Published: June 28, 2008 06:53 pm            

BOATING: Kids keeping the boats afloat

Youngstown Yacht Club’s Junior Sailing Program runs from late-June to mid-August.

YOUNGSTOWN — Take a trip out to your nearest lake and you might notice something unusual — there aren’t as many boats on the water as there have been in past years.

Participation in boating in general, and especially sailing, is declining in the United States. People simply aren’t buying boats and hitting the water like they used to, but there’s a group of local kids who are hoping to reverse this trend.

The Junior Sailing Program that operates out of the Youngstown Yacht Club allows children and young adults ages 7 to 18 to learn proficiency in sailing. It is open to the public, no sailing experience is necessary and parents or guardians need not belong to the Youngstown Yacht Club to enroll their kids.

As a result, most anyone can join.

“The Youngstown Yacht Club started in 1931. Since then, hundreds of kids have taken Junior Sailing,” publicity director Dick Roach said.

Kids have two opportunities to take part in the learning experience, with the first session beginning Monday and running through July 23. The second session lasts from July 30 to Aug. 15, with about 100 kids total expected to attend between the two rounds. With very flexible options, including choosing between going for just five or eight days, or for the entire period, all participants are offered the chance to take part in on-the-water sailing from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m Monday through Friday.

“The kids definitely go home tired,” head Junior Sailing instructor Bruce Matthews said.

Matthews is one of eight instructors who helps kids from all levels — novice to expert and everywhere in-between — achieve commendable success in sailing, particularly in racing. Those who prove their skills to be superior will travel to racing events as far away as Michigan, Rochester and Toronto.

A considerable number of Junior Sailors have gone on to race on their collegiate sailing teams. One former member of the program, Lewiston-Porter High’s Jason Carminati, won a full, four-year scholarship to the United States Naval Academy.

Being a Junior Sailor goes beyond just becoming well-trained on the water, though. One of the key components is how it shapes a young boy or girl into a more complete person.

“Sailing a boat and racing it gives kids a lot of responsibility and builds character,” Roach said. “Because it is a team sport, the kids learn to work together as a crew.”

Beginners start off on a Vanguard Pram, a small trainer boat, and eventually graduate to an Opti and subsequently a Nutshell, which has three or four sailors working as one to produce a smooth and steady ride. The larger and faster Club 420 boat is typically steered by the young adults, ages 14 to 18, on which they’ll line up for competitive races in areas such as Syracuse.

You don’t have to be a member of the Yacht Club or Junior Sailing to watch the boats, as all are welcome to come down to Youngstown to check out the action.

A big draw this year will be the annual Youngstown Level Regatta which runs July 26 and 27. About 300 to 350 boats from not only this region but also Lake Erie, the Finger Lakes, Michigan and Quebec, Canada, are expected. Some of these racers have ties to the Junior Sailing Program and got their careers started years ago through the program.

“The sailors learn a respect for the water, weather and one another at an early age, which lasts them a lifetime,” Matthews said.

Parents need not worry about diversity in the program, as there is an even mix of boys and girls as well as members from numerous foreign countries who are spending the summer in Western New York with relatives.

“Our prices are very competitive,” added Matthews, furthering the appeal of the organization.

The Junior Sailing Program gives members a hands-on experience that is hard to come by, and just may result in a few more boats popping up on area waters, something that all boating enthusiasts will be pleased to see.

        

• Click to discuss this story with other readers on our forums.