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
• Rig and de-rig properly
• Name the parts of an Opti
• Take care of a boat
- proper and neat stowing and securing
- washing boats
- checking sail for ties
- tying ties
• Check mast preventer Explain how a sail works
- push
- pull
• Do simple navigation
- North, South, East, West - recognizing landmarks
- navigation buoys
- water depth
- reading a chart
- using a compass
• Recognize the approach of puffs and lulls. Use the paddle while steering
• Steer responsibly on a tow
• Attach a sail onto spars
• Recognize and sail in currents and tides 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
Boathandling
• Leave the dock
• Return to the dock
• Stay out of the no-go-zone except when tacking
• Recover from irons
• Maintain proper body position and weight placement in the boat
• Hold the tiller and mainsheet correctly
• Gybe
- s gybe as apposed to c gybe
- pull-in sail and center tiller Tack
• Sail downwind
- reach
- run
- sail trim dictated by where the wind is
- body position and placement
- steering
- sail by the lee
• Upwind sailing
- close-hauled
- steering a straight course.....paying attention
- watching for speed and balloon in the luff
- telltales
• Sail a figure eight
• Sail a triangle
• Sail a square
• Use telltales for upwind steering
• Stop and start
- heading into the wind
- backwinding sail
- pull in and head off
• Execute a 360
• Adjust the daggerboard for different conditions and points of sail
• Where, when, and how to sit
• Position body weight
- steering with weight
- how body placement and movement affects the boat - for different weather conditions
- for different points of sail
• Adjust sail shape (when and why)
- outhaul
- boom vang
- gooseneck
- sprit tension
- for different weather conditions
- for different points of sail
• Sail backwards
Sportsmanship
• Respect others
• Respect equipment
• View sailing as a team sport
• Work in a team during rigging and activities
Racing
• Understand sportsmanship in racing
- responsibility
- fair sailing
• Use tacking rules (Rule 13)
• Sail a starting sequence
- clear air
• Avoid la-la land
• Assess wind on a course Round a mark
- the mechanics of it
- basic applications of Rule 18 Finish
• Act on puffs and lulls
• Adjust sail controls for different legs Adjust weight for speed
• Find clear air
• Use rules in racing
• Execute a 360 when foul occurs
After three weeks, a Beginner Optimist sailor should know how to ... After six weeks, a Beginner Optimist sailor should also…
At the end of six weeks, an Intermediate Optimist sailor should know how to ...
At the end of six to twelve weeks, an Advanced Optimist sailor should know how to ...
After six weeks, a RS Feva sailor should know how to ...
After six to twelve weeks, a Laser Radial sailor should know how to ....
Councilor in Training (CIT) and Junior Instructor (JI)
After six to twelve weeks, 420 sailors should know how to ...
Jr Sailing Parents and Sailors
HYC Jr Sailing Committee appreciates all the hard work and perseverance of the sailors, parents, and coaches through the Summer of 2023; This Summer we hope to "accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative, latch on to the affirmative, spread joy up to the maximum, and bring gloom down to the minimum." -- same as last year ????
The first Open House for registration will be Sunday, January 28th, 2024, from 1 pm to 4 pm. There will be discounts for all who register by Monday.
The second Open House for registration will be Sunday, March 3th, 2024, from 1 pm to 4 pm. There will be somewhat smaller discounts for all who register by Monday..
We look forward to seeing you all again this Summer.
Safe Sailing,
HYC Jr. Sail Committee