School is out and it is about time for summer to truly start on Bowen Island. To help celebrate summer the Bowen Island Yacht Club has prepared many sailing programs for both children and adults. These programs are not only fun, they encourage young sailors to challenge themselves, learn new skills, and make new friends.
Last summer the sailing school had a fantastic season not only was it beautiful and sunny, but there was wind almost every day. Students sailed around every island close to Tunstall Bay and enjoyed many delightful picnics on these islands. I am certain that this summer we will continue this tradition. The instructors are very enthusiastic about the coming sailing season and the opportunity to get back out on the water.
The Yacht Club is excited to be offering both beginner and advanced courses this summer. We have two introductory courses: Learn to Sail Optimist and Whitesails I. The Learn to Sail Optimist is intended for younger sailors and is offered for children six and older between August 15 and 19. Whitesails I is intended for children 10 and older and is offered July 18-22, July 25-29, and August 1-5.
For sailors who have completed either of these levels we are offering Whitesails II as our intermediate level. This class includes some repetition but also introduces new and valuable skills. This class is offered for children 10 and older on three separate weeks: July 25-29, August 1-5, and August 8-12.
Finally we are offering a more advanced level for students who have completed all the previous levels; this is our Whitesails III class. In this class students learn advanced skills and become truly comfortable on the water and in their boats. This class is offered for children 10+ in two-week sessions between July 4-15, and August 15-26. We are also very excited to be offering adult sailing classes on July 9, 16, and 23. These classes are offered for both beginner and advanced sailors.
All classes run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday to Friday (including holidays). Registration for all Whitesails and adult programs is conducted through the Bowen Island Community Recreation Office. Registration for the Learn to Sail Optimist is conducted on-line at www.biyc.bc.ca. Please send any questions to BIYCsailtraining@gmail.com.
Claire Rawlinson
BIYC Head Sailing Instructor
