Harbor Island Sailing Club

Harbor Island Yacht Club has actually provided a Youth Sailing Program for more than 25 many years. This program is intended for kids and young adults ages 7 through 17. It is organized with an eye fixed not only toward presenting teenagers to cruising, but additionally toward rushing, higher level familiarity with small boat management and skills in a safe, fun environment. This system is taught by knowledgeable, skilled teenagers, most of who must finish a US Sailing therapist training course because they come old. Interested moms and dads tend to be invited to join up for one (or maybe more) of a month each Summer.

HIYC Sailing Camp History:

In 1988, Mandy and William Hofmeister led a group of moms and dads and juniors from Harbor Island and Percy Priest Yacht Clubs in developing "Miss Mandy’s Sailing Camp.” At first, the parents taught the youngsters and camper charges were utilized to pay for meals prepared by the volunteers. Whilst the very first campers became teenagers, the distance of moms, dads and 14 year-olds had been “too close for convenience.” Therefore, the volunteer frontrunners guaranteed United States Sailing Association small-boat teacher Certification for these adolescents and so they were advanced level into therapist functions. These teens got the chance to “boss the younger campers around” by providing on the liquid instruction for campers. The young campers loved becoming all over cool young adults additionally the moms and dads could be from the sidelines, providing security and curriculum assistance. A win-win-win.

Out of this small beginning, mainly supported financially by HIYC, has arrived Harbor Island’s Junior Program – made up of a Sail Camp which now operates four weeks in Summer, a number of regattas aimed specifically at junior sailors, a continuing contingent of juniors participating as staff and skipper into the numerous HIYC regattas, the HIYC water Scout Ship while the newly created relationship using the Vanderbilt University Sailing Team.

A number of the campers have graduated to the counselor functions while the program is actually just as much a leadership development program for the counselors as a discovering experience the campers. And, through the program many of the counselors have actually college degree rivals plus coaches various other cruising Programs.

In 2003, Marc Fortune led an initiative to create the Nashville Sailing Foundation, a 501(c) 3 non profit to support Sail Camp with tax deductible contributions of ships and altruistic efforts. The NSF ensured correct supervision, insurance coverage and economic supervision associated with the possessions associated with the camp.

In 2012, NSF became an official affiliate of HIYC and it is a single day to-day operator associated with the Camp. The Club continues its dedication to youth cruising by giving NSF with economic, facility and volunteer assistance.