Bay Area Gearing Up for Summer Youth Sailing
In this month’s Latitude 38 Heather Breaux explores summer youth sailing opportunities throughout the Bay Area.
Summer is coming — and the Bay is waiting for your kids! Whether you live in the North Bay, or right on the water in Alameda County, summer youth sailing is at the heart of Bay Area sailing.
The island community in Alameda is home to many water people: stand-up paddlers, swimmers and kayakers. But connecting the community to sailing has proven to be the main challenge in building the youth program at Alameda Community Sailing Center. “It’s very important to get more people into sailing,” says program director Emily Zugnoni, “especially people who don’t come from sailing families, and those who don’t even know what a yacht club is.”
Of course, the dream is that kids will fall in love with the sport, the water, and the community, and eventually bring their own children and grandchildren to sail. All it takes is the curiosity of one kid looking for fun to introduce a new generation of sailors to the community.
Last year saw the launch of a new US Sailing Initiative to get youth into sailing who are traditionally underrepresented in sailing clubs. San Francisco Bay is one of the regions designated for three Siebel Sailor Programs, including ACSC. “We are trying to build people who love sailing, and care about the water,” says Zugnoni. “People who want to try new things, and get outside their comfort zones.” Sailing campers play games, do drills, have adventures, and grow into responsible, brave young adults.
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Sailing is an adventure. It is fun and games, but the personal growth achieved on a boat lasts a lifetime: teamwork, courage, and overcoming fears.
Whether you’re looking for racing, community sailing, or more educational sailing, the Bay Area has extensive resources. Latitude 38 has created a one-stop resource to discover the right club for you this spring and summer. Check out a complete list of Bay Area youth sailing opportunities here.
And, you can read Heather’s complete story about summer youth sailing on the Bay at Latitude38.com.