Registration paperwork

On the first day of the session, please print out the the following forms from the website, fill them in, and bring them with you.

• Youth Sailing Health Form.  Vaccination records must be on file before a child can participate in the program.  This is a requirement from the County Health Department.

• Youth Sailing Liability Waiver.

Schedule

The program starts at 8:30 am and runs to 4:30 pm, Monday to Friday.  Please try to arrive by 8:30 am, so that the instructors can get started on rigging the boats to make full use of the morning breeze.

Sign in/out procedures

Parents of children under the age of 13 will need to sign the sailors in and out (at 4:30pm) each day at the desk in the Youth Sailing Building. Children ages 13 and older are permitted to sign themselves in and out each day.  Please be punctual, but feel free to chat with the instructors.

What to bring

Lunch

Children must provide their own lunch and any other snacks, as well as a beverage. Water will be supplied in the clubhouse, but please provide a labeled refillable
water bottle.

Sunscreen protection

Please remind your sailors to reapply sunscreen after lunch, before the afternoon sailing.

Clothing

We like sailors to be properly outfitted so that they keep warm when it is windy and they are wet.  We want everybody to be happy, cozy and warm.

• Lifejacket.  Can be left during the week in a cubby.

• Towel.  Please take home daily.

• Change of clothes.

• Shoes.  To be worn in the boats.  Sailors will need closed-toe sandals, sailing boots, or sailing sneakers that will not slip off as they launch and land boats. Rocks and slippery surfaces are common on the lakefront and the boats have hardware which can hurt bare feet.

• Rash guard tops.  They can be bought quite inexpensively and are the perfect undergarments in chilly conditions, as well as protection from the sun.

• Sailing smock (waterproof wind breaker).  An outer garment to take on the boats, especially on chilly or windy days.

• Shorts.

Bad weather

The instructors monitor the weather throughout the day using radar, and are constantly looking out for bad weather.

If the wind is not too strong, classes will go sailing on rainy days. In the case of fog, strong winds, or heavy rain and thunderstorms, the final decision on whether or not the students sail will be made by the Head Instructor.

Wind speed (or gusts), wave height, and air temperature are critical factors in determining if sailing will take place. If it is decided that it is unsafe to go out on the water, classes will be held on land.  Every effort will be made to avoid having boats on the water during thunderstorms. and we will not go sailing if it appears that there is a storm approaching. Occasionally, storms pop up while we are sailing. In these cases, all classes will immediately clear the water.  Sometimes, putting boats on a tow line and dropping sails will allow the most control in the increased winds that occur with sudden storms.

A “ clear the water ” signal is established and understood by all instructors and sailors.  The procedure is reviewed each Monday morning at the beginning of the session.

The guidelines for responding to “clear the water” are as follows:

1. The head Instructor will issue a “clear the water” notification via VHF.  This notifies all coach boats and on-shore staff that boats are coming in quickly.
2. Sailors will be told to drop their sails by their coaches.
3. Coach boats will attach sail boats to a tow line to get them into safety, starting with the most inexperienced sailors.
4. If the waterfront is clear, the lifeguards will assist boats into shore.

Cell Phone Policy

Cell phone use (social media, email, texting, games) is strictly forbidden during the hours of 8:30am and 4:30pm.

• The Head Instructor will use his/her phone for communicating with parents, the Director of Youth Sailing, to monitor the weather at any time during the day, and for any emergency.

• Parents may text or call the Head Instructor during the day for emergency purposes only.

• VHF radios are used to communicate between coach boats and to the lifeguard station.

• Participants found to be playing on their phones will be asked to hand them in them for the remainder of the day.

Questions

General questions:
   YouthSailing@IthacaYC.org

Questions about registration:
  BusinessOffice@IthacaYC.org.

Information

• Overview
• Registration
• Additional information
• Information for parents
  
• Printable version

Forms

• Health form
• Liability waiver