Virginia Sailing School recommendation For children

[Gadagirl]

So this summer I'd really love to enroll my granddaughter in a beginners sailing school. A 1-2 week class. Any recommendations? Assuming I'd have to shell out for lodging as well as class payments i guess I could expand the the area to Maryland or North Carolina. Not interested much in the DC area due to sever water polution. So an area with moderately priced lodging but a well recommend school. Age 9, good swimmer.

[Pandor]

The optimist program at Fishing Bay Yacht Club in Deltaville might work for you.

[ggray]

Where do you/does she live?

[thomm225]

We have SailTime here in Norfolk/Virginia Beach.

I know one of the Instructors, and he just loves to teach people to sail!

I always tell him that he needs to sell me his boat (a Bristol 31.1) because he hardly ever sails the thing as he is too busy teaching.

They start you out on Capri 22's. They just added a third one. These boats look really good on the water. I see them a lot when I'm headed out, and I think they have a nice sail plan.

https://www.norfolksailing.com/

Video is where they used to be located. They have since moved to Bay Point Marina on Little Creek

https://www.facebook.com/SailTimeVaB...55662647142013

[Gadagirl]

Thanks for all of the replies. We live in the Fredericksburg area. Mostly power boat oriented here along the Potomac. There's a rental/asa school just north of me in Woodbridge but not geared toward children specifically. Then even more north is Washington sailing club. They do i think offer classes to children. But that area has such poluted waters, and high priced hotel's i think I'll pass on that. 1 dump out of the boat in those water's, next week you're at the doctors office with ear and nasal infection, antibiotics, etc.

So looking along the northern neck area but as I stated since I'd be also staying in a horel/airbnb/rental unit. It could be anywhere in the Va./Md./NC area. As long as lodging was somewhat affordable.

[Dr. D]

Check out the Sailing Academy in Tracy’s Landing , MD. Well, might be Deale, MD. Good people with a variety of programs. Not sure about the hotels available.

[Jebtrois]

Our son is going to this one this summer...many of our friends in the area have recommended it. Indeed, our neighbor learned to sail in this summer program 40 years ago. There are a lot of air b n b solutions very close and you could go to the beach at Hampton or Norfolk while she is in camp.
JEB

[Easy Breezy]

We lived in Stafford VA for over 20 years before we recently moved out west. We pursued our sailing courses through Sailtime in Norfolk. We'd recommend them as mentioned in another post. Best wishes to you!

[ohdrinkboy]

In NC, but has I've only heard good things about it my whole life....https://www.seagull-seafarer.org/

[letsgetsailing3]

FYI -



This thread is from April 2021 (Almost two years ago), so I'm not sure they still need more recommendations.

[Gadagirl]

I still appreciate suggestions because next summer we might do it again. Not sure because her experience wasn't overly enthusiastic. She didn't fall in love with the sport. So I don't want to push it.

We ended up going to Buckroe beach Virginia and she took lessons with Youth Sailing Virginia

https://youthsailingva.org/

They are located within the Fort Monroe state park.

Overall she enjoyed herself and learned. I have no complaints about the school. It was pretty well run. It was probably my fault the she didn't have a stellar experience. She was the youngest in the group, by as much as 1 to 2 years. They accepted her because she's a very strong swimmer and is quite tall for her age as well. The older experienced children enjoyed a little bit of hazing by purposely flipping the boats. Although that is a part of the learning curriculum, she didn't really appreciate it when it was done on other days unannounced to her. Lol This is the same child that will swim in the ocean surf with waves breaking over her, refusing to leave the water to even eat lunch. So go figure.

So perhaps for next summer we'll try for something a little more one on one or a class with children closer in age.

Thanks for the input! Sorry I didn't update this thread sooner