SSA Juniors: Summer Sailing!
In the summer, we offer a diverse array of instructional classes and competitive race teams!
Summer Program 2024
*** View our Summer 2024 Class Brochure ***
See Class Descriptions Below For More Details!
Registration is Open!
If you are not a member of SSA, you will need to purchase a Junior Club Membership for each participant to register for classes.
You can purchase a Junior Club Membership here. JCM’s are $49 and are valid from 11/1 to 10/31.
Check out the How-To Guide for SSA Account Creation, JCM Purchasing, & Summer Registration!
Harbor Rookies
Ages: 5 - 7
Time: 9am to 12pm | One-Week Sessions
For: Brand new sailors!
Price: $440
This half-day class will teach the basics of sailing, but is primarily geared towards having fun and getting young sailors comfortable on the water in boats. Participants will learn how to steer a boat, rig a boat, basic points of sail, rules of the road, basic sailing knots, and how to recover after a capsize. There will be a lot of fun games and team activities integrated into this class. Participants will be sailing in McLaughlin Sail Cubes (similar to an Optimist dinghy), and will start two to a boat, with the goal to sail by themselves by the end of the session!
Participants will need to bring the following things to camp every day, clearly labeled with their name:
PFD/Life Jacket (Coast Guard Approved) with whistle
Closed-toed shoes that can get wet
Change of clothes & towel
Sunglasses & hat
Sunscreen
Healthy snacks
Reusable water bottle
Harbor Rookies Registration Links
SSA Member Registration Opens January 9th
Junior Club Member Registration Opens January 23rd
>>>>>> WAITLIST <<<<<<
Beginner Opti
Ages: 7 - 11
Time: 9am to 4pm | One-Week Sessions
For: Newer sailors
Price: $675
Beginner Opti will teach your young sailor how to properly rig and sail an Optimist dinghy. Participants will learn rigging, points of sail, knot tying, capsize recovery, rules of the road, and proper body placement in the boat. After successful completion of this course, and demonstration of core skill competence to our coaches, sailors will become eligible for the two-week Intermediate Optimist class. Completion of the Harbor Rookies program is not a prerequisite for the Beginner Optimist class.
Participants will need to bring the following things to camp every day, clearly labeled with their name:
PFD/Life Jacket (Coast Guard approved) with a whistle
Closed-toed shoes that can get wet
Change of clothes & towel
Sunglasses & hat
Sunscreen
Lunch & Healthy Snacks
Reusable water bottle
If you are under the age range posted above, please fill out the Age Restriction Waiver
Beginner Opti Registration Links
SSA Member Registration Opens January 9th
Junior Club Member Registration Opens January 23rd
Not within the age range? Age Restriction Waiver
Intermediate Opti
Rookie Racers *NEW!
Introduction to Green Fleet - “Lime Green”
Ages: 9 - 12
Time: 12:30 to 4:30pm | Two-Week Sessions
For: Intermediate Opti graduates interested in joining Green Fleet
Price: $1,400 (or $1,175 if you bring your own boat - Highly Recommended). Opti Charters are limited and will be leased on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Regatta List: Coach recommendations for SSA Sandy MacVickar July 1st or Miles River Jr Regatta August 8th
The Rookie Racers Optimist program is for sailors with experience in the Optimist dinghy. Participants must come into this program knowing the basics such as rigging the boat, how to sit in the proper position, and basic sailing knots (figure-8 and square knots). Participants will work toward improving their skills in tacking, gybing, sailing upwind and downwind, and learning basic racing rules and tactics. This is a 2-week, afternoon program intended to provide the skills for participants to move up to Green Fleet, or just improve upon their sailing & racing skills in general. Successful completion of the Optimist Intermediate program is a prerequisite for this program (but may be waived at the discretion of the Junior Program Director).
