• Classes can and will sail in the rain. Students should bring a jacket for those days.
• The sailors will not go out on the water if there is thunder or lightning in the area, or if winds are dangerously strong. If weather or wind-speed prevents the students from sailing, the instructors are prepared with other on-land sailing-related games and activities to keep class fun and educational.
• Classes will sail in smoky conditions. In heavy smoke, classes may spend regular on-land time (lunch, teaching activities) indoors instead of outdoors. Students may want to bring N95 face masks on smoky days.
• There are no refunds for adverse weather conditions, unless sailing school is canceled by the Sailing Office.

The weight minimums for some of our classes is so sailors are placed in a class best-suited to their size. All single-hull sailboats heel (tip) in a certain amount of wind. In dinghy sailboats, sailors use their body weight to hike out and flatten the boat as it moves through the water. Vanguard 15s and Lasers have relatively large sails for some small sailors, therefore there's a weight minimum of 100 lbs. for classes that use Vanguard 15s or Lasers (Junior Jibers, High School, Vanguard 15 Race Camp, and Laser Race Camp). If sailors are too light to balance the boat out with their body weight, they will have a hard time controlling the boat and are more likely to capsize. 

Sometimes children have been in Overboard Optis for several years as they do not meet the 100 lbs. weight minimum. Parents wonder why their child can't "move up" to Junior Jibers. The difference between Overboard Optis and Junior Jibers is not that one class is more advanced than another, it's simply that each class sails a different boat to meet the need of different sized sailors. For some perspective, sailors on the SYC Junior Race Team will often sail Optis until they are 14 or 15 years old and weigh up to 120 lbs. 

No, lunch is not included. Students should bring a lunch each day, or bring money to purchase lunch at the Snack Shack. The Snack Shack has sandwiches, burgers, hot dogs, and box lunches available for purchase, as well as coffee and ice cream. 

Students in the Lil's Luffers class will learn to sail with an instructor and 1 or 2 other students in the boat with them. Students in the Overboard Optis class will learn to sail in individual, kid-sized boats called Optimists.  Both classes are suitable for beginners; the class choice really depends on the preference and comfort level of the child and parents.

For sailors in the age range for both classes, the weight limit for the Opti class is about 120 lbs, and kids who are heavier or tall for their age will be more comfortable in the boats used in the Junior Jibers class. Both classes are suitable for all levels of experience. Weight recommendation for Junior Jibers is 100 lbs minimum. This is for safety. The sailors use their body weight to keep the boat from heeling (tipping) over, and to flip the boat upright if they capsize. 

Most sailing takes place on Portage Bay, located between Lake Washington and Lake Union. The sailors may occasionally venture to Lake Washington or Lake Union. 

Please contact Catie Plourde, Sailing Programs Coordinator, at catiep@seattleyachtclub.org regarding lost & found items. All unclaimed lost & found items will be donated in early October each year.