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We encourage all of PYSF sailors and families to join The Club at Westpoint. While being the premier sporting and social club in Silicon Valley, they are also amazing supporters of PYSF! Please visit their website or stop by for more information.

The club is open to boaters and Non-boaters alike. It is located in Redwood City CA, in Silicon Valley, at Westpoint Harbor.

  • US Coast Guard Approved Lifejacket
  • Bailer (plastic juice/bleach/milk jug with bottom cut off)
  • Pinnie
  • Sailing Boots (best), aqua shoes, or rubber soled shoes (old tennis shoes)
  • Gloves
  • Packed lunch in a large zip lock bag
  • Snack bars stored in lifejacket
  • Water Bottle
  • Towel
  • Sunscreen
  • Sunglasses
  • Hat to shade sun or protect from cold depending on the weather forecast
  • Change of clothes
  • Wetsuit or spray top and bottoms
  • Shin Guards – optional
  • Helmet – optional, but strongly recommended
  • Order PYSF branded sailing gear by clicking here.

See https://westcoastsailing.net for items above

For Regattas Add:

  • Signed Waiver
  • Payment
  • Boat and sail number along with names of other team members

Looking for pictures of your kids sailing? You can check the websites listed below. If you have pictures you are willing to share, please send the link to [email protected] and we’ll add it to the list.

IMPORTANT:

  1. Sign up at the following links to let Molly know you want to sail in a high school regatta, or junior sailing regatta.
  2. Register your team’s boat (done by HS Parent Rep or Skipper) with each host club at the Pacific Coast Interscholastic Sailing Association (PCISA) website.

Ten Steps for Competing at Regattas

  1. PLAN AHEAD! Sailors Sign up so that Molly knows which regattas you are available to race in.
  2. Drivers Sign up to indicate if they can tow a trailer and for which direction.
  3. Molly assigns skipper and crew to each team.
  4. Skippers (or their parent) register and pay for the regatta; crew will need to reimburse the skipper if they paid for both during registration. (Some high schools choose to have the Team Parent register all the sailors.)
  5. Molly assigns boat and sail numbers for Team Parents to update the registration.
  6. Skippers, crew and parents read the Notice of Race (NOR) that outlines the schedule for the day, meals, and race course details; this is typically posted on the hosting club’s website. (For High School regattas, links to NOR and race results can often be found on the PCISA website.)
  7. Parents and sailors organize carpooling – sometimes with the drivers who have volunteered to tow.
  8. Parents and sailors secure overnight accommodation when travel is necessary; this may mean volunteering to chaperone. For some regattas you need to be planning well in advance to arrange for flights and hotel accommodations.
  9. Sailors help with boat loading that typically takes place Thursday afternoons from 3-6pm.
  10. Sailors review the “Regatta Prep Checklist” and prepare for a successful regatta.

Types of Regattas

NORCAL Regattas

The Northern California Yacht Clubs and PCISA host a series of races for High School teams from Northern California only. There are two tiers of regattas: “One-Days” (those for the more entry level teams/sailors that require only two kids from the same school). And “Divisional Regattas” (those for full teams of at least four sailors, which mimic the PCISA Regattas). 8th graders may sail for the school they intend to enroll in for 9th Grade as long as they are paired with a current student from that High School.

PCISA Regattas

Pacific Coast Interscholastic Sailing Association (PCISA) schedules a series of CFJ races hosted by PCISA and ISSA, during the school year. Schools enter one team with an A and B Division and sailors rotate boats throughout the regatta. A full team is at least 4 sailors where at least 3 are from the same school. Only teams where all 4 sailors are from the same school can advance to the Pacific Coast Championship (PCC). The combined scores for the series qualifies a school for the PCC’s, with the top 4 schools advancing to the ISSA National Championship. 8th Graders sail for the high school they intend to enroll in and may not sail in District Qualifiers and/or National Championships.

BAYS Regattas

Bay Area Youth Sailing (BAYS) offers a series of races for junior sailors to represent PYSF and race in the following fleets: Opti Green, Opti Championship, Laser Full, Radial, 4.7, CFJ, C420, and 29er. These regattas occur over the Fall, Spring and Summer months. It is highly recommended that sailors compete in the regattas laid out in the schedule.

Start Sailing Right published by US Sailing is a comprehensive book that addresses all the basics and belongs in the home of every sailor.

The Racing Rules of Sailing is provided by US Sailing when you become a member and it contains the rules that every sailor lives by – racers, cruisers and commercial vessels.

Contact the PYSF Treasurer about scholarships that are available and help PYSF achieve its mission to be a community sailing group that teaches sailing regardless of ability to pay.

To apply for a PYSF scholarship complete the PYSF Request for Scholarship.

Safety

All sailors must wear a life-jacket and must be able to swim comfortably with clothes and a life-jacket on. A safety motorboat is present for all classes.

What to bring/wear?

  • US Coast Guard approved life jacket. We have some for when you forget one, but all sailors will need to purchase their own. It should hit at, or above the waist so it doesn’t ride up. And should be adjustable on the sides. Kayaking versions are the best fit for sailors.
  • Wear a wetsuit or spray gear, as well as bring a beanie or warm hat as the cooler months approach
  • Footwear should be aqua shoes, rubber soled shoes, or sailing boots. Old tennis shoes work as well.
  • A towel, hat, sunglasses, and change of clothes are helpful.
  • Sunscreen
  • Water bottle and lunch

What will be taught in the Learn to Sail classes?

  • Capsizing and righting a boat. Basic safety and sailing skills
  • Boat handling, team work
  • Proper upwind sailing and tacking
  • Sailing downwind, gybing
  • basic right-of-way rules
  • Boat speed, boat handling and knot tying.
  • Small class “regattas”

What kind of boats are the kids sailing?

Beginning sailors learn to sail in Optimists. An Optimist (Opti) is a small pram with a gaff type rig. It is the world’s most popular boat with over 100,000 of them sold. One can go almost anywhere there is water and find a fleet of Optis. An Opti is smaller than an El Toro and easier for young children to handle and right, should it flip over.

What is an Optimist?

  • Often referred to as an “Opti”
  • Single design, one person sailboat designed for beginner sailors under 16
  • Small pram with a gaff type rig; smaller than an El Toro and easier for young children to handle and right, should it flip over
  • More than 150,000 kids in more than 110 countries worldwide sail Optis.
  • Largest and fastest growing dinghy class in the world
  • World’s most popular boat with over 100,000 sold
  • Best way for kids to learn to sail – over 85% of the sailing medal winners in the last Olympics were former Optimist sailors
  • Large and vibrant Bay Area Opti fleet with sailing opportunities not only on the Peninsula but around San Francisco Bay, California and the US

How many sailors per boat?

The Optimist is a single-handed boat. Each sailor will skipper his/her own boat.

How many sailors in the learn to sail class?

Each class will have 12-15 kids.

Will you have safety boats?

Yes, there will be safety motorboats. Safety and personal instruction are important.

Reminders

  • Bring sunscreen, sunglasses, hat, long sleeved shirt/rash guard, etc. The days are long, and the sun is intense.
  • All sailors must wear water shoes, boots, etc. No flip-flops, bare feet, exposed toes.
  • We have lifejackets for those that do not own their own. But having your own is advised (for comfort, fit, etc)
  • Helmets are becoming more and more commonplace in our sport. We do not supply helmets, but welcome those that would like to wear them. Some options:
  • https://www.shredready.com/collections/2016-plastic-whitewater-helmets/products/2016-sesh
  • https://www.shredready.com/collections/2016-plastic-whitewater-helmets/products/2016-outfitter-pro-1
  • http://www.forward-wip.com/en/1-pro-wip-helmet.html
  • Kids will be both on land, and on the water. They should bring a change of clothes so they are comfortable when doing land drills.
  • Day 1 all campers will be doing a swim test where the instructors will make sure the kids are comfortable in the water, and in their lifejackets. They will not need to swim a distance without their lifejackets on.
  • There will be a lunch break in the middle of the day, and some kids like to have a snack while on land. Please have them arrive with their food, as there will not be a chance to go off-site to purchase
  • Having a windbreaker, spray top, etc is advisable for the afternoons when it is windier and the kids will be getting sprayed. Some kids like to wear wetsuits as well. I suggest short legs and arms, to aide in mobility.
  • Drop-off CANNOT be before 8:50am, as the instructors are elsewhere retrieving motorboats and preparing for the day
  • Pick-up is at 4pm. If a child is picked up beyond 4:15pm there is a $25 charge per 15 minute window. Please plan accordingly.

Our Racing Team is divided into two groups, the “Opti Green Team” and “Opti Race Team.” Our Optimist racers are from 9-15 years old and enjoy improving their racing skills around the SF Bay Area and along the west coast. The Opti Green team is for sailors with less than a year sailing in Optimists, but who understand the basics of sailing and need an introduction to racing skills. The Opti Race team is for sailors who have experience racing Optimists around the Bay and are looking to refine racing skills. Register now!

