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Youth Sailing

Canandaigua Community Sailing Camp 2025

REGISTRATION FOR 2025 IS NOW OPEN

CCS offers small-boat sailing instruction for youths ages 7 – 18. Help your kids discover the joy of sailing – it can last a lifetime!

Youth Sailing Registration

Interested in racing?
Join the CCS Race Club

CCS Race Club

We're excited to announce that Emily Richardson will return as our Head Youth Instructor and Director of Sailing Instruction. Additionally, she will be overseeing the CCS Race Club. She's been involved with our program for many years, first as a student, then a CIT, and then as an assistant instructor. She's enthusiastic and excited to put on an excellent program for 2025. She'll be assisted by Christine Brown, Grace McKeown, Nate Heinzelman, and Liam Henry. Steve Heinzelman, the former Director of Sailing Instruction, will continue to oversee the program as President of the CCS board.

Session 1: June 23 – June 27 22 spots available
Advanced/race week 1: June 30 – July 3 10 spots available
Session 2: July 7 – July 11 11 spots available
Session 3: July 14 – July 18* 16 spots available
Session 4: July 21 – July 25 19 spots available
Session 5: July 28 – August 1 24 spots available
Session 6: August 4 – August 8 10 spots available
Session 7: August 11 – August 15* 20 spots available
Session 8: August 18 – August 22 15 spots available
Advanced/race week 2: August 25 – August 29 15 spots available

Click here for more information on CCS Race Club. 4 spots available

Beginner through advanced instruction will be offered in all sessions.

*The starred sessions are suggested for advanced sailors who are looking for other advanced sailors to sail with. These dates are simply suggestions. Sessions 1-8 will all have the same beginner through advanced instruction.

Instruction Types

All our instructors have significant sailing experience; some are certified by US Sailing. They love working with kids and are certified in first aid, CPR, and AED.

Regular Session Instruction

Instruction in the regular sessions covers beginners who have never sailed before through more advanced sailors who have had several years of instruction. The instruction focuses on confidently learning to sail, including boat rigging, sail trim, tacking, jibing, and docking. As sailors progress, they continue to develop their knowledge of seamanship and work to improve their boat handling skills and sail trim. They will sail in stronger winds when possible and may work on solo sailing, racing, or learning more advanced boats such as the 420. The instructors determine ability-level groups, and groups may shift during a session based on group dynamics and individual performance. The registration form will ask you to estimate your child's ability level as a guide to help instructors with proper placement.

Advanced/Race Week

These sessions will be smaller and limited to sailors ten years of age and older who have prior sailing experience and are interested in more advanced instruction, including race instruction. Instructor approval is required to take the class. If you are unsure whether your child is qualified, you may go ahead and register, but please check with the Director of Sailing Instruction (contact information below) before submitting payment. Advanced/Race Week 1 will not have a regular class on Friday, July 4. Instead, sailors will participate in the youth Firecracker Race from 9:00 - 11:30. Coaching will be provided. This session will be discounted (see prices below).

Performance Sailing

Sailors who are more advanced and desire to work on their racing skills will be assigned to the Performance Saiing group. This group is part of the regular session but has a dedicated instructor and will work primarily in the 420s on more advanced sailing skills and racing. Assignments to this group will be done by the instructors based on evaluating the student's experience, past familiarity with the student, and student interests. Movement between groups may be done during the session depending on group dynamics and individual performance. The registration form will ask you to indicate if your child is interested in the Performance Sailing group.

Boats

Sunfish

The Sunfish is a self-rescuing dinghy and one of the most popular boats ever built. Students will sail two-to-a-boat in CCS-owned Sunfish. CCS has cut-down sails that make the boat easier for the small sailors to handle.

420

The 420 is a 2-person self-rescuing dinghy with a main, jib, and spinnaker. 420s will be used in the advanced class depending on the student’s abilities and interests.

Flying Scot

The Flying Scot is a 19-foot centerboard boat that is very stable and has a large cockpit. This boat may enable the instructor to sail with several students at once, providing face-to-face instruction and allowing sailors to experience a bigger boat.

Vanguard 15

The Vanguard 15 is a 15-foot centerboard boat with a main and jib. It is a fast, responsive, and comfortable boat. This boat is used for older, more experienced sailors who have the size and skills to control the boat's power.

