The first Dinghy Night of the season is this Monday, May 4th!

The forecast calls for a nice, sunny evening with winds between 10–18 knots. If it ends up being a bit breezy, I still encourage new and less experienced sailors to come out, there is plenty of opportunity to observe and learn from one another.

We will gather between 4:30 and 5:00 p.m. near the boat ramp to begin rigging. We want to maximize our time on the water, so please arrive at 4:30 p.m. to help if you can. If you cannot arrive until after 5:00 p.m., no problem—just email me and let me know. We are going to try to get on the water by 5:30.

If you plan to attend, please RSVP by using this form so we know how many boats to rig.

To help share the workload of this all-volunteer event, I’m excited to have help from Eric Lesch, former director of the PA Community Sailing Program and an excellent resource. Chance, Fern, and Finn, coaches of the local high school sailing team, are also excellent sailors and will be helping throughout the summer.

If you have not already, please join PTSA here. Its just $40/year to join at “crew” level. Or join at a higher level if you can. Membership dues are the primary way we cover the cost to run this and other PTSA events.

For those who are new to Dinghy Night:
The primary purpose of this event is to create a mutually supportive and accessible community around dinghy sailing that provides a safe environment to get on the water, learn and sail together. Whether you are completely new to sailing or an experienced small-boat racer, we will find a place for you.

You can bring your own dinghy or sail one of our six club Lasers (ILCA). Folks who have experience will sail the boats out of the harbor. Everyone else, including those who just want to spectate, will go out on the Committee boat, double-decker electric motorboat with a cabin and head. Someone trained in dinghy support will be on an inflatable safety boat to facilitate rotating sailors onto boats and provide on-the-water support. Please bring a wetsuit/drysuit and a life jacket if you have them; if not, we have loaner gear available.

We run short, 5–10 minute races throughout the night. Races offer friendly competition for those who want it, but are also relaxed, informal and provide a fun structure for learning. Participation in races is certainly not required, but it gives us a focal point to stay near and having the goal of sailing to and around buoys can be helpful when learning.

Feel free to reach out with any questions. Hope to see you Monday night!

-Paul, Joanne and Jamie