Youth Program Frequently Asked QuestionsTopics:
SafetyHow do I know my child is going to be safe at Courageous? At Courageous we place tremendous importance on safety. We are constantly taking measures to impress upon our students that a safe sailor is a good sailor. Below is a partial listing of our safety regulations, rigorous guidelines that have given Courageous one of the best safety records on Boston Harbor.
Do you need to know how to swim? Yes. Though swimming is not a regular part of our program, for safety reasons, all students must be able to swim 75 feet (the length of most pools) and tread water for 90 seconds. RegistrationHow do I register my child? Registration forms for 2011 will not be available until March 4, 2011. For more information, visit the summer youth program registration page.
How can I get a registration form and/or brochure? Please give us your contact infomation by filling out this form here. After doing so, you will be added to our mailing list. Registration materials are mailed around March 1st of every year. They may also be downloaded from our registration information page after that date. Which Step should my child register for? If your child has no sailing experience, has only a summer or two of exposure to sailboats, or has not yet completed their Courageous "Blue Book", then Sailing 101 is probably the right place to start. In Sailing 101, instructors are right in the boats with the students at all times, which makes for a safe and highly individualized learning environment. If you are unsure of whether your child is ready for the next level, it is often best to assume they ought to stay in Sailing 101. Review is never a bad thing! Typically, students spend multiple summers in Sailing 101. If you have any more questions, please feel free to email or call. Step 3: Intermediate Sailing is appropriate for those sailors who are capable of comfortably sailing a small keelboat (one of our 19-foot Rhodes 19s) without an instructor with them in the boat. The Step 3 sailor knows and is comfortable with the basics (tacking, jibing, man overboard recovery, docking, rigging, knots, upwind sailing, etc.) but still needs time to review and gain mastery. The Step 3 sailor is comfortable enough with basic skills to begin applying them in on-the-water games and drills, races, and occasional trips beyond the inner harbor. Typically, students spend at least 2 to 4 sessions (one or two summers in Step 3 before progressing to Step 4). Step 4: Advanced Sailing is for advanced sailors only, or those students who have mastered the basics and have some basic idea of sailboat racing and basic navigation. Racing students will be in dinghies for their first time (small sailboats with centerboards instead of keels). These dinghies, unlike the Rhodes-19 keelboats, are capable of capsizing, and so students MUST have comfort in the water. Cruising students will be on larger cruising boats. Both dinghies and larger cruising boats demand mastery of the basics in order to be successfully sailed. If your child has sailed with Courageous in the past, entering Step 4 students would have passed the intermediate sailing test and/or have a recommendation on file for promotion from their instructors. Typically students spend 4 to 6 sessions in Step 4 (2 to 3 summers). The Step 5 "Instructor-in-Training" or "IIT" Program is for advanced sailors only, specifically those students who have had significant exposure to racing and/or cruising and aspire to become instructors. IITs must apply by February to be considered for selection into the summer IIT program. The selection process is competitive, with a written application, an in-person interview and a sailing skills check. The program is NOT limited to past Courageous students. I'm confused. What happened to Step 2: Learn-to-Sail? Step 2: Learn-to-Sail has now been broken up into two different Steps: Sailing 101 and Beginner Sailing. Sailing 101 is for students who are either new to sailing or have only been sailing for a summer or two What happened to RecSail? Since 2008, "RecSail" has become "Step 3: Intermediate Sailing." If your child was in Step 2 last year and has completed their "blue book" and has passed the RecSail Test or Basic Sailing Test, then they are eligible to register for Step 3. Is my child ready for Step 3: Intermediate Sailing? For more details, see the above answer to "Which Step should my child register for?" Is my child ready for Step 4: Racing and/or Cruising? For more details, see the above answer to "Which Step should my child register for?" My child has taken sailing lessons at another sailing center. Which Step should he or she register for? For more details, see the above answer to "Which Step should my child register for?" How old do my children have to be? All children must be between the ages of 8 and 18 at the time of their class. No exceptions. Do you ever make exceptions on student's age? No. I am not from Boston. Can my child register for your program? Yes. Though most of our students are Boston residents, our students hail from all corners of the greater Boston area. Our summer program is open to all. I am not from Boston. Can my child register to sail at Jamaica Pond? No. The Jamaica Pond site is open to residents of Boston only. Can my children sail together in the same class? While we try our hardest to place siblings in the same classes at the same sites, unfortunately we do not have the capacity to guarantee that siblings will be placed together. However, after a confirmation of registration has been received students and parents are welcome to call to make changes to their registration form, provided space is available. Can my child sail with his/her friends in the same class? Unfortunately, as we receive thousands of applications for our summer program, we cannot accommodate individual requests to place groups of friends in the same class. Can my child register with his/her friends in the same class or at the same site? Yes, groups of friends can try to request the same class-slots (same class, same session, same time, same site), but, unfortunately, as we receive thousands of applications for our summer program, we cannot accommodate individual requests to place groups of friends in the same class.
What happened to Courageous' Summer Sailing Program at UMass/Boston on Dorchester Bay? While there are a number of program modifications being made in time for the 2011 season that we are excited to be telling you about, we also need to let you know that the program that has been run from the UMass Dorchester campus since 2001 will be consolidated back to the Courageous mothership at Pier 4 in Charlestown. While we respect that the UMass location is a geographic convenience, we hope that the positive changes including an optional extended day (8 AM to 5 PM) and intermediate/advanced programs that run for 3 or 6 weeks in all kinds of weather will keep you and your family at Courageous for the coming season.
I was registered! What are my responsibilities? Due to the extremely high demand for this program, attendance is required at all registered classes. If for any reason your schedule changes and your child cannot attend any of the sessions s/he is registered for, please notify Courageous immediately at 617-COURAGE (617-268-7243), so that another child can be given an opportunity to participate. If your child does not attend the first day of any program (without prior notification) then your child’s space will be given to someone on the waiting list for the remainder of the week. If your child is enrolled for multiple weeks and misses one whole week (without prior notification), all his/her remaining weeks will be given to children on the waiting list. This may also jeopardize the offending students enrollment in future seasons. The Youth Program Staff and the hundreds of waitlisted applicants thank you for your consideration and cooperation.
I was waitlisted! What does being waitlisted mean?If you were waitlisted, this means that the class you requested is currently full. In the event that a registered student decides they do not want their spot, the spot is opened up to a waitlisted student.
What Being “Waitlisted” at positions 1 – 5 Means If you have a waitlist number between 1 and 5, there is a fair chance (~50% or better) that a space might become available to you, and we invite you to stop by in person the morning of the class you were waitlisted for to see if a space becomes available. If a space becomes available and you are already at the site, you may hop into the class that morning. If no space becomes available, then you will have to head home. What Being “Waitlisted” at positions 6+ for Means If you were waitlisted at position 6 or higher, it is very unlikely (~20% chance or worse) that a space might become available to you, and so we encourage you to make other summer plans. I’m Waitlisted, but my family and I still really want to Sail!! For the families of all youth program applicants (whether registered or waitlisted) Courageous Sailing is offering large discounts on courses through the Courageous Adult Program. For more information, please contact Miguel Corti, our Director of Sailing and Sales, or Dave DiLorenzo, our Director of Adult Programs.
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