JUNIOR SAILING PROGRAM AT KEYPORT YACHT CLUB OFFERS SKILLS AND FUN THIS SUMMER

Wondering what the kids will do after school’s out in June? The Keyport Sailing Center at the Keyport Yacht Club has the answer!

For more than 20 years, the Junior Sailing program at Keyport Yacht Club has been providing fun and safe sailing lessons to kids ages 8 through 17 years old, and this year is no exception.

Our premier junior sailing program teaches more than real sailing skills, it teaches teamwork and sportsmanship, self-reliance and confidence. “These are skills and experiences that will benefit our program participants for a lifetime,” says Wayne Woerner, Junior Sailing chairperson. “The fact that many of our junior sailors return year after year demonstrates just how fun and rewarding the experience can be.”

The program includes basic and advanced instruction from certified sailing instructors about boat handling and safety, sail trim and navigation, boat maintenance and rigging, and racing tactics. Junior sailors interested in developing racing skills and discovering their competitive side can participate in a series of junior sailing regattas usually held on Fridays at participating yacht clubs on the Raritan Bay.

The Junior Sailing program is open to the public and boats are provided. Weekday and Saturday programs run for seven weeks. The Saturday program will start on June 27 and costs $375. The weekday program is held Monday through Thursday and begins on June 29. The cost for the weekday program is $800. There are discounts available for early bird registration and boat ownership. Classes are filled on a first come basis.

Parents and young sailors interested in learning more about the program are encouraged to attend our Feb. 7 Open House where they can ask questions and talk with other parents and program volunteers. Registration forms and program material will be available from 2 - 4 p.m. at the Keyport Yacht Club, 115 First Street, Keyport, New Jersey.

For more information about the Junior Sailing Program contact Wayne Woerner at JuniorSailing@keyportyachtclub.com, visit the Junior Sailing page at www.KeyportYachtClub.com, or call 732-739-0727.

About the Keyport Yacht Club and Keyport Sailing Center

Founded in 1908, the Keyport Yacht Club is located in historic Keyport, New Jersey on the southwest shore of the Raritan Bay. For over a hundred years, the club has been providing a superior boating experience for local and regional water sport enthusiasts. Keyport Yacht Club is dedicated to providing sailing education for both junior and adult sailors through the newly created Keyport Sailing Center, a nonprofit 501c3 organization. The mission of the Keyport Sailing Center is to provide instruction in and foster the joy of recreational sailing, seamanship, water safety, navigation, maritime history, traditional and other marine experience for persons of all ages regardless of economic or social circumstances in Keyport and adjacent waters.

About the Keyport Yacht Club Junior Sailing Program

The Keyport Yacht Club has been running a Junior Sailing Program for children ages 8-17 every summer since 1991. The goal of the program is to teach young students to handle small boats safely and have fun on the water. The Junior Sailing program follows the US Sailing Standardized course of instruction and instructors have been certified under the US Sailing Level 1 or Level 2 instructor programs.

Club members and junior sailing parents donate time and skills throughout the year to ensure a safe and successful program for the junior sailors. Many of the junior sailors from the program go on to become sailing instructors, participate in high school and college sailing programs, or continue to build their racing skills by crewing on the club’s own race teams.

Beginning this year, the Junior Sailing program will be run by the Keyport Sailing Center, a nonprofit 501c3 organization that was created to foster the instruction and enjoyment of recreational sailing for persons of all ages and circumstances in the surrounding community.

For more information about the Junior Sailing Program and the Keyport Sailing Center, contact Wayne Woerner at JuniorSailing@keyportyachtclub.com or call 732-739-0727.