Sailing Instructors:
Saint Croix Sailing School is currently accepting applications for sailing
instructors. Sailing Instructors are responsible for teaching sailing at
different levels, supervising watercraft safety, inspiring students with the
fun of sailing and introducing students to racing (in some programs).

Complete the Saint Croix Sailing School Sailing Instructor application and e-mail to Lee@saintcroixsailingschool.org.

The water is icy and cold, but day dreams of warm breezes and sunshine keep us looking forward to sailing in 2011! SCSS has been working hard to put together a top-notch season and we are excited to share it with you! Registration is now open for all students. This year we are offering a discount for those students who want to return for more than one week. Please fill out the application and waiver form and return it with your payment by mail.  If you are 18 or above, please fill out the registration for for the adult lesson program. Lessons are essentially private and will be scheduled at your convenience after payment has been received. For a registration form and more information see adult lessons.

It has been an exciting second season for SCSS and the enthusiasm from this year has already created momentum for an even better year in 2011! The great success of our season can be attributed to the hard working and creative staff and volunteers, the motivated students and the phenomenal parents who support their kids in learning much more than just sailing, but life lessons through sailing. Between seasons we are working to enhance our curriculum and training to keep our school growing and give students the highest quality instruction. Our ultimate goal is to create continued learning and make a fun and educational atmosphere for all involved. We hope you will join us again next year!

The schools mission is squarely focused on youth sailing.  But after receiving countless inquires about adult lessons we felt there was demand and need for an adult program.  Last year we conducted adult classes in our 420s, which worked well but clearly the 420 is less than an ideal adult learning platform.  This year an anonymous donor offered to fund a boat if we were willing to expand our adult offerings.  We said “of course” and are now happy to announce that we have acquired an O’Day Daysailor for adult lessons.  This is an ideal boat for any level sailor.  It is comfortable and stable yet performs well and gives helpful feedback that promotes learning.  Info on our adult lesson program is available here.

Saint Croix Sailing School is a 501(c)3 organization. We can accept donations that are tax deductible. Since we are committed to keeping tuition low and classes available to all students please help us by donating now. Feel free to conact any of our board members on the “contact us” page for more information.

The board of directors of the Saint Croix Sailing School has been hard at work planning for the inaugural season of the school. With clear objectives of building a sustainable school, keeping programs affordable, and ensuring accessibility for all, the board intends to conduct a capital campaign to enable the acquisition of all required boats and equipment. This plan will avoid any debt for the organization and will keep all boat and equipment costs out of class fees. After carefully determining the scale of operations for maximum operational efficiency, and looking at potential student counts, the board has determined the capital requirement to properly launch the school is $170,000. The board expects to enter a “pre-campaign” phase in the next few weeks to present the plan and vision to key supporters; a broader capital campaign will follow shortly after that. To be successful we will need financial support from many; it’s not too early to start thinking about how you can help make youth sailing on the St. Croix River a reality.

Based on the interview below it is evident that sailing great Dennis Connor would support the model that the Saint Croix Sailing School has implemented:

From a recent interview of Dennis Conner by Sailing Anarchy

SA: And what do you think is more valuable for young (11-16 years old) sailors – to sail in Sabots and Optimists or to sail as part of a program on a bigger boat?

DC: For sure, kids should be in smaller one-design boats like Optimists…..420s……Lasers, that sort of thing. Certainly not sabots.