High School Outreach

Indiana Area High School students enjoyed a nice breeze for their first experience sailing at Yellow Creek this Sunday. The sailors are part of a new club which gives the students the chance to learn about and then practice sailing.

IHS student Will Ferguson takes the helm of a Hunter 170 sailboat.

Club advisors are FOYC volunteers Nathanael Arthurs and Beth Rettig. The two are experienced sailors who will introduce sailing “theory” at IHS during club days. Then everyone gets to test their skills on the water at Yellow Creek.

Currently Friends of Yellow Creek gives access to adult and community sailors through the Community Sailing Base. FOYC also hosts the IUP sailing club. FOYC co-chair Ken Sherwood oversees sailing instruction with the various groups.

Sailing 2019

Sailing season is around the corner.  We will once again offer community sailing members access to FOYC boats at the Yellow Creek Sailing Base.

I’m happy to report that we have a new addition to our fleet. Have a look at the beautiful Sunfish sailboat at the right. Does this bring back memories of youth sailing? Come back to sailing. If you are experienced, you can quickly be certified and have unlimited use of boats in our fleet.

If you are rusty or a complete beginner, our instructor and community sailors will help you learn the ropes (literally).

Sailing base members are also able to use our SUPs (stand up paddle boards).

Sign-up on the FOYC Sailing Page. Email with questions: friendsofyellowcreek@gmail.com

 

 

Summer 2018 Sailing

FOYC Community Sailing has tentative scheduled five group-sail Wednesdays.  CS members can join a US Sailing instructor for informal lessons and group sailing. No prior experience is required.  We meet at the sailing base; come as early as 4pm if you can, but we’ll adjust to suit participants work schedules and stay until 8pm.
5/30
6/13
6/20
7/11
7/18
2018 Participants must register via the survey form on the bottom of this page:  http://www.friendsofyellowcreek.org/sailing/
FOYC policy is to invite sailors to try it out once if they’re unsure. Following that, we do ask that participants are paid community sailing members. You can mail memberships to the FOYC PO Box, but it’s even more efficient for us if you choose to do this online. (Once paid, you will also have access to the base through the lock code).
Experienced sailors are welcome to join and take a certification sail with me. Once I’ve signed off, you’re able to access club boats whenever you like. Of course, all community base members can also make use of the paddle boards whenever you like.
Our blue Javelin “Lady Diane” is already in the water.  For those of you who are more adventurous, I’m happy to share the news that we have recently accepted the donations of a Hobie 16 catamaran and a 470 racing sloop.  I’m looking forward to tuning these up and launching soon. We also have a pair of covers on order for our Javelins, so that it should be easier to launch with a little less bailing after rain storms!
Beginners, US Sailing generally suggests it takes about 20 hours of practice on the water in addition to knowing the “sailing theory” to get certified. There are several good books available; I’ve also modified a set of slides I use for teaching IUP sailors, if you’re interested in some self-study:

Name a Boat? / Community Sailing Launch

Community sailing at Yellow Creek has begun for the 2017 season.
 Friday afternoon brought a gentle breeze and warm temperatures, perfect conditions for launching FOYC’s newest (pre-owned) sailboat.

The O’day Javelin is a 14 foot sloop with a spacious and comfortable cockpit for one to four sailors.

We have a pair of Javelin’s for community sailors to use, in addition to a pair of Escapes.

Contact friendsofyellowcreek@gmail.com, or sign-up on the sailing page if you’re interested in joining us.

Novice sailors can join and avail themselves of free, group lessons. Experienced sailors can take the US Sailing certification test and qualify to check out boats whenever desired.

First Sail Experience

Join us for an introductory sailing experience at Yellow Creek Lake. Learn rigging, points of sail and how to steer a boat during this 2-hour lesson. Sail on a 19-foot Flying Scot with an on-board US Sailing Certified Instructor. The First Sail Experience cost is $50.00 per person, however, any participant who joins the FOYC Community Sailing program in 2017 will receive a $50 credit for attending the First Sail Experience. www.foyc.org

 

About First Sail

First Sail is a nationwide initiative developed by US Sailing with support from sailing schools, community sailing centers, yacht clubs and other sailing industry organizations around the United States. The goal of First Sail is to educate the public on the benefits of sailing as a fun and exciting recreational activity for people of all ages and abilities and connect them with opportunites to get involved. First Sail offers a pathway to participation through resources and information on how to get started and find a place to go sailing.

The First Sail Experience is a two-hour lesson offered to anyone through a growing list of First Sail Locations, comprised of community sailing centers, sailing schools and yacht clubs around the country. This unique opportunity offers beginners an introduction to sailing in a casual setting and is designed to provide a memorable experience that will motivate newcomers to continue sailing. Participants will get out on the water with an instructor in a keelboat provided by the First Sail Location. The First Sail Experience features basic sailing hands-on learning that will cover topics such as, how a sail works, parts of a sailboat, points of sail, and important safety guidelines. Additionally, all First Sail Experience participants will have access to Chapter 1 of Basic Keelboat Online, a US Sailing online training course designed to prepare beginners for their fi rst time on the water.

Yellow Creek State Park
Sailing Base / FOYC
College Lodge Road
Penn Run, PA 15765

Contact: Ken Sherwood
friendsofyellowcreek@gmail.comm

5pm – Weds, 5/17/17
5pm – Weds, 5/24/17
5pm – Weds, 6/7/17
5pm – Weds, 6/14/17
5pm – Weds, 6/21/17