Adult Classes for 2018

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. Use both main and jib sails to power the boat. Reading tell-tales. 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)

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!

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. 

PREREQUISITE:  Returning students (alums) from Level 1-3 or with Instructor's approval.

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: 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 $30 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.

Racing is cordial and exciting. You can pick up the rules as you learn by doing. It is okay to join in as your schedule permits. Teams are made up on the dock depending on who shows up. You can give it a try as soon as you've finished Level 1. Participate in a four week series, or aim for the whole season. Participation is encouraged. More boats on the water keeps it interesting for everyone. It is not a requirement that you know how to sail with spinnakers before joining in with the racing, but you may want to plan to take the Spinnakers! class too, to learn how to get better downwind speed from your boat!

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

Tuition/fee per day.
Related course: "Spinnakers!"

Volunteer teams to maintain the Fleet, including to launch Rhodes 19s, and to haul them out at the end of the season. Open to all.
Goal: Saturday and week-day Fleet Volunteers and Launch/Haul Volunteers: working as a teams to maintain, repair, launch and/or haul out Rhodes 19 hulls and care for rigs and sails. 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, and varies by the season.

Goal:. to use standard navigation on board a small powerboat or sailboat to know your ship's position

Skills: In an abbreviated overview of key concepts of nautical navigation: meet time/distance, including finding where you are, and computing where you are going, correctly reading maps and data, and gain a general knowledge of the art and science of navigation. Also introduction to basic skills of using digital charts and standard GPS.with practice local to the area of northern Narragansett Bay near Edgewood.

PREREQUISITE:  at this level, no previous experience or trigonometry required.
Materials fee may apply.

This class complements topics in "Night Sailing".

Learn how to install and troubleshoot 12-volt electrical systems on boats. Topics include: electrical safety, an introduction to circuits, making reliable connections, protecting against shorts, using a multimeter to reveal what's happening, troubleshooting systems in-place, understanding voltage drops, correct sizing of marine wiring, creating a "amp budget" for your boat, lightning protection, and bonding systems.

This hands-on class takes place on shore in four 2-hour sessions. Capacity is limited so that everyone has a chance to work with the equipment.

Evaluation to the US SAILING Basic Keelboat Sailor Certification System Standard. Registration and application and approval directly through US SAILING .

Two-hour Private lessons, coaching one to four people, are available on Sailing School's Rhodes 19, Optimist, c420, Laser or SunFish. Students may be adults or youths. Each student registers individually and receives an individual coaching plan.

Coaching and instruction are offered 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. Please wait for the School staff who will telephone or email to you to follow up and set a schedule.

Private coaching is subject to Instructor Approval.  Edgewood staff will contact you to discuss the coaching plan, create a schedule, talk about what you should do to prepare and create an individualized meeting plan according to your availability. The number of coaching hours and practice time will determine costs, which generally run in the range of $100 - $125 per student per day.  When your 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. Payment is due at or before the first meeting.

Organized at various skill levels, on custom schedule, subject to availability.