Summer Sailing Camps, Classes Discounted for CofC Employees

Want to leave all your troubles behind and just sail off into the sunset? Thanks to the College of Charleston Sailing Program’s Learn-to-Sail camps and classes, you totally can – without throwing your budget off course!

That’s because College of Charleston faculty and staff get a 10% discount on all summer sailing programs – including the Youth Sailing Camps and the Community Basic Keelboat classes for adults, as well as intermediate classes and even private lessons.

College of Charleston’s J. Stewart Walker Sailing Center.

Held at the J. Stewart Walker Sailing Complex at the Patriots Point Marina in Mount Pleasant, all group classes are taught by a head instructor and an assistant in an organized drill method. Students will learn the basics of sailing on the College’s J/22 keelboats, which have been modified for instructional purposes and therefore allow for a comfortable, safe and exciting sailing experience.

The Youth Learn-to-Sail camps introduce children ages 8–14 to the sport of sailing and teach them boating safety, basic sailing principles and proper boat handling skills. And, for those who have experience sailing, the Continuing Sailing camps are designed to further their knowledge and skills. Running from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., each five-day session is capped at 30 participants. The following sessions are still open:

Camp 4: July 3–7 (four-day camp)

Camp 6: July 17–21

Camp 7: July 24–28

Camp 8: July 31–Aug. 4

Camp 9: Aug. 7–11

More information on the youth sailing camps – including how to register with the CofC faculty/staff discount – is available on the Youth Learn-to-Sail class webpage.

Students learn about knots and sailing at the College’s Walker Sailing Complex.

The Community Basic Keelboat Class provides adult students with the skills necessary to independently skipper a 22-foot sailboat. The program lasts nearly three weeks and includes two two-hour classroom periods (6–8 p.m.) and 15 hours of on-the-water instruction (6–8:30 p.m.). There are both weekend and weekday options available, with weekday classes starting with lectures on Thursdays and sailing on Mondays and Wednesdays and weekend classes starting with lectures on Fridays and sailing Saturdays and Sundays. The following two sessions are still open:

Session 6 (Weekends): July 7–23 (lectures on July 7 & 21, on-the-water instruction on July 8, 9, 15, 16, 22 & 23)

Session 7 (Weekdays): Aug. 3–23 (lectures on Aug. 3 & 17, on-the-water instruction on Aug. 7, 9, 14, 16, 21 & 23)

More information about the Basic Keelboat Class – including how to register with the CofC faculty/staff discount – is available on the Community Learn-to-Sail class webpage.

Intermediate Sailing classes will also be available at a discounted rate for faculty and staff. The adult Intermediate Sailing classes will cover topics such as sail shape and trim with full sails; telltales, puffs, lulls, lifts and headers; weather, lee and neutral helms; close-quarter sailing (sailing in/out of marina and on/off the dock); and rigging and sailing with the spinnaker. These classes will be around 21 hours of lectures and sailing throughout the month of July, with three full days of sailing (9 a.m.–5 p.m. Friday–Sunday, with a lunch break). For more information and to participate in the next Intermediate Sailing class session, contact Ned Goss, the College’s sailmaster and assistant sailing coach, by email or phone: 843.216.8450.

The College of Charleston Sailing Program also offers private lessons in either the z420s (max two people) or the J/22s (max three people), which are customized to fit the students’ particular needs. To schedule a private lesson at a discounted rate, call 843.216.8450.