Advanced Optimist

At the end of six to twelve weeks, an Advanced Optimist sailor should know how to ...

Safety

• Follow program and harbor rules
• Stay protected from the sun
• Be safety conscious (Rule 1)
• Use a safety whistle appropriately
• Put on and take off a PFD in the water
• Tread water without a PFD for two minutes in the sea 
• Avoid collisions
• Get in the safety position 
• Capsize and recover 
• Execute a squall/storm drill

Seamanship

• Avoid contact (Rule 14)
• Use windward/leeward (Rule 11)
• Use Starboard/Port (Rule 10)
• Use clear ahead/clear astern (Rule 12)
• Be comfortable in an Opti on the water
• Tie an 8-knot, square knot, cleat knot, bowline, half hitch, and clove hitch Coil and throw a line
• Identify points of sail
• Know where the wind is coming from
• Explain actual vs. apparent wind
• Name the parts of an Opti
• Recognize the approach of puffs and lulls
• Explain how a sail works
- push
- pull
- daggerboard as a foil
• Take care of a boat
- proper and neat stowing and securing
- checking sail for ties
- tying sail ties
- jury-rigging
- washing and waxing boats
- minor repairs
• Attach a sail onto spars Do simple navigation
- North, South, East, West
- recognizing and using landmarks 
- navigation buoys
- water depth
- reading a chart
- using a compass
• Rig and de-rig properly
• Use the paddle while steering
• Steer responsibly on a tow
• Do a MOB recovery
• Recognize and sail in currents and tides
- tide charts
- current indicators Assess weather
- simple weather systems
- clouds and what they mean - wind and weather
- weather reports
- barometric pressure
• Use sailing as a way to get somewhere 
• Row
• Anchor
• Sail as passenger or crew on a big boat Check mast preventer

Boathandling

• Leave the dock
• Return to the dock
• Maintain proper body position and weight placement in the boat 
• Hold the tiller and mainsheet correctly
• Stay out of the no-go-zone except when tacking
• Recover from irons
• Gybe
- s gybe as apposed to c gybe 
- pull-in sail and center tiller 
- mechanics
- rolling
- gybing in waves 
• Tack
- mechanics
- rolling
- rules (Rule 13)
- tacking in waves
• Sail downwind 
- reach
- run
- sail trim dictated by where the wind is 
- adjusting trim
- adjusting sail controls
- body position and placement
- steering
- awareness
- pumping on crests
- steering waves
- sail by the lee
• Upwind sailing
- sail shape and trim
- close-hauled
- finding and holding “the groove.”
- watching for speed and balloon in the luff 
- telltales
- sailing over waves
- hiking
• Stop and start
- heading into the wind
- backwinding sail
- pull in and head off
• Adjust the daggerboard for different conditions and points of sail 
• Adjust sail shape (when and why)
- outhaul = adjust foot tension and control depth of the sail
- boom vang = leech tension downwind
- vang stop = adjust luff tension and control draft position 
- sprit tension = control shape
- for different weather conditions
- for different points of sail
- mast rake
- sail ties
• Position body weight
- challenging the body on the boat
- steering with weight
- how body placement and movement affects the boat
- for different weather conditions
- for different points of sail
- quiet and gentle movement
• Execute a 360
• Execute a windsurfer tack 
• Sail backwards

Sportsmanship

• Respect others
• Respect equipment
• View sailing as a team sport
• Work in a team during rigging and activities

Racing

• Organize his or herself for competition in a regatta Understand sportsmanship in racing
- responsibility
- fair sailing
• Sail all standard racecourses
- triangle
- modified triangle 
- modified Olympic 
- windward/leeward 
- offset marks
- Harry Anderson
• Assess wind on a course React to wind shifts
- tack on headers
- stay on lifts
• Sail through puffs and lulls
- spotting them
- reacting to them Sail through wind shifts
- recognizing them 
- headers
- lifts
• Adjust sail controls for different legs 
• Adjust weight for speed
• Find clear air
• Apply racing tactics
• Start
- mechanics
- favored end
- current
- line sight
- strategies & tactics
- timing (watches and mind)
- rules and things to watch for
• Avoid la-la land 
• Round a mark
- the mechanics of it
- wide and tight
- tactics
- advanced applications of Rule 18
• Finish
- dueling tactics
- sportsmanship in finishing
• Execute penalty turns 
• Use rules in racing
• Deal with protests and arbitration 
- knowing the rules
- knowing who to ask
- sportsmanship and hearing
- mock protests and scenarios

JSA of LIS

Optimist

RS Feva

Laser

LISOT

Laser Frostbite

ICSA

ISSA

US Sailing

YRALIS

Huguenot Yacht Club

Huguenot Yacht Club

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