EESP Youth Programs - WWU Lakewood Jr Sailing Camp Home

WWU Lakewood Jr. Sailing Camp

Ages 11-18
Dates: June 25-August 24, 2012

WWU Lakewood Jr. Sailing program is the oldest (since 1981) and most comprehensive sailing program in Whatcom County. Young sailors and windsurfers master skills in a natural environment that few activities can match. The emphasis is on fun with the goal of becoming "self-reliant and efficient."

2012 Schedule [click here to view]

Camp will be at Lakewood Water Sport Facility, which is one of the premier facilities in the Northwest and located on the south shore of Lake Whatcom.

All students must know how to swim. Campers must be 11 years or older or over 100 pounds in weight.

A small boat, Alpha training sloop (14 feet), is the ultimate platform for developing basic sailing instincts. All boats and equipment are regularly checked and maintained by professional staff.

Sailors can progress through four levels: Beginning Sailing, Intermediate Sailing, Beginning Racing, and Beginning Windsurfing

BEGINNING SAILING
(No previous sailing experience necessary)
Principle skills taught:

Tacking and gybing; getting to where you want to go
Capsizing and "person overboard" recovery; fixing mistakes
Docking; getting back

Concepts learned:

How sails work
Safety and weather
Knot tying
Boat care

INTERMEDIATE SAILING
(Beginning Sailing or previous experience required)

Refine basic skills and add:

Boat handling, with focus on efficient sail trim and adjusting sail shapes
Single handling of the Alpha
Applying skills to other boats (Lasers, Hobie class catamarans, Keel boats with spinnakers)
Longer trips, with an introduction to basic compass navigation

BEGINNING RACING
(Basic or intermediate skippering experience required)
Racing takes all the dimensions of sailing and gives a heightened intensity. Race the Alphas and Lasers with the goal of learning:

Performance boat handling; how to sail faster
Strategy; what's the fastest way around the course
Tactics and Rules; got to have them
Fun competition; what makes it so fun

BEGINNING WINDSURFING
Practice the basics on a dry land simulator and then on the water with a stable board and sail combination. Gain control by learning: