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

SAFETY

A.  All junior sailors are required to pass the Water Safety Test, which consists of a basic swim and strength test. Sailors will demonstrate the ability to swim while wearing a PFD.  For the strength test, the sailor will be required to pull himself or herself out of the water, unassisted, onto the hull of his or her boat while wearing a PFD.  Water safety tests are administered on the first day of class, weather permitting.  Any sailor who misses the test day must make special arrangements with the Program Director to take the test.  No Sailor will be admitted to class until they have successfully completed the water safety test. 

B. All junior sailors are required to wear life jackets at all times when on the water and on docks.  Parents and sailors are responsible to make sure that the life jacket is worn as required and that the life jacket is in good condition, properly fitted and equipped with a whistle.  Life jackets must remain zipped. Names should be clearly written in permanent marker on the back of the life jacket.

C. All privately owned boats MUST be inspected prior to the first day of classes.  Parents and sailors are responsible for ensuring that the sailor’s boat is properly equipped, rigged and in good condition prior to leaving the dock.  Additionally, all boats must be equipped with a 10 foot long bow line to assist the instructors in towing boats when needed. Sailors are expected to maintain their boats and have working equipment at every lesson. (Instructors will notify parents of flat trailer tires or any equipment breakdowns so they can immediately be replaced.)

D. All junior sailors are required to wear shoes at all times when on club property.

E. No running or horseplay is allowed around the fixed or floating docks.  No scooters, bicycles or skates may be used around the dock or rear yard areas.  No swimming or diving is allowed from the club docks unless it is part of a sailing class and directed by an instructor. This and other important rules are found in the “House Rules” that are posted in the Club, and are also provided in the OCYC Yearbook.  Any junior not complying with house rules may be suspended or expelled from the program.

F. Tampering with boats or equipment belonging to other sailors may cause dangerous conditions on the water.  Any junior sailor found tampering with boats or equipment belonging to other junior sailors may be suspended or expelled from the program.  This includes moving boats in the boat yard.

G. Please call or email the office to let us know if your son/daughter will not be attending class. Attendance is taken each day and we do not want to hold up the beginning of a class waiting for a sailor to arrive. Also we want to make sure your child arrives at the club safely.

H.  Any sailor found to be in violation of The Jr. Sailing Code of Conduct may be barred from class or disqualified from a race, at the sole discretion of the Coaches, Program Director and/or Sailing Director.   

POLICIES

A. Age requirement for classes:  Any sailor who does not meet the age criteria of a class may request a waiver of the age requirement. Requests for waivers must be made in writing, in accordance with the deadline dates set forth for Special Waivers for class assignment. Sailors will not be assigned a space in the class until the written request has been reviewed and approved by the Sailing Director and the Program Director. Review and approval will depend upon the sailor’s experience and boat handling skills.

B. Substitutions/Make-Ups/Guests: No substitutions or make-up classes are allowed. No guests may participate in or attend classes. All sailors registered for classes must be current members of the Ocean City Yacht Club, either individually as a junior member or a family membership.

C.  Class Assignments, Class Schedule and Section Assignments: New class assignment policies are described in the Registration Procedures Section.  The class schedule and section assignments will be emailed as soon as they are complete.  A $50 fee will be charged to parents who apply for a refund of program fees on or before the Season Kick-Off Day (6/15/19); no refunds will be available after that day.  Anyone requesting a section/class change must apply in writing by email to the Program Coordinator at jrsailing@ocyc.org by May 30th.  Parents will be notified regarding the change request on or before June 10th.

D. Private Lessons: All private lessons given at OCYC must be arranged through the Junior Sailing Program Coordinator.  Private lessons are for OCYC club members ONLY and will begin at 4:00pm.  All private lessons MUST be paid for prior to the lesson. ($60 per hour)

SCHEDULE

In an effort to maximize "time on the water" all sailors participating in racing classes MUST be rigged and ready to sail before the start time of their class.  Therefore sailors should arrive 30-45 minutes before the class begins. Sailors will be expected to be on the water within 30 minutes after the scheduled class start time.  Coaches will not wait for late sailors.

INCLEMENT WEATHER

The Junior Sailing Program will begin at the scheduled time for each fleet regardless of the weather conditions. If the weather prevents sailing, alternative sailing-related activities will be conducted.

REGATTAS / INTERCLUBS RACING      

In addition to the Instructional Program, Junior sailors will have the opportunity to participate in our OCYC Championship series, away regattas and interclub racing. If they feel ready, sailors are encouraged to compete in local, regional and national regattas. Complete calendars for Optis, Lasers and C420 will be posted along with our regular sailing calendar.

Participating in regattas and interclub races are a chance to make new friends, travel to new places, and improve skills. By racing with new sailors in larger fleets, our sailors will learn skills and lessons that cannot be developed by racing ONLY at OCYC.

Parental support is critical for away regattas and interclubs. Parents are responsible for loading and unloading their child’s boat for each regatta. Parents also should be at regattas to assist in rigging and de-rigging their child’s boat as well as supervising their child in the event he/she leaves the water due to heavy wind, boat breakdown, etc.

TIPS FOR SAILORS

• Put your name on ALL personal belongings with permanent ink. Please put your child’s name in large letters on the back of their life jacket so as to assist in identification while they are on the water.
• Be sure to wear sun block, sunglasses and a hat/visor.
• Bring water
• Some type of sailing shoes or boots are MANDATORY (preferably ones that don’t fall off when capsizing.)
• Bug spray and foul weather gear might also be needed.
• A tackle box with extra sail ties, permanent marker, duct tape, sail repair tape,  and any other items they may need for boat repairs.