Participants will need to bring the following things to camp every day, clearly labeled with their name:
PFD/Life Jacket (Coast Guard approved) with whistle
Closed-toed shoes that can get wet
Change of clothes & towel
Sunglasses & hat
Sunscreen
Lunch & Healthy Snacks
Reusable water bottle
Notebook & Pen/cil
Rookie Racers Registration Links
SSA Member Registration Opens January 9th
Junior Club Member Registration Opens January 23rd
Session 2: 6/24 - 6/28 & 7/8 - 7/12
* Session 2 skips the week of July 4 *
Not within the age range? Age Restriction Waiver
Ages: 8 - 12
Time: 9am to 4pm | Two-Week Sessions
For: Beginner Opti graduates or sailors with prior Opti experience
Price: $1,175
The Intermediate Optimist program is for sailors with experience in the Optimist dinghy. Participants must come into this program knowing the basics such as rigging the boat, how to sit in the proper position, and basic sailing knots (figure-8 and square knots). Participants will work toward improving their skills in tacking, gybing, sailing upwind and downwind, and learning basic rules of the road. This is a 2-week, full-day program intended to provide the skills for participants to move up to Green Fleet, or just improve upon their sailing skills in general. Successful completion of the Optimist Beginner program is a prerequisite for this program (but may be waived at the discretion of the Junior Program Director).
Participants will need to bring the following things to camp every day, clearly labeled with their name:
PFD/Life Jacket (Coast Guard approved) with whistle
Closed-toed shoes that can get wet
Change of clothes & towel
Sunglasses & hat
Sunscreen
Lunch & Healthy Snacks
Reusable water bottle
Intermediate Opti Registration Links
SSA Member Registration Opens January 9th
Junior Club Member Registration Opens January 23rd
Session 2: 6/24 - 6/28 & 7/8 - 7/12
* Session 2 skips the week of July 4 *
>>>>>> WAITLIST <<<<<<
Not within the age range? Age Restriction Waiver
Introduction to Double Handed Sailing & Intro to High School Sailing
Ages: Doublehanded: ages 13 - 18 | Intro to HS: 7th grade through 12th grade
Time: 10am - 3pm | Two-Week Sessions
For: New sailors, sailors who have graduated from Opti’s, sailors who wish to improve their skills for High School Sailing
Price: $1,175
The Intro to Double-Handed Sailing program is class intended to teach inexperienced sailors how to sail a double-handed sailboat; in this case, an FJ or Flying Junior. This program is intended for 8th Grade to 12th grade sailors that are interested in learning how to sail or want to keep working on their skills from High School Sailing. Sailors will learn how to rig the boat, the points of sail, how to tie knots used in sailing, proper positioning in the boat, the right of way rules, and depending on progress, spinnaker work. We encourage and recommend that where possible, participants pair up as skipper/crew units prior to signing up for the class and register together, however the Junior Program can assist with pairing up un-matched sailors. The Intro to High School Sailing class will include all elements of the Double-Handed class but will also incorporate basic racing rules, tactics, and race courses in order to prepare the sailor for Fall Tryouts.
Participants will need to bring the following things to practice every day, clearly labeled with their name:
PFD/Lifejacket (Coast Guard approved) with whistle
Closed-toed shoes that can get wet
Change of clothes & towel
Sunglasses & hat
Sunscreen
Lunch & Healthy Snacks
Reusable water bottle
Bailer (could be an empty detergent bottle, or Arizona ice tea jug, with bottom cut off.)
Notebook if you want to take notes (Recommended)
Introduction to One Design Fleets at SSA
Ages: 8th grade through 12th grade
Time: 9am - 4pm | One-Week Sessions (Weeks 3, 4, 5 & 6 ONLY)
For: Sailors with previous sailing experience who wish to expand their sailing resume by trying out several different one-design boats.
Price: $750
The Adventure SSAiling program is a class intended to expose the experienced sailor to a variety of one-design sailing dinghies. This program is intended for 8th Grade to 12th grade sailors that are interested in learning a new boat or to expand their sailing resumes. Each week may incorporate learning and sailing in a different fleet where sailors will learn to rig, sail, and maintain a variety of boats. Sailors may be introduced to boats including, but not limited to, some of the following fleets: Daysailer, Lightning, FJ/420, Snipe, Melges 15, Laser, Waszp, 29er, Thistle, Soling, J22, J24, and J70.
