WYC Novice Keelboat Class

Scott Voltz and Nathalie Voisin offer a novice keelboat class. We are looking for people eager to learn, self starting individuals who will do the required reading, show up on time, and participate physically, mentally and vocally. We'll introduce you to various WYC keelboat sailing opportunities that include affiliate keelboats and weekend and blast format cruises.

You can (1) sign up for this class at the Boat on the Lawn, April 9 (9 to 3) or Boat at the IMA, sometime during the 3rd or 4th week of class, or sign up on the web later... right, like there will be anything left by that time. Only people with previous sailing experience can take this class. Be prepared to prove your sailing experience by showing us your WYC membership card with some ratings. If you are new to the club then you'll have to do some fast talking to convince us that you're not a landlubber. Seriously though, you must have previous sailing experience to get into this class. You should know the points of sail and how to trim sails to sail each point. Know how to tack, jibe, stop the boat, and do a crew overboard procedure.

You will attend eight Thursday night classes in April and May and early June. If you can't make them all then you should not apply. If you do miss a class for unexpected reasons, you will be expected to make special arrangements with Scott or Nathalie to make it up within 2 weeks.

Why this emphasis on attendence? We have a wealth of subject matter to cover: Navigation, tides, currents, sail trim, emergency procedures, engines, anchoring, docking, . The two keelboats we use are 27 feet long and weigh about 6000 pounds. These are serious boats with lots of working (and not working) gear. When you complete the class you will have free reign to wander all 33 square miles of Lake Washington.

In addition to the classes, we'll join the club in the Snooze and Cruise trip to Puget Sound and Blake Island on May 17 and 18.

Ready About?

Email with questions. Just look us up in the UW directory

Scott Voltz and Nathalie Voisin

Syllabus		Hull Down: Quite often at sea, if you keep a careful watch, you can just see the rigging of a ship in the distance. The ship itself lies over the horizon, and is described as being "hull down." Aside from the additional distance afforded your vision, this phenomenon also clearly reveals the curvature of the earth.
KB Novice Cruise (undetermined date)
Cruising Under Sail - required reading
Shopping for gear
Grog's Boating Knots
The Beaufort Scale of Wind Forces
Tides and Tidal Currents
Keelboat Sailing: Basic Procedure Sequences
Sailing Simulator
BoatUS Foundation General Boating Course
Some sailing pictures 5 meg download

Web: http://staff.washington.edu/svoltz/

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