Children ages 6 to 15 may choose to learn sailing on the Opti.  This a small boat with one sail intended for 1 child (2 if very young).  It’s a very easy boat to learn on and is sailed around the world.

As kids progress and/or want to take sailing to a deeper level we encourage them to join the competitive Opti team.  This group participates in regattas and the club race series.   For this reason, we require they have their own boat that they know and care for.

For the very little we have a parent & child class, ages 5-9.  This is a gentle introduction to sailing and a fun way to approach the sport together! 

Opti’s are sailed locally and all across the world. They can be found new or used online, and other places like FB Marketplace. When your child ages out or is ready to move on to a bigger boat they are generally easy to re-sell.  To learn more about this type of boat visit usoda.org

Children roughly 9-16 years old may feel more comfortable on a bigger boat, such as the X.  Crew generally start around 9-11 years old “learning the ropes” for a year or two after which time we would encourage them to be the skipper!  The skipper generally owns the X boat; however, we do have 1 for rent.  A well-maintained boat holds its value and are continually in demand.

The X boat is unique to the Midwest and is only sailed on inland lakes, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa. Our junior sailing program feeds into adult sailing when the children age out at 16 (in the calendar year). The X fleet is governed by the Inland Lake Yachting Association. 

We also have classes for teens, a no strings attached way to try sailing! Some of the kids that take this class are aspiring to be or are already on the high school racing team. The boat we use is the 420, the same one used for college racing. It’s made for 2 sailors and is a managemable 16 feet long. Please reach out to the sailing school director or your athletic department if you are interested in learning about high school competition.

Adults we have classes for you too! 

18+ year olds are invited to come try sailing! We have classes for beginners or experienced that want to enhance their skills. New this year, Sharon has added a Learn-to-Race for NLYC members and crew.

Classes meet on either Mondays or Wednesday evenings 6-830pm. For more details and descriptions visit the Adult page.

Sharon will also be holding a Rules and Flag Session May 18th

NEW!!! WOWWW (Women on Water with Wine). For women by women, come see why we love this sport! Learn the basics of how to set up a sailboat, read the wind, steer, and crew. This is a 1 day class that is meant to be laid back, fun, and designed to spend time on the water. Discover the joy of sailing! Dates TBD. If you are interested and want to be notified when registration is open reach out to Jana or email [email protected] space will be limited.