Participants will need to bring the following things to practice every day, clearly labeled with their name:
PFD/Lifejacket (Coast Guard approved) with whistle
Closed-toed shoes that can get wet
Change of clothes & towel
Sunglasses & hat
Sailing Gloves
Sunscreen
Lunch & Healthy Snacks
Reusable water bottle
Bailer (could be an empty detergent bottle, or Arizona ice tea jug, with bottom cut off.)
Notebook if you want to take notes (Recommended)
Intro to Double Handed Sailing Registration Links
SSA Member Registration Opens January 9th
Junior Club Member Registration Opens January 23rd
Session 2: 6/24 - 6/28 & 7/8 - 7/12
* Session 2 skips the week of July 4 *
Intro to High School Sailing Registration Link
Not within the age range? Age Restriction Waiver
Adventure SSAiling *NEW!
Adventure SSAiling Registration Links
SSA Member Registration Opens January 9th
Junior Club Member Registration Opens January 23rd
Not within the age range? Age Restriction Waiver
Opti Green Fleet Race Team
Ages: 7 - 13; ask Junior Director if your sailor is ready!
Time: 10am - 4pm | Half or Full Summer
For: Intermediate Opti graduates ready for the next step - Racing!
Price (+Additional Travel Fees): Full Summer $3,960; First Half Summer: $2,400; Second Half: $2,200
Tentative Regatta List: Fishing Bay Yacht Club Junior Regatta (6/22-23), SSA Sandy MacVickar (7/1), AYC Junior Annual (7/2), West River Sailing Club Junior Regatta (7/11), Lewes Junior Regatta - DE (7/25), Miles River Junior Regatta (8/8), Oxford Junior Regatta (8/10-11)
SSA’s Optimist Green Fleet program is an introduction to racing. The Green Fleet competes in local regattas in the Annapolis and surrounding areas. The Optimist Green Fleet is a stepping-stone for sailors who are new to racing, but interested in competing in sailing and ultimately moving up to the open Optimist Red, White and Blue fleet racing. Parental involvement is expected to facilitate travel, trailering, and chaperoning. Successful completion of the Optimist Rookie Racers program is a prerequisite for this program (but may be waived at the discretion of the Junior Program Director).
Sailors will focus on refining their boat handling and practice skills needed to become proficient racers, including:
Starting
Using telltales
Advanced sailing terminology
The Racing Rules of Sailing
Basic racing tactics
Launching independently
Optimist Green Fleet sailors must provide their own boat, which must be equipped as follows:
27’-30’ Floating bow line (6mm/1/4” min. diameter), secured to mast step
Two bailers that are secured to the boat
Three air bags which must be firmly inflated and able to hold air
Rudder retainer clip (secures rudder to transom)
Daggerboard lanyard (to prevent it from floating away if capsized)
Mast tie in system (line and/or locking collar)
Bridle/Mainsheet connection, must be a shackle-type quick connect, no carabiners or other self-opening clips are permitted for safety reasons.
Mainsheet Bridle, no looser then approx. 4” from boom, and must have safety line.
Paddle or Praddle with lanyard
Extra sail ties
Participants will need to bring the following things to camp every day, clearly labeled with their name:
PFD/Life Jacket (Coast Guard approved) with whistle
Closed-toed shoes that can get wet
Change of clothes & towel
Sunglasses & hat
Sunscreen
Lunch & Healthy Snacks
Reusable water bottle
Opti Green Fleet Race Team Registration Links
SSA Member Registration Opens January 9th
Junior Club Member Registration Opens January 23rd
**Full Summer: 6/10 - 8/09 (Last Regatta 8/11)
2nd Half Summer: 7/15 - 8/09 (Last Regatta 8/11)
**Priority Registration
**Practice/Regatta dates may impact days at SSA, we will not sail more than 5 consecutive days. More information on that will be available during the parent meeting, details below!
*Times for Week 1 of practice may be altered to better include public school sailors until their school year ends.
