Youth Classes - 2026
Starter Sailor — full day
ages 7 to 13
Starter Sailor is for children who have never sailed before. The morning will be spent learning first-hand the fun of sailing on our Rhodes 19 keelboats. Helping children develop skills about boats, being comfortable on boats while learning with an instructor. In the afternoons, children will have lunch (brought by the child) and then have a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) lesson. Our STEM lessons will consist of learning about physics in sailing, ocean pollution and how to stop/help it, simple machines, and many other important concepts.
Ages: 7-13, Tuition: $430.00
EYC youth student membership fee: $24 per week
Opti Basic/Refresher
fundamentals sailing the Optimist pram
Opti Basic is an exciting, hands-on introduction to sailing held in moderate morning breezes. In this two-week course, young sailors will develop specific sailing skills that will ready them for stronger breezes and competitive sailing.
Ages 8 to 13.
Ages: 8-13
Registration fee: $25, EYC youth student membership fee: $24 per week
Opti Intermediate
more skills sailing and racing the Opti
Opti Intermediate builds on the basics, introduces more independent sailing at the intermediate level, including the fundamentals of better boat handling and racing. An additional fee (payable to NBYA) is required, if attending the NBYA Opti Regatta #3 on July 31.
Ages: 10-14, Tuition: $430.00
Registration fee: $25, EYC youth student membership fee: $24 per week
420 Sailing
ages 13 to 17
In our 420 class (13 years and older), we will take the children who have graduated from Opti or are of appropriate age and introduce them to 420s. Our instructors will get a feel for your child's skill level and put them in the correct group depending on experience, skill, and ability.
- In our beginner class, some skills introduced will include rigging and using sail controls, skipper and crew responsibilities, starting and stopping, docking, and capsize recovery.
- In our intermediate/advanced class, some skills introduced will be skipper and crew communication, roll tacking, starts, racing, trapeze, and spinnakers.
Ages: 13-17, Tuition: $430.00
EYC youth student membership fee: $24 per week
Junior Instructor Training
on-the-job training in Youth Sailing Instructor skills
Passionate about sailing and eager to inspire the next generation? As a Junior Sailing Instructor, you’ll assist lead instructors in delivering safe, fun, and educational on-the-water experiences for young sailors. Perfect for enthusiastic team players with strong communication skills and a solid foundation in sailing. Gain hands-on leadership experience while spending your summer outdoors doing what you love! This is a training program for Junior Instructors open by application. Junior Instructors will be is assigned to assist with the morning Starter Sailor.
In exchange, the JI will sail for free in that week's afternoon 420 afternoon class. The JI must help out for the entire week. This is 9am-4pm full-week commitment.
No classes on July 4. Instructor approval required.
Tuition: free