Adult Classes for 2016

Introduction to Sailing - Low-impact, preparatory coaching session, for any sailor who is about to enter ESS Level 1 class. The class sets up a conversation which continues through the entire course of both Level 1 and Level 2 sailing. It's a great way to meet the boats and to get your Edgewood bearings and to become completely tuned in before you start your "Beginning Sailing" (Level 1) a few days later.

"Intro" class meets for one (2-hr) session, scheduled several days ahead of the first meeting of the Level 1 class it's introducing. Class is conducted both on land and in the sailboats. Sailing Notes are provided. No experience required to take the "Sailing Basics" class. "Sailing Basics" is REQUIRED for all Level 1 classes, or may be waived by Instructor approval.

Goal: Introduction to sailing. Skills: the basics, including boat handling on all points of sail, knot-tying, attaching sails, steering a course, stopping safely, retrieving a person overboard, tying up to a mooring, safety rules and moving around in the boat. By the end of the course, the student should feel confident and comfortable sailing a small boat in a sheltered area.

This course, which will emphasize personal instruction, is appropriate for adult sailors who are working at either one-sail, or two-sail boat-handling skills. Students move at their own pace through the skills. Instructors work with groups of similar-skill students to maximize individual progress. Additional individual coaching is also available.

PREREQUISITE: "Sailing Basics" orientation is required preparation for this class. "Sailing Basics" is REQUIRED for all Level 1 classes, or may be waived by Instructor approval.  To request approval, please use contact us.

Goal: Introduce sailing to women as a life long sport. Women lead the class. Women students are encouraged to explore and expand their sailing skills. The course covers the same material as other Level 1 classes, but with an emphasis on introducing students to additional topics that they might not otherwise experience, including singlehanding and an introduction to sailboat racing. 

Skills: Basic sailing fundamentals are taught on shore and practiced on a Rhodes 19, a nineteen-foot keelboat sloop.

PREREQUISITE: "Sailing Basics" orientation is required preparation for this class. "Sailing Basics" is REQUIRED for all Level 1 classes, or may be waived by Instructor approval. To request approval, please use contact us.

Goal: Build from skills acquired in Level 1.
Skills: Acquire the communication, coordination and consistency necessary for sailing amicably with crew. Making use of tell-tales on main and jib. Tiller extension. Heave-to. Wing on Wing sailing. Feathering Up. Boat Balance. Successful mooring landings. Figure Eight and Quickstop maneuvers for retrieving a person overboard. By the end of the course, the student should feel confident and comfortable sailing on supervised courses and short trips around well-serviced areas similar to Narragansett Bay.
(Required Prep: Level 1 or Alumnae Refresher)

An early season refresher for returning alums of Edgewood Sailing School who wish to brush up on skills learned in prior seasons before joining in on recreational sailing and taking on new skills. The structure of the class assumes you've sailed with us before. There will be a brief Q&A at the beginning of class. Instructors will be on the water, and will visit each boat while it is under sail, or by radio request to help with specific skills. In addition, instructors will set up suggested challenges for the day, with courses and practice exercises that were part of the Level 1 or 2 curriculum. If you've ever thought "I don't remember anything from last season!" this course is for you, and will get you ready to make the most of the upcoming season!

Prerequisite: Level 1 or Level 2, returning students

Goal: Independent safe sailing in challenging situations with full rig.
Skills: The class focuses on separating out the major parts of the boat (main, jib, rudder, keel) so that skippers understand how each of them works independently of the others, and can get them to work together to solve various problems. Meetings cover slow sailing, sailing backwards, sailing without a main, sailing without a rudder, docking and leaving a dock, heave-to and man overboard. The class increases skipper's confidence at handling the boat in tricky situations.
(Required Prep: Level 2 or completing "Beginning Sailing" or instructor approval.)

