Northport Youth Sailing School (NYSS)

NYSS Completes Third Season

The Northport Youth Sailing School has completed its third season of sailing instruction for youths ages 8-16. We had four weeks of classes, 3 instructors and 126 students. New this year was our junior counselor program. Each session, one or two 14 to 16-year-olds worked with the senior instructors. Like the senior instructors, they completed a US Sailing certification class.

Each week we concluded with a Friday evening picnic and regatta where our sailors showed off what they learned.

Registration for the 2012 season will probably begin around April 15 but watch this space for announcements. We'll be expanding to five weeks (July 9-13, July 16-20, July 23-27, July 30-Aug. 3 & Aug. 6-10) with both morning and afternoon classes. All three of our instructors - Dustin, Becca and Delvon - will be returning. We're also expanding our junior counselor program. There will be two junior counselors working during each class.

                 Optimist Sailboats

The photo above shows eight of our twelve Optis. We also have five Laser Picos.

The Opti is a 7'3" pram that, quite simply, is the boat that most of the young people of the world learn to sail. Over 50% of the Olympic sailors, learned to sail using an Opti. They are easy to rig, and very stable in the water. The Opti is sailed all over the world, and is the only dinghy approved by International Sailing Federation exclusively for sailors under 16. For more information, go to the International Optimist Dinghy Association or the US Optimist Dinghy Association.

The Pico is an 11'6" sailboat with a 4'8" beam. It comes with a reefing main and a removable jib. It can hold 2 or 3 sailors.

For photos from 2010, (and some from 2009), click on the 'Photos' link above.