Awarded New Sea Legs Courtesy of Miramar Yacht Club
(Miramar Yacht Club trophy case)
Tonight I attended the Miramar Yacht Club (MYC) Sailing Course and I feel as if I’m sailing off into a new phase in my life. It’s hard to believe that all this leisure sailing has been going on, practically in my backyard, and I never had a part of it.
Anyone can take this class and everyone should. In just three short sessions, you can learn how to talk like a sailor — and I don’t mean swearing. By the first sail date in June, you’ll probably be able to rig up the spinnaker.
Accompanied by the computerized presentation, the well-worn, waterborne teachers went through the information as smoothly as a sailboat going downstream. Those who paid for the course received the book, “Start Sailing Right” by Derrick Fries of The United States Sailing Association. Members of the press will have to buy a copy for $15 at MYC or online.
Read more about the sailing course after the jump.
I learned (or should I say, was taught) many new things about wind and the waterworld and even got a few new words to fish out when playing Boggle (e.g., luff, clew, jib, keel). You’ll even get a little brush-up on geometry (hypotenuse triangles and sails) and physics (see photo of a course instructor demonstrating the Bernoulli Effect).
Members of the Miramar Yacht Club don’t have to own a boat to join, but many do eventually buy their own after they’ve gotten their feet wet. Since, you’re getting your feet wet, you might as well get your whole body wet — because as a member, you have access to a pool and a locker for your stuff in the summer.
Prices for membership are significantly lower if you’re under 29 years of age. For a Schedule of Member Fees, I would suggest you call Irene Olson, Chair of the Membership Committee instead of e-mailing — since the person who usually handles the e-mail account has not been available for the task.
This class is only given once a year, but even if you missed tonight’s first of three sessions, you can still make it to next week’s session. The instructors will be doing a review and you’ll pay $50 (instead of the original $60) for the two remaining sessions, with the free sail included.
How many of us have the image of solitary sailors floating drunken on the lonely seas? Well it’s not like that at Miramar. Everyone there was welcoming and not at all drunken. In fact, a special mention is made about sailboat captains not imbibing while in charge of their boat. The organizers do encourage safe beverages, such as hot coffee and tea, offering both during a break along with various sweet cakes (also included in the fee).
Members who own boats say, “Ahoy, there maties” to help new members jump on board and they fight over them so they can have crew for their next sailing expedition. Sailings have been known to take off to Spain and Bermuda, so don’t be surprised if you sign up as a member and find yourself playing Gilligan to a Miramar Skipper on a three-hour tour.
If you’re from Sheepshead Bay and you’ve never been sailing, don’t miss out on this part of our great heritage. If you’re from one of the other boroughs or from the sophisticated “city”