Adult Classes for 2024

Introduction to Sailing - Low-impact, preparatory coaching session, for any sailor who is about to enter ESS Level 1 class. The class sets up a conversation which continues through the entire course of both Level 1 and Level 2 sailing. It's a great way to meet the boats and to get your Edgewood bearings and to become completely tuned in before you start your "Beginning Sailing" (Level 1) a few days later.

"Intro" class meets for one (2-hr) session, scheduled several days ahead of the first meeting of the Level 1 class it's introducing. Class is conducted both on land and in the sailboats. Sailing Notes are provided. No experience needed to take the "Sailing Basics" class.

This two-hour introductory welcoming session "Sailing Basics" is recommended for all Level 1 classes, especially for first-timer sailors. To discuss this introductory session in terms of your own sailing experience, please use [contact us].

Goal: Introduction to sailing. Skills: the basics, including boat handling on all points of sail, knot-tying, attaching sails, steering a course, stopping safely, retrieving a person overboard, tying up to a mooring, safety rules and moving around in the boat. By the end of the course, the student should feel confident and comfortable sailing a small boat in a sheltered area.

This course, which will emphasize personal instruction, is appropriate for adult sailors who are working at either one-sail, or two-sail boat-handling skills. Students move at their own pace through the skills. Instructors work with groups of similar-skill students to maximize individual progress. Additional individual coaching is also available.

PREPARATION: The two-hour introductory welcoming session "Sailing Basics" is recommended for all Level 1 classes, especially for first-timer sailors. To discuss that introductory session in terms of your own sailing experience, please use [contact us].

Goal: Introduce sailing to women as a life-long sport. Women lead the class. Women students are encouraged to explore and expand their sailing skills. The course covers the same material as other Level 1 classes, but with an emphasis on introducing students to additional topics that they might not otherwise experience, including singlehanding and an introduction to sailboat racing. 

Skills: Basic sailing fundamentals are taught on shore and practiced on a Rhodes 19, a nineteen-foot keelboat sloop.

PREPARATION: The two-hour introductory welcoming session "Sailing Basics" is recommended for all Level 1 classes, especially for first-timer sailors. To discuss the session in terms of your own sailing experience, please use [contact us].

This course is designed to help sailors with some prior experience to refresh and review their Level 1 skills without attending the full introductory course again. Under the guidance and supervision of a coach, sailors will have one review session and one independent sailing practice session per week for the three weeks of the class. Sailors hone and perfect their introductory skills to make a confident and graceful transition into Level 2 - Harbor Sailing where they will learn additional sailing and communication skills for safe and more enjoyable double-handed sailing.

Goal: Build from skills acquired in Level 1.
Skills: Acquire the communication, coordination and consistency necessary for sailing amicably with crew. Use both main and jib sails to power the boat. Reading tell-tales. Tiller extension. Heave-to. Wing on Wing sailing. Feathering Up. Boat Balance. Successful mooring landings. Figure Eight and Quickstop maneuvers for retrieving a person overboard. By the end of the course, the student should feel confident and comfortable sailing on supervised courses and short trips around well-serviced areas similar to Narragansett Bay.
(Required Prep: Level 1 and/or Refresher. Instructor approval required.)

This class introduces downwind sailing with spinnakers, so that you can incorporate spinnakers into your racing and longer sails. Third meeting of the class is an all-afternoon "picnic sail" with extended spinnaker work.

Skills: At the Intermediate level, introduce sailing, and racing, with 2 and 3 crew using spinnakers.
(Required Prep: Level 2)

Goal: Independent safe sailing in challenging situations with full rig.
Skills: The class focuses on separating out the major parts of the boat (main, jib, rudder, keel) so that skippers understand how each of them works independently of the others, and can get them to work together to solve various problems. Meetings cover slow sailing, sailing backwards, sailing without a main, sailing without a rudder, docking and leaving a dock, heave-to and man overboard. The class increases skipper's confidence at handling the boat in tricky situations.

Required Prep: To participate, Student must have completed Level 2 or get Instructor approval.

Goal: Sailing and navigation basics for safe sailing in darkness.

Skills: Boat-handling (Level 3), using, visual, chart and gps navigation elements. Crew Overboard recovery in darkness. Styles for displaying and recognizing light signals required under International COLREGS Rules and the U.S. Inland Rules.

This is a 3-meeting class at Level 3 sailing skills. The classes in this session cover the fundamental navigation skills set, basic chart-reading and navigation; introduction to basics of celestial navigation and various specialized boat-handling at night, progressing from basic on-water at night, to general keel-boat, to sailing a Rhodes 19 at night in familiar waters.

PREREQUISITE:  To participate, Student must have completed Level 2 or get Instructor approval. 
This class complements topics in Navigation.

Goal: Introduction to recreational harbor sailing
Skills: Recreational sailing and practice time, supported and supervised by an on-duty ESS Instructor and VHF radio net. Open to qualified Edgewood Yacht Club Members, and to Sailing School Students.
(Required Prep: Level 1). Tuition fee $40 for the "Fun & Practice" sailing. EYC adult student membership fee $6 per day.

Goal: Recreational day-sailing
Skills: Day-sailing is introduced, including trip planning and provisioning, then class moves as a fleet on a trip all-day down Narragansett Bay. Lunch on board. Return by early evening. Accompanied by Sailing School instructor safety boat and by a supporting cruising class sailboat to provide amenities.
(Required Prep: Level 1) Tuition fee for the picnic sail: $60/person, plus $6 EYC adult student membership fee.

Goal: Gaining experience in tactical sailing in racing situations. Boats sail close together and try to sail fast around courses, using spinnakers when possible. Everyone carries an individual score, earning points toward season-long trophy for the "Small boat Champions" (last awarded in 2022).
Open to "Skippers" with experience; and to "Crew" with Level 1 skills.

Some races are with the Edgewood Yacht Club "PHRF" feet on Tuesday evenings.

Racing is cordial and exciting. You can pick up the rules as you learn by doing. It is okay to join in as your schedule permits. Teams are made up on the dock depending on who shows up. You can give it a try as soon as you've finished Level 1. Participate for a few days, or aim for the whole season. Racing trophy series in September. Participation is encouraged. More boats on the water keeps it interesting for everyone. It is not a requirement that you already know how to sail with spinnakers before joining in with the racing; but you may want to plan to take the Spinnakers! class too, to learn how to get better downwind speed from your boat!

Guest R19 boats and crews from outside the Sailing School also participate (registration required).

Tuition/fee per day.
Related course: "Spinnakers!"

Volunteer teams to maintain the Fleet, including to launch Rhodes 19s and powerboats, to rig and equip them, perform periodic maintenance on them, and to haul them out at the end of the season.
Open to all, no previous experience or skills required.

Goal: Saturday and week-day Fleet Volunteers: working as a teams to maintain, repair, launch and/or haul out Rhodes 19 hulls and powerboats and care for rigs and sails, step spars.
Location: as announced.
Skills we undertake: handling lines, directing trailer locations, boat clean-up, equipment storage, fiberglass and gelcoat, painting, and generally sharing the work as part of a team.
On-water and/or ashore. All tools and materials furnished. No heavy-lifting required.

See detail schedule for each activity.
Schedule may be dependent on weather, and varies by the season.
TO CONTACT – OR TO JOIN – THE SATURDAY VOLUNTEERS - email staff@edgewoodsailing.org

By invitation. Tutors prepare for the upcoming season with powerboat, safety, sailing and teaching skills. Mentoring by ESS Instructors to cover Level 1 and Level 2 lesson plans.