Visit Meydenbauer Bay any summer day and you are likely to see up to two dozen small sailboats skippered by happy children skittering about. 

The youngest are only 8 years old and yet manage to get their tiny boat to do at least some of the things they want it to do.  The oldest are up to about 16 and are very skillful in maneuvering their larger craft. 

These are the students in Meydenbauer Bay Yacht Club’s youth sailing program attending one of the clubs week-long sailing camps.

This past summer was the 14th season for the yacht club sailing school.  They taught 220 kids water safety and sailing skills in 10 week-long sessions. The youth sailing fleet has grown to a total of 25 boats from an initial five small sailboats and one tender.  The present fleet includes 10 Optimist sailboats for the youngest kids and five Vangard 15s and four Lasers for the older ones.  Six RIB tenders are used by the instructors as safety boats in the event of a capsize and provide on-the-scene instruction while the kids are sailing. 

Five full time certified instructors are employed for the program, most from the UW sailing team.  One or two former students per week from are also employed as student instructors.  The club pays for USSA training of student instructors believed to be well qualified to become certified instructors. Several of these students have become part of the club’s certified instructor group in the last few years. 

MBYC Youth Sailing was initially promoted by the sailors in the yacht club led by Mike Ogilvie and Ed Sweo and authorized by the MBYC board of trustees in December 1995.  The first floats were built by club volunteers and lessons were first conducted in the summer of 1996 using five Optimist dinghies for kids 8-12 years old.  All equipment was financed by donations from club members.  A college student from Western Washington University sailboat racing team was hired as the first instructor. 

The first summer was a great success and the number of Optimists was gradually increased to 10 as more kids wanted the lessons.  Larger two-person boats were added when the first students became too big for the Optis.  Lasers, performance one person sailboats for kids from 12 up, were later added when the kids wanted more challenge. 

A racing team was started after the first couple of years and now regularly participates in races with other local sailing schools.  The final racing event is usually the Oktoberfest held each Fall at Sand Point. 

More floats and tenders were added as the number of sailboats increased.  The original home-made floats were recently replaced with sectional molded plastic floats to accommodate today’s 19 sailboats.   

All instructors have been certified by the United States Sailing Association (USSA) after completing the USSA training program.  This training includes water safety and first aid in addition to the basics of conducting a youth sailing program. 

The USSA training program requires that all students demonstrate the ability to swim and use lifejackets before they first enter a boat.  Their first day on the water also includes a capsize test where the student’s  boat is intentionally capsized and they have to right the boat and get back into it without assistance.  This prepares the kids to cope with a possible capsize before it happens and also serves as a confidence builder. 

All students and instructors wear lifejackets whenever they are on the docks or in the boats.  One instructor is used for each five students for safety on the water and to insure that each student receives adequate instructor attention.

Ten one-week sessions are offered each summer and anyone can participate.  Membership in the yacht club is not required and only about a third of the students are children or grandchildren of club members.   

On the first morning the students complete their initial on-shore lesson and take the swimming and capsize tests.  They are out in boats that afternoon and by the end of the day have gotten the boat to do at least couple of things they want it to do.  It is a great sight to see them return to the dock about 3:30 Monday afternoon with giant smiles on their faces.  The succeeding days include both more shore lessons and practice in the boats until by week end they take a lunch cruise to a far off destination such as Medina Beach or Luther Burbank Park. 

Both bay neighbors and parents love to watch the kids sailing. The Meydenbauer Bay Neighbors Association has donated funds to help finance the sailing school.  MBYC volunteers led by Jack and Betty Laffaw take parents out in a boat to watch the sailing on Wednesday afternoons.  This usually involves a bit of grandstanding by the kids trying to impress their parents and a great time is had by all. 

MBYC Youth Sailing is led by the officers of Meydenbauer Bay Yacht Club and staffed by club volunteers.  These volunteers, now led by Peter Hambling and Dan Case, have sponsored youth sailing throughout its history, hired instructors and financed the addition of boats and floats with donations to improve the fleet.  They also maintain the boats and floats to keep the cost of youth sailing lessons affordable.   

For more information visit the yacht club website at www.mbycwa.org or pick up a brochure at the yacht club