The Ocean City Yacht Club Junior Sailing Program is a summer season sailing program that emphasizes fun, friendship, learning, knowledge, safety and competition for young sailors ages 8 to 19. The OCYC Junior Sailing Program offers an instructional program that follows a specified sequence, with various tracks to meet the different skills, needs and interests of our Junior Sailors. .

The Optimist (www.usoda.org) is the club’s official instructional boat, and the only boat used for our introductory “learn-to-sail” instruction. Once a junior sailor masters a specified set of sailing skills on the Optimist, he or she may choose to participate in the “racing program” or the “Explorers program.” Junior sailors choosing to follow the racing track advance through a series of Optimist classes designed to prepare the “Racers” for higher-level racing when they advance to larger boats. When Racers “age-out” of Optimists and have met all of the requirements to participate in our advanced boat program, they may choose to sail either the Radial Laser or the Laser 4.7 (www.laserinternational.org) as their advanced single-handed boat, and they may also choose to sail the Club 420 (www.club420.org), the club’s official double-handed boat.

The Bay Explorers program is a recreational sailing program designed to encourage our non-racing junior sailors to continue sailing and to improve their sailing skills. To participate in the explorers program, sailors must demonstrate mastery of boat handling skills and sailing knowledge necessary to fulfill the introductory sailing requirements.

The number of classes during the 8 week program may vary according to scheduling requirements. Also, the number of sailors in each class may be capped based on available resources and safety issues.

2020 Junior Sailing Program

Welcome to the Ocean City Yacht Club 2020 Junior Sailing program! We have made some changes and improvements for this coming season:

• All class recommendations for returning sailors are being emailed to you.  If you have any questions please contact us.

• Registration forms can be found on the OCYC website under Jr. Sailing. This year's registrations and payments can be completed directly on this page. Please note we cannot place any child in a sailing class until payment is received. Payments and forms should be mailed to OCYC attention Jr. Sailing.

• May 15th is the due date for registration. A $35 late fee will be charged for registrations submitted after this date.

• Classes have changed! Please check our web page for new class descriptions as we have made some exciting changes most notably, a sunset laser series for our working teenagers who still have the itch to race! Club 420 classes will be divided by instructors after registrations are complete.  A new series, called group sailing has been established.  This a casual cruising class composed of the J-22, Fevas, and Lightnings.  No racing, but three hours of sailing pleasure.

• Rental boats may be used for away regattas, as long as an OCYC coach is attending the regatta. Rental boats are limited to two years in boat.

• C420 racers who are renting MUST register together as a team (see form). No rental will be considered until both sailors have paid. Rentals will go first to the completed and paid registrants.

• There will be a prepaid fee of $250 (see registration form) to guarantee your son/daughter's transportation to and from the six SJ Summer Series Regattas for the 2020 season. This applies to Optis, Lasers, and Sunfish.  Please include this amount with your registration fee to guarantee that your son/daughter has transportation.

Please complete forms for registration as early as possible to ensure your child gets placed properly in their class. Registration forms are due no later than May 15th 2020. Season Kick-Off Meeting is scheduled for Saturday, June 20th @ 1PM in the card room, followed by boat inspections by the sailing staff.

If you have any questions about the upcoming season or the enclosed materials, please contact us at jrsailing@ocyc.org.

Please be sure to note the registration deadline of May 15th