Opti RWB Race Team
Ages: 8 - 15
Time: 10am - 5pm | Half or Full Summer
For: Green Fleet graduates ready to commit to a summer chock-full of fun and racing!
Price (+Additional Travel Fees): Full Summer $3,960; First Half Summer: $2,400; Second Half: $2,200
Tentative Regatta List: VA Race Week - NYCC (6/25), HYC (6/27-28); Annapolis Race Week - SSA (7/1), AYC (7/2); New Bedford Yacht Club Junior Regatta (MA) (7/8-14); USODA Fleet Nationals @ Ohio (7/27-29); Oxford Junior Regatta (8/10-11)
The Optimist RWB (Red/White/Blue) Team is for more advanced racing sailors who compete primarily in regattas in the Annapolis and surrounding areas, but also supports team members traveling to more distant regional and national level regattas. The Optimist RWB Team practices and races together. The Red/White/Blue designations are age bands used to score age groups separately at regattas: White (10 or younger), Blue (11-12), and Red (13-15). The Optimist RWB Team is ideal for sailors who are comfortable and proficient at racing. Parental involvement is expected to facilitate travel, trailering, and chaperoning. The Optimist RWB Team Coaches will be present at all supported regattas to help team members both on and off the water.
Sailors will focus on refining their boat handling and practicing other skills needed to further develop as advanced racing sailors, including:
Starting
Using telltales
Boat handling
Advanced sailing terminology
The Racing Rules of Sailing
Advanced racing tactics
Headers vs Lifts
Knowledge of race committee flags
Pinching and footing
Self-preparation
Launching, rigging and docking on one's own
Becoming self-sufficient at regattas and events
Optimist RWB team members must provide their own class-legal boats which must have:
27’-30’ floating bow line (1/4” min diameter), secured to mast step
Two bailers that are secured to the boat
Three airbags which must be firmly inflated and able to hold air
Rudder retainer clip (secures rudder to transom)
Daggerboard lanyard (to prevent it from floating away if capsized)
Mast tie in system (line and/or locking collar)
Bridle/Mainsheet connection, must be a shackle type quick connect, no carabiners or other self-opening clips are permitted for safety reasons.
Mainsheet Bridle , no looser then approx. 4” from boom, and must have safety line.
Paddle or Praddle with lanyard
Extra sail ties
Link to official Optimist Class Rules: HERE
Participants will need to bring the following things to practice every day, clearly labeled with their name:
PFD/Life Jacket (Coast Guard approved) with whistle
Closed-toed shoes that can get wet
Change of clothes & towel
Sunglasses & hat
Sunscreen
Healthy Snacks
Reusable water bottle
Opti RWB Race Team Registration Links
Race Team Registration will open on a case-by-case basis pending completed applications.
Fill out the Race Team Application in advance! - Submit your application in order to be eligible for the race team!
**Full Summer: 6/10 - 8/09 (Last Regatta 8/11)
2nd Half Summer: 7/15 - 8/09 (Last Regatta 8/11)
**Priority Registration
**Practice/Regatta dates may impact days at SSA, we will not sail more than 5 consecutive days. More information on that will be available during the parent meeting.
420 Chesapeake Race Team (“Chessie”)
Ages: 13 - 18
Time: 12pm - 5pm | Half or Full Summer
For: Sailors with 420 or FJ experience who would like to race in more regattas
Price (+Additional Travel Fees): Full Summer $3,960; First Half Summer: $2,400; Second Half: $2,200
Tentative Regatta List: VA Race Week - NYCC (6/25), HYC (6/27-28); Annapolis Race Week - SSA (7/1), AYC (7/2); New Bedford Yacht Club Junior Regatta (MA) (7/8-14); Lewes (DE) (7/25); Oxford Junior Regatta (8/10-11)
The 420 Chessie Racers program is intended for sailors who have some experience sailing the Club 420 or FJ and would like to try their hand at racing. Participants are often, but not limited to, those who sail in High School programs during the school year and want to expand their skill sets. This program is based at SSA but will also travel to local Chesapeake Bay regattas throughout the season. We will focus on the basics of racing including trapeze, spinnaker, starting, upwind sailing, downwind sailing, basic race tactics, rigging and derigging the boat. When we travel to events outside of Annapolis, we ask that parents help tow the 420's and coach boat. We encourage and recommend that where possible, participants pair up as skipper/crew units prior to signing up for the class and then register together, however the Junior Program can assist with pairing up un-matched participants. If you own your own boat you may use that instead of a club boat. If you choose to bring your own boat please reach out to the Junior Program Director to coordinate storage while you are in the program.
