YOUTH SAILING WITH LHYC

YOUTH POLICIES

Personal Floatation Devices (PFDs): PFDs must be worn by sailors and parents on the water at all times. Extra PFDs are located in youth shed. Please make sure the correct size is worn.

 

Checking out boats: for each boat class, a set of requirements must be met for a youth sailor to check out a boat for sailing on non-group sailing days.  The goal of these requirements are to ensure that the sailor can safely operate the boat, understand how to properly rig and de-rig the boat, be able to rescue the boat from a capsize, and exercise good judgment when sailing around other boats or swimmers on the lake.

    Optimists

• Sailor must pass complete the skipper checklist of skill requirements to a youth program lead parent
• No non-member friends allowed on the boat as crew,  only other LHYC members
• A parent must be present, knows how to rig optimist, and can use the Kayak to provide assistance if needed

   Club 420

• Sailor must pass complete checklist of skill requirements
• An LHYC crew must accompany the skipper
• No non-member friends allowed on the boat as crew,  only other LHYC members
• A parent must be present and can use the Kayak to provide assistance if needed. However, no parent is required for sailors age 13 and above.

Volunteering: parents are asked to help volunteer in various roles to support the program. These can include driving the safety boat, helping kids rig and launch their boats, helping to repair and maintain the boats, hosting parties, coordinating racing, or any other duties that are a good match with the parent or volunteer’s skills and calendar.

 

Boat repair and maintenance: every spring and fall, a boat maintenance event is scheduled. Parent and club volunteers update lines, blocks, and other equipment on the boats and lifts as a team. Sometimes boats will be transported to homes of repair shops to more extensive work.

 

Legal liability: the Youth Program is covered by the LHYC Regatta and General Liability insurance policies. This insurance protects the club from lawsuit due to damage or personal injury during club activities. All members are required to sign a liability waiver.

 

Annual meeting: the Youth Director holds an annual meeting each fall to gather input from sailors and parents from the prior year. Ideas are gathered and used to improve the program.