OCEAN CITY YACHT CLUB
ESTABLISHED IN 1901
39°17'34.4" N 74°33'54.0" W

Minnows Session 1 is July 8-12, Session 2 is August 5-9, 2024.  Meets Monday through Friday, 9am to noon.

5-day program for 5–7-year-olds to introduce them to sailing, the yacht club and the sea.  Activities may include:

• Sailing lesson with adult on a small sailboat
• Basic wind lessons, rigging, and knot tying
• Ride on a power boat
• Visit with the Coastguard and talk about maritime careers
• Sailor etiquette lesson, pirate themed treasure hunt, crafts
• Catch fish, crabs, hermit crabs, and who knows what else at Corson’s Inlet State Park

Children must be 5 years old by July 1, 2024 and no older than 7 years of age.

Registration will be open for one week to children who have not had the opportunity to enroll in this program, then registration will be open to all.  All participants must have their own appropriately sized US Coast Guard-approved life jacket 

Fee is $250 per child.  Children may be enrolled for one week only. Meets Monday through Friday, 9am to noon.

Parent, grandparent or guardian must accompany children for boating and park activities (2 days). Open to children and grandchildren of club members only. 

Sea Squirts - Sea Squirts - The Sea Squirts program is the starting point for our youngest sailors! The program is designed to introduce future junior sailors to the sailing environment. Instruction is done with 2 children in an Opti. Classes feature water games and play designed to prepare the future junior sailor for formal sailing instruction the following year. This course will teach the basics of rigging a boat, basic boat handling, sportsmanship, and water safety. Students will foster a love for the water while developing confidence in boat handling. Sea Squirts is designed for children ages 8 & 9 and will meet 4 mornings a week- M,T,W,F.  Fee is $960 lessons, add $475 boat rental if needed and $400 refundable damage deposit.

Bay Explorers -This class is designed for those who want to be on the water but aren’t not available for  racing. Bay Explorers will provide additional sailing instruction through the use of a recreational sailing/cruising format. The class will take sailboat trips to local points of interest and participate in water games to enhance boat handling skills. Students must demonstrate boat-handling skills equivalent to those required for Intermediate Opti. Ages 12 and up.

Bay Explorers feature two options. The first is for designated racers who are looking for a break in their racing schedule to unwind and try out a new type of boat. This is a 2 session per week option. Fee is $550.

Then we have a 4 session per week option for designated sailors as an alternative path to the racing curriculum. Fee is $960. Add $475 boat rental if needed and $400 refundable damage deposit.

Laser Racing-To participate in this class sailors must demonstrate the ability to control the boat single-handedly under various weather conditions.  Sailors should have successfully completed Optimist Racing and/or must demonstrate equivalent skills and knowledge as determined by the instructors. In this class sailors will refine their racing skills while competing in weekly OCYC races as well as local regattas. Curriculum focuses on boat handling and racing skills, rules, and tactics. As with all of our programs, there will be a focus on the Corinthian Spirit and being positive role models on and off the water.  Fee is $1,200 lessons, add $475 boat rental if needed, $400 refundable damage deposit, add $200 regatta transportation if needed.

Seas  One session only July 29- Aug 2.  Meets Monday through Friday, 9am to noon.

The Seas Program is open to 8–12-year-olds to introduce them to fishing, marine biology, and seamanship. Activities may include: 

• Learning how to navigate the inland waterway in a powerboat including understanding channel markers, boating courtesy, tying up a powerboat to a dock
• Fishing in the inland waterway including where to fish and casting 
• Catching fish, crabs, hermit crabs, and other creatures at Corson’s Inlet State Park 
• How tides and currents are created

All participants must have their own appropriately sized US Coast Guard-approved life jacket 

Fee is $250 per child.  Children may not be enrolled in junior sailing because the programs overlap. Meets Monday through Friday, 9am to noon.  Open to children and grandchildren of club members only.

Intermediate Opti (Optimist) - This class is for sailors who have completed Sea Squirts and want to continue their progression. Instruction is done with 1 sailor per boat. Students will start lessons with land instruction before practicing their skills. Students and families will receive regular feedback from instructors as well as a midsummer benchmark assessment to track the sailor’s progress. In August sailors will show off their skills to family and friends with participation in the Green Fleet “mini” races. These mini races are held right off the club docks so instructors can support and encourage the sailors while they have fun and gain confidence. By the end of summer, sailors will be able to sail on all points of sail and in most wind speeds, know the parts of the boat, and tie basic knots. Fee is $960 lessons, add $475 boat rental if needed and $400 refundable damage deposit

Optimist Race Team-Sailors will refine their racing skills and represent OCYC in multiple regattas on the MAYRA circuit. Coaches will cover all aspects of racing on and off the water. The team will travel to and compete in several local regattas, and sailors will have the option to travel to regional competitions. Sailors MUST have completed Intermediate Opti and have been recommended for this class by their previous instructor.  As with all of our programs, there will be a focus on the Corinthian Spirit and being positive role models on and off the water. Fee is $1,200 lessons, add $475 boat rental if needed, $400 refundable damage deposit, add $200 regatta transportation if needed.

Club 420 & Club 420 Racing- C420 classes are scheduled to allow sailors to sail C420s as well as a Laser Radial or Laser 4.7.  To participate in this class sailors should (1) demonstrate the ability to work as a part of a team: (2) have successfully completed Advanced Opti Racing as determined by the instructors or be able to demonstrate the equivalent skills and knowledge; and (3) demonstrate the ability to capsize and recover the boat with a partner without outside assistance. This course will teach the basics of rigging a C420, an introduction to sailing as a team, basic C420 boat handling and sailing fundamentals. 

C420 racing classes are scheduled to allow sailors to sail C420s as well as a Laser Radial or Laser 4.7. The Club 420 Race Team is geared for those who have graduated from the Opti and want to focus on racing and local regatta participation. Members will learn how to sail with a spinnaker and trapeze on C420s.Fee is $1,200 lessons, add $575 boat rental if needed, $400 refundable damage deposit, add $100 regatta transportation if needed.