Port Sailing Kids in Dinghy 20180710_085

Port Sailing Two Dinghis 20374735_147674

Summer Junior Sailing Program at HYC

The HYC 2025 Summer Junior Sailing Program will again offer full-day Adventure Sailing (ages 8-16) and morning half-day Little Skippers (ages 8-10) programs. The schedule is:

Session 1: Weekdays, Monday, June 30 through Friday, July 11
Session 2: Weekdays, Monday, July 14 through Friday, July 25.

To sign up, or request more information, see Port Sailing's HYC pages for Adventure Sailing (or go here to book direct) and Little Skippers (or go here to book direct).

The Junior Sailing program at HYC is operated by Port Sailing School. This is the same popular program that has been offered in New Rochelle and Long Island for more than 15 years. Harlem Yacht Club membership is not required…but a commitment by parents and children to participate in the sport and learn to sail is. All on-water learning will be in the protected waters of Eastchester Bay.

Full-day programs run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Half days are 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Early drop-offs are available beginning at 8:30 a.m. Programs run rain or shine, and students and parents should be ready to commit to the full 10 days.

Full-Day Adventure Sailing Programs, ages 8-16. Times 9 a.m.-4 p.m., M-F

Beginners and experienced sailors, aged 8 to 16, are grouped by age and experience. Smaller sailors learn to sail Optimist dinghies and advance to higher-performance Open Bic boats. Older children sail Open Bic, Zuma, and Pixel boats. All dinghies sail in the protected area of Eastchester Bay. Instructors coach students from a motorboat and float. Students should bring their lunches and a swimsuit, wear neck gaiters, and a vest-type life jacket. A swim test wearing a life jacket is required.

By the second week, our junior sailors will be racing their boats and performing other boat-handling skills. Other activities include understanding racing rules, plotting courses, reading charts, and anchoring.

Half-Day Little Skippers Programs, ages 8-10. Times: 9 a.m.-12 p.m., M-F

This is an Optimist dinghy sailing program for the little guys, both beginners and returning sailors. Beginners will learn to rig, sail, capsize, and recover their 8-foot Optimist sailing dinghies. Returning sailors can sail higher-performance Open Bic boats. Bring life jackets (vest type), neck gaiters, and swimsuits.

Instructors

Port Sailing’s Junior Sailing Instructors have an average of five years’ experience teaching sailing and are certified by U.S. Sailing or the American Sailing Association. Each instructor strictly adheres to our curriculum to ensure a consistent and safe learning experience.