Introduction to Sailboat Racing

The Introduction to Racing course  will expose students to sailboat racing in the Puget Sound region.  The course is comprised of two in-class sessions which will be held on Tuesday, May XX and Tuesday, May XX from 6:30-9:00pm at the Seattle Mountaineers Program Center.  Students then will have the opportunity to participate in one on-the-water race sometime in June and/or July.  

The course will give you the opportunity to:

• Build on the skills learned in the Mountaineers Basic Crewing/Sailing Course.
• Learn about three sails typically used in sailboat racing: Main, Jib/Genoa, and Spinnaker.
• Be exposed to the Racing Rules of Sailing and how they apply during a race.
• Experience a sailboat competition.
• Gain a basic understanding of upwind sailing, downwind sailing, and downwind sails when in a competition.
• Have a basic understanding of racing tactics and strategy, and how to apply them during a race.
• Have a basic understanding of the anatomy of a sailboat race, from prestart to finish.
• Learn what needs to be done at mark roundings: before, during, and after.