Participants will need to bring the following things to practice every day:
Lifejacket (Coast Guard approved) with whistle
Closed-toed shoes that can get wet
Change of clothes & towel
Sunglasses & hat
Sunscreen
Lunch & Healthy Snacks
Reusable water bottle
Bailer
Countdown watch
Trapeze harness for crews
We have 3 club boats that can be used for this class but encourage the use of privately owned boats for this program as it increases the potential number of participants and the quality of the team.
420 Chessie Race Team Registration Links
Race Team Registration will open on a case-by-case basis pending completed applications.
Fill out the Race Team Application in advance! - Submit your application in order to be eligible for the race team!
**Full Summer: 6/10 - 8/09 (Last Regatta 8/11)
2nd Half Summer: 7/15 - 8/09 (Last Regatta 8/11)
**Priority Registration
If you have your own boat and you would like to join our 420 team, please email us for additional availability!
**Practice/Regatta dates may impact days at SSA, we will not sail more than 5 consecutive days. More information on that will be available during the parent meeting.
Laser Race Team (ILCA)
Ages: 14 - 18
Time: 12pm - 5pm | Full Summer
For: Highly motivated, advanced sailors
Price (+Additional Travel Fees): Full Summer $3,960
Tentative Regatta List: VA Race Week - NYCC (6/25), HYC (6/27-28); Annapolis Race Week - SSA (7/1), AYC (7/2); New Bedford Yacht Club Junior Regatta (MA) (7/8-14); [POSSIBLE ILCA Great Lakes Champs 7/27-28]; ILCA Cork Regatta @ Kingston, Ontario (CAN) (8/6-9)
This eight-week travel team is designed for more advanced sailors who have mastered racing basics and are ready to test their abilities against the other top junior sailors from around the country. The SSA Laser Travel Team has consistently been one of the top junior Laser race teams in Maryland for the past 5 years and is focused on maintaining that status. The Laser Travel Team will compete in local Chesapeake events, but will also travel to high-level competitions around the country, primarily in the Northeast. The schedule typically includes the Junior Olympics as well as the U.S. National and North American championships.
Participants must provide their own boats. Parental involvement is expected to facilitate travel, trailering, and chaperoning. The team will need a parent liaison to coordinate with the Junior Program Director, coaches, and other parents to help plan and communicate logistics for events.
Participants will need to bring the following things to practice every day:
PFD/Life Jacket (Coast Guard approved) with whistle
Close toed shoes that can get wet
Change of clothes & towel
Sunglasses & hat
Sunscreen
Lunch & Healthy Snacks
Reusable water bottle
Notebook and pen/pencil to take notes
*Refund Policy: Any summer class registrations that are dropped/canceled at least 30 days prior to the start date of The Summer Program (June 10, 2024) will be granted a full refund (less processing fees). Any classes, Summer or Non-Summer, that are dropped/canceled 7 or fewer days before the first day of class may be given a 50% refund (less processing fees) if we can fill their slot with a participant from the waitlist. No refunds will be issued if we can not fill their spot from the waitlist or once class begins. Please note, that while Junior Club membership is non-refundable, you are still able to enjoy its benefits regardless of your participation rate in Junior Program activities. (See Junior Handbook for more FAQ’s pg. 23)
Laser (ILCA) Race Team Registration Links
Race Team Registration will open on a case-by-case basis pending completed applications.
Fill out the Race Team Application in advance! - Submit your application in order to be eligible for the race team!
**Practice/Regatta dates may impact days at SSA, we will not sail more than 5 consecutive days. More information on that will be available during the parent meeting.