Junior Sailing / Camp

Our Opti program at STYC allows for multi levels of training and competition. We try and cater our programs to the desired level for each child and provide the most opportunity we can. After the opti training is completed at STYC some of you may ask - "What's next for my young sailor?".

Now that your son or daughter have either out grown or aged out of the Optimist they will begin a new chapter of sailing in high school and college. There are currently over 700 high school programs and 200 colleges that compete in sailing. After the Optimist, which requires a great deal of parent involvement, kids begin to choose their own sailing path. Some will remain competitive, while others will get involved in different activities. Those that bow out should be encouraged to sail for fun and stay involved with the water as they have become competent in a life time skill and they may return to the sport one day.

Young adults that choose sailing as a sport will go to the Laser or Laser Radial if they enjoy single handing or a two person boat (typically 420) where one skippers and one crews but it is definitely a team. The laser requires great strength and athleticism where the two person boats tend to stress more strategy and teamwork. Both types of  boats are supported in high school and college sailing. Sailing will also become more diverse as up to this point your young sailors have mostly fleet raced but now they will get involved in team racing and match racing adding quite a bit of variety to the sport.

Schedule

Congratulations, you are about to sign up for one of the best junior sailing programs in the US. We are not the biggest, best equipped or most lavish but we get the job done as well as any program in the country. In the past few years we have produced more Collegiate All American sailors and won more college and high school championships than any other yacht club in the US. We are the first club college coaches look to for the next up and coming stars.

Being part of our program does not guarantee success but it certainly creates an atmosphere that gives your young sailors a wonderful sailing base, the opportunity to receive advanced instruction and the help with travel and planning to off island events. Start counting now because it requires 10,000 hours on the water to achieve a true championship level. We provide what each sailor needs to be confident, successful and secure on the water. If the route they choose to follow is a more advanced one, we also provide excellent role models at both the performance level of sailing as well as top notch coaching.

Schedule

The spring 2012 sailing session will run from April - June. Junior sailors in St Thomas can look forward to even more training and international racing opportunities with the addition of a new coaching talent at the local sailing club . Starting next month, the St Thomas Yacht Club is excited to welcome Agustin
(Argy) Resano to the team of accomplished sailing instructors.

Schedule

2012 Winter Sailing

The winter 2012 sailing session will run from January - March. Please see the calendar for exact dates. We are delighted to include opportunities for adult sailing in  the upcoming session. Many thanks to Paul Stoeken and Island Sol for their involvement!

Schedule