SAILING SKILLS, PROGRESSION AND CHECKOUTS

MONOHULLS:

Boat

How do I gain access?

Vanguard (two person monohull) pleasure sailor, ideal stable learning platform for two. Jib, Main, Racing fleet.

Complete checkout to demonstrate existing skills or complete sailing refresher lessons to polish existing skills or complete sailing beginner lessons to create skills from the ground up!

Laser (single person monohull) active racing fleet, all boats are race rigged. Main.


Complete checkout to demonstrate existing skills or complete sailing refresher lessons to polish existing skills or complete sailing beginner lessons to create skills from the ground up!

Tasar (two person monohull) active racing fleet.  High performance jib, main, whisker pole, rotating mast, and more!


Complete checkout to demonstrate existing skills or complete sailing refresher lessons to polish existing skills or sail the Vanguards until comfortable then access the tasers or complete advanced sailing lessons.

RS500 (two person monohull) intermittent racing fleet.  Jib, main, asymmetrical spinnaker.  Single trapeze for crew. Crew must be comfortable to trapeze.

Complete checkout to demonstrate existing skills or sail tasers until comfortable and ease in on a light wind day or sail with experienced members to gain skills.

CATAMARANS:

Boat

How do I gain access?

Nacra 500 (level 1 cat) jib and main, two person. May take more if small children or very light, recommend 570 if more than 2. Dual trapeze.

Complete checkout to demonstrate existing skills or complete cat lesson level 1.  Single-handing access: complete checkout with righting bag. If you are an experienced monohull dingy sailor, you can complete a checkout and sail this boat to gain cat experience without the need for specific cat lessons, though lessons are recommended.

Nacra 500 spi (level 1 cat) jib, main and spinnaker, two person. May take more if small children or very light, recommend 570 if more than 2. Dual trapeze.

Complete checkout to demonstrate existing skills or complete cat lesson level 1 (and accumulate 20 hours sailing on level 1 cats without spinnaker rigged.) Single-handing access: complete checkout with righting bag. If you are an experienced monohull dingy sailor, you can complete a checkout and sail this boat to gain cat experience without the need for specific cat lessons, though lessons are recommended. Level 1 cat sailors after 20 hours are able to sail this boat with spi without the requirement of spi lessons but must watch the 500 spi videos and have suitable general experience first.

Nacra 570 (level 1+ cat) jib and main, two person

(may take up to 4 for pleasure sailing depending on weight) The 570 has a longer hull length and larger sail plan than the 500 but is otherwise identical.  Dual trapeze.

Complete checkout to demonstrate existing skills or complete cat lesson level 1. Single-handing: obtain catamaran level 3 access.

Nacra 580 (level 2 cat) jib, main and spinnaker, center boards.  Two person (may take up to 4 for pleasure sailing depending on weight) Dual trapeze.

Complete on the water spinnaker evaluation to demonstrate existing skills or complete cat lesson level 2 (spi cat lesson).

Nacra F18 / Nacra F18 Infusion (level 3 cats). Two person only. Racing with the Nacra F18  requires both members be experienced F18 sailors. Dual trapeze.

Sail the 580 with spi until comfortable in 15+knots, you should never feel out of control or in danger of capsize on the 580.  If you are capsizing you are not ready. You should also be comfortable single handing the 500 in strong winds then complete on the water spinnaker evaluation to gain access or complete on the water spinnaker evaluation to demonstrate existing skills (for members that already have experience in the F18 class, active racers etc).

Q: What is a checkout?

A: This is where you take a vessel you are familiar with and safely rig, launch, do a few tacks, a few gybes, a capsize, right the boat, land, derig.  After this, you can sail the boat as you wish. Checkouts do NOT teach skills.  They evaluate existing skills.  Sailing lesson director, fleet captains or other members will observe your skills and give you the green light.  Note, this is not a test that you sail well, that will come with time, we care that you sail safely first for your own personal safety and that of your crew, and second for the safety and maintenance of our boats.

Q: I just did a lesson; do I still need to checkout? 

A: No, the lesson includes your checkout, so on completion of your lesson, you are ready to take out the boats covered in that lesson!  Beginner / refresher lessons give you Vangaurd and Laser access.  Advanced lessons, taser access (and you should be ready to start playing with the RS500 in lighter air to get comfortable with the balance and with trapezing). Cat lessons get you access to the Nacra 500 and 570.  Cat spinnaker lessons (part 2 of the cat course) get you access to the 580.

Q: What is the distinction between skipper and crew?

A: As skipper you must be checked out on the boat in question.  Skipper is fully responsible for the boat and his or her crew.  Skipper must use judgment to select suitable crew and be confident in their ability to safely return to shore independent of their crews abilities in a capsize situation.  Nacra F18 sailors, please use good judgment on crew selection (minimum cat level 2 checked out) and if in doubt with respect to experience, take the 580.  

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