-Sail has been a popular and ever-growing CSA event. It is for beginners or others seeking to improve their skills. Taught by US Sailing certified CSA instructors, who volunteer their time, it covers all the basics with both chalkboard and on-the-water sailing. Click 08 CSA Adult Sail Seminar to see topics covered, types of boats used, cost, and contact person for the 08 Adult Sail Seminar. The Flying Scot has been the popular choice of boat to use in this instruction; however, one may use their own if they chose (and it fits the general category as taught.) Check CSA site Specifics and Registration form for this event in 2009 spring. Early registration is suggested.
Great learning, great fun, great price. Visitors Day is the largest open house for the public at CSA. Many skippers from all fleets offer to rides to visitors to CSA. You can experience sailing on many different types of boats. Check specific for this year's event on the CSA site after sailing season begins in May. CSA maintains a crew listing of persons who wish to crew. If you are interested in being put on this list, send an email to the CSA Web Master (given at bottom of CSA site. If you know which class of boat you would like to crew on, talk with the Flying Scot fleet captain, Jim Harris or any other fleet caption of a CSA fleet or any member and they generally know who in that fleet is looking for crew. Crewing may be for all that season or just a Sunday or two when a regular crew is gone. Racing can not be held without people to run the race. Each Sunday race and all regatta races need a committee of between 5 and 8 people to held run it. Each fleet has a Sunday that they are responsible to serving on the committee and larger fleets will have more than one assigned Sunday. However, often someone can not make the assigned day and a substitute is needed. One need not be a racer to serve on the committee as the race chairperson, a seasoned sailor, will be sure that you will be with others who are experienced. You will be shown what to do, which may be keeping time, recording scores, or raising flags. Serving on the race committee is an excellent way to better learn more about sailing, see different types of boats in action, and pick up pointers to improve your own sailing. You may even catch the racing bug. Volunteering: At the start of the sailing season, fleets are assigned for each Sunday's racing calendar. Each fleet has certified sailors who can be race chairman the race. These individuals pick their race crew for their assigned day. These assignments are posted on the CSA at the start of the season. Flying Scot assignments are posted on the FScot web site, FS Race Assignments . If you would like to help, contact any of the chairpersons on the list. |
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