Goal: Sailing and navigation basics for safe sailing in darkness.
Skills: Boat-handling (Level 3), using, visual, chart and gps navigation elements. Crew Overboard recovery in darkness. Styles for displaying and recognizing light signals required under International COLREGS Rules and the U.S. Inland Rules.
This is a 3-meeting class at Level 3 sailing skills. The classes in this session cover the fundamental navigation skills set, basic chart-reading and navigation; and various specialized boat-handling at night, progressing from basic on-water at night, to general keel-boat, to sailing a Rhodes 19 at night in familiar waters.
Required prep: Level 2. This class compliments topics in Navigation which meets on Tuesday evenings..

Goal: Introduction to recreational harbor sailing
Skills: Recreational sailing and practice time, supported and supervised by an on-duty ESS Instructor and VHF radio net. Open to qualified Edgewood Yacht Club Members, and to Sailing School Students.
(Required Prep: Level 1). Tuition fee for the "Fun & Practice" sailing. EYC adult student membership fee $5 per day.

Goal: Recreational day-sailing
Skills: Day-sailing is introduced, including trip planning and provisioning, then class moves as a fleet on a trip all-day down Narragansett Bay. Lunch on board. Return by early evening. Accompanied by Sailing School instructor safety boat and by a supporting cruising class sailboat to provide amenities.
(Required Prep: Level 1) Tuition fee for the picnic sail: $40/person
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Goal: Gaining experience in tactical sailing in racing situations. Boats sail close together and try to sail fast around courses, using spinnakers when possible. Everyone carries an individual score, earning points toward season-long trophy for the "Small boat Champions" (last awarded in 2008).
Open to "Skippers" with experience; and to "Crew" with Level 1 skills.

Guest R19 boats and crews from outside the Sailing School also participate (registration required).

Tuition/fee per day, or for a multi-day series with discount.
Related course: "Spinnakers!" (some discounts apply)

Goal: Independent safe sailing in challenging situations with full rig and spinnaker. Boats carry 1, 2, or 3 persons, according to sail rig.
Skills: At the Intermediate level, introduce sailing, and racing, with 2 and 3 crew using spinnakers.
(Required Prep: Level 2)

Volunteer teams to maintain the Fleet, including to launch Rhodes 19s, and to haul them out.
Goal: Saturday Volunteers and Launch/Haul Volunteers: working as a team to launch and/or haul out Rhodes 19 hulls. Location: as announced. Skills: handling lines, directing trailer locations, boat clean-up, equipment storage, sharing the work as part of a team. On-water and/or ashore. No heavy-lifting required.
See detail schedule for each activity. Schedule may be dependent on weather.
* Haul-out originally scheduled for 10/12-13 run on 10/27 and 10/29. SATURDAY VOLUNTEERS 2017 running from November 5.

Tutors prepare for the upcoming season with powerboat, safety, sailing and teaching skills.

Goal: Introduction to knotting and splicing in 3-strand or woven ropes. Training in simple or decorative knots, splices, and specialty binds, using modern woven rope and traditional twisted natural fiber ropes.
Skills: splices, bends, and useful knots in modern and traditional rope.
(materials charge)

Two-hour Private lessons, one to four people, are available on Sailing School's Rhodes 19, Optimist, c420, Laser or SunFish. Students may be adults or youths.

Coaching and instruction according to the skills of the student. Group lessons (for 5 or more students) can also be arranged.

How to register for individual/small-group lessons:

1. Click on  "Register for this session".  
2. Fill in registration form - - please include your first and last name, your preferred email address, and your preferred telephone number, so the Edgewood staff can contact  you.
3. On the registration form:, in the  "COMMENT"  box, please tell us what schedule you'd like to use - - weekday evenings, afternoons, weekend mornings, etc. 
4. Do not pay at this time.
5. The School staff will telephone or email to you to follow up and set a schedule.

Edgewood staff will contact you to create a schedule, and to talk about what you should do to prepare.  You and the Sailing School Instructors will create an individualized meeting plan. The number of meetings will determine costs.  When the schedule is set up, you will receive a registration confirmation statement of your account, showing the amount due for each meeting and giving you a link for accessing sailing resouces at the School website.