Additional Information

Time:

All sessions run Monday – Friday from 9 – 4. 7- and 8-year-olds may register for a half-day session, which runs from 9 – 12:30 (they're also welcome to register for the full-day session - most who register for the half-day switch to full-day because they're having so much fun). Please arrive at 8:45 am for a parent and child orientation session on the first Monday.

Early drop-off:

Students may register for early drop-off, which runs from 8:00 – 9:00. They will be supervised before class starts.

Late pick-up:

Students may register for late pick-up, which runs from 4:00 – 5:00. They will be supervised during this time.

Lunch:

Full-day students should bring their own lunch (half-day students will be dismissed at lunchtime). There will be an ice cream party after lunch on Friday to celebrate the last day of camp.

Friday parades:

Parents are encouraged to come at 2:45 on Fridays to watch the kids show off their new skills.

T-shirts:

Participants will receive a T-shirt.

Swim check:

All lesson participants must participate and pass the swim check. However, the test is not difficult - we look for basic comfort and locomotion skills in the water. The student will be asked to swim two lengths (one length is approximately 45 feet) without a lifejacket. This is then done with a lifejacket, putting on the lifejacket while in the water. If you are unsure whether your child can pass this test, please get in touch with the Director of Sailing Instruction to schedule a swim test before the start of the session.

Sign-in/sign-out:

Parents (or the responsible adult) will be asked to sign the student in and out at the beginning and the end of each day. This will help ensure the safety of all the students.

Sailing partners:

We try to pair friends to sail in the same boat if they wish. However, pairings will change throughout the week based on class dynamics, weather, and student ability. So even though friends are likely to sail together most of the time, these pairings are not guaranteed every time out on the water.

Required equipment:

Type III PFD (the club has some loaner lifejackets available, but students should bring their own)
Closed-toed water shoes
Swimsuit and towel
Water bottle
Sunscreen (SPF 30+ and waterproof recommended)
Sunglasses and hat (optional but recommended)
Helmet (Required for beginners and intermediates, optional for others. Bike helmets are acceptable.)
Lunch (except Fridays)

Ability levels:

Beginner - This child has no sailing experience or knowledge.
Advanced beginner - This child can get a Sunfish sailboat in and out of the dock and comfortably sail in winds up to 8 knots.
Intermediate - This child can comfortably sail solo in up to 12 knots and display reasonable sail trim and controlled tacks and jibes. Intermediate sailors may register as either beginner/intermediate or advanced sailors, but their ultimate placement will be at the instructors' discretion.
Advanced - This child can comfortably sail solo in up to 15 knots of wind, display reasonable sail trim and controlled tacks and jibes, and is self-sufficient on and around the water.
Performance sailor - This child is an advanced sailor interested in exploring racing, advanced sail trim, and boat handling.

Fees:

$335/week for a full-day session (Additional sessions for the same sailor are $295/session.)
$268 for Advanced/Race Week 1
$225/week for a half-day session (7- and 8-year-olds)

Early drop-off: $40/session
Late pick-up: $40/session

Payment may be made by check or PayPal. Payment instructions will be emailed with the registration confirmation. For those requesting a refund who paid via PayPal, the 2% PayPal fee may be subtracted from the refund.

A 50% deposit is required at registration. Balances are due on May 1. If registering after May 1, full payment is due at the time of registration. Payments are refundable as long as the spot can be resold. In the case of a sold-out session, spots will only be held for those who have paid in full (an invoice will be sent before the spot is resold).

Need-based scholarships are available, click the button below to apply.

CCS Scholarship Application

Interclub Regattas

Sailors will have the opportunity to travel to local interclub regattas. Optimist regattas are held at area clubs on Wednesdays throughout the summer, and 420 regattas are held on Tuesdays. These regattas are low-stress, relatively informal affairs and are a great way to improve sailing skills and learn about racing. No prior racing experience is necessary. Parental help with transportation may be needed, and participation may be limited based on available boats. If your child is interested in participating, please indicate this in the notes section when you register or contact the Director of Sailing Instruction for more information.

Questions

Emily Richardson, Director of Sailing Instruction, 315-521-3236, emilyrichardson.ccs@gmail.com

Canandaigua Community Sailing
PO Box 352
Canandaigua, NY 14424

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