What is an Optimist?

  • Often referred to as an “Opti”
  • Single design, one person sailboat designed for beginner sailors under 16
  • Small pram with a gaff type rig; smaller than an El Toro and easier for young children to handle and right, should it flip over
  • More than 150,000 kids in more than 110 countries worldwide sail Optis.
  • Largest and fastest growing dinghy class in the world
  • World’s most popular boat with over 100,000 sold
  • Best way for kids to learn to sail – over 85% of the sailing medal winners in the last Olympics were former Optimist sailors
  • Large and vibrant Bay Area Opti fleet with sailing opportunities not only on the Peninsula but around San Francisco Bay, California and the US

What will be taught in the Learn to Sail classes?

  • Capsizing and righting a boat. Basic safety and sailing skills.
  • Boat handling, proper upwind sailing and tacking.
  • Sailing downwind with jibes, racing, and basic right-of-way rules.
  • Boat speed, boat handling and knot tying.
  • Small class “regattas”

What kind of Optimist racing can I do?

  • Beginners – If you want to learn to sail, then the Optimist is a great way to get started. You should be at least 8 years old, but many kids start at a later age. The upper limit is that you must be younger than 16.
  • Green Fleet – As a Green Fleet Novice sailor you will have the opportunity to sail in some of the sailing regattas held at PYSF and around the Bay Area. Many Green Fleet Sailors practice throughout the school year at PYSF, and attend the summer sessions to hone their skills.
  • Championship Fleet – Once you are well on your way to developing advanced sailing skills in an Opti, you may qualify to join the Championship Fleet. Some of our Championship Fleet team qualified and attended the Opti National Team Racing Trials in Connecticut for 2009 and most of our Championship Fleet has also qualified for Opti National Team Trails in Houston in April 2010.

What are the age groups for each fleet?

  • Green Fleet – First year of racing
  • White Championship Fleet – ages 10 and younger
  • Blue Championship Fleet – ages 11-12
  • Red Championship Fleet -ages 13-15

John Vandemoer, Stanford Head Sailing Coach, gave a talk on sailing in college. John’s talk was very informative, for both the parents and sailors. Some major take-aways:

  • Look at https://www.collegesailing.org to see the different college team examples from across the country to do your first filter.
  • Contact coaches by the winter of your junior year (sophomore for Ivy League). When contacting them be succinct and to the point (they’re overwhelmed with the amount of requests from students, make it easy for them).
  • Do “extra curricular” sailing, get out of your area, compete and train with a bigger pool of sailors to get better and get more exposure.
  • Sail multiple boats, be well rounded.

Some examples of clinics from around the country:

  • CISA Clinic: Elite level, Resume based. CFJ, C420, 29er, Radial, I420
  • Neill Clinic: Advanced Level. C420. http://neilladvancedsailingclinic.com
  • Brooke Gonzalez Clinic: Elite Level, Resume based. C420, Radial, I420, Bytes, F16.http://www.sailnewport.org/clinics/gonzalezclinic
  • Regional Clinics: associated per class, and per National Championship. Ida Lewis: Women’s Doublehanded National Championship
  • Leiter Cup: Women’s Singlehanded National Championship
  • Sears Championship: Triple handed Junior Championship
  • Bemis Championship: Double Handed Junior Championship
  • Smythe Championship: Single Handed Junior Championship
  • Northern CA Championship: (hosted by PYSF!) http://www.club420.org/calendar/calendar_list.php

No one gets “good” by simply hoping it so. Like anything you would like to succeed in, you must plan ahead and make a commitment. Make a commitment to yourself, your team, your parents, etc. Lay out some big picture goals you would like for your sailing career in the next 2-3 years. Then plug in the steps needed to attain those. I am happy to help you come up with the missing pieces. But you must come up with a plan in the first place. When you watch a committed athlete work on their sport, it’s amazing how quickly the improvement comes.

Molly Talks About Teams & Teamates
APRIL 15, 2013

In this edition of SoundWaves, Dean Brenner interviews Molly Vandemoer, a member of the 2012 US Olympic Sailing Team. She and her two teammates, Anna Tunnicliffe and Debbie Capozzi, were gold medalists at the 2011 World Championship and silver medalists at the 2012 Worlds. They spent 16 months ranked #1 in the world and finished 5th at the 2012 Olympic Games. In this exclusive interview with The Latimer Group, Molly shares some simple insights on teams and being a good teammate, concepts that helped make her, Anna and Debbie the best in the world in their sport.

The recording can be found here