Youth & Adult Sailing Classes

Youth Summer Sailing Classes

For Students Ages 8 to 18

PARENT ORIENTATION, KNOTS and SWIM TEST on or before the first date of each session.
On The Water Training each day from 9:00am - 4:00pm

(contact our Education Director for applications and information)

Level I (Beginning) Date: TBD 2025

Level I (Beginning) Date: TBD 2025

Level II (Advanced) Date: TBD 2025
Level II is limited to ages 13 - 18
Level II is designed for Level I graduates looking for a faster and more racing-oriented
sailing experience on sloop rigged performance dinghys

Adult Sailing Class Date: TBD 2025

Youth Sailing Details

Cost for 2025 TBA

Total Price covers the following:

  • GCYC Annual Family Membership - including free boat use

  • US Sailing "Learn Sailing Right" Book

  • Training Handouts

  • 30 Hours of Instruction and UNLIMITED FUN!!!

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This class is taught by certified US Sailing Small Boat Instructors with American Red Cross First Aid and CPR Certificates. Sailing instructors are US Sailing Certified and Safe Sport trained.

Class size is limited and set by instructor. Students will learn the skills necessary to care for and sail the club's Sunfish sailboats single-handed.

Adults can join the fun too! GCYC is offering a one- weekend clinic for adults interested in learning to sail. Contact the Education Director for course dates and availability.

The GCYC Fleet

Sunfish

The club maintains a fleet of Sunfish sailboats. The Sunfish is a small sailing dinghy utilizing a pontoon-type board-shaped hull with a lateen sail mounted on an un-stayed mast. Developed by Alcort, Inc. around 1952 as a wood hull design improvement of their Sailfish, it was changed to fiberglass a few years later. Having a lateen sail with its simple two line rigging makes the Sunfish simple to set-up and learn the basics of sailing.

In 1995 the Sunfish was recognized by The American Sailboat Hall of Fame for being “the most popular fiberglass boat ever designed, with a quarter million sold worldwide”. Today, the Sunfish remains the most popular sailboat of its type and has served as the classroom for several generations of sailors, including some club members.

Flying Junior (FJ)

In 2013, the club bought and restored several Flying Juniors (FJ) at the request of youth sailing graduates looking for the next step in their sailing development. The FJs will be used as the platform for the Level II class now being offered.

The FJ was originally designed in 1955 in the Netherlands to serve as a training boat for the then Olympic class Flying Dutchman. With a beam of 4'11" and an overall sail area of 100 square feet, the FJ is an ideal class for young sailors. Today the FJ is sailed worldwide with a International FJ-Class World Championship held annually. It is still popular in High School and Collegiate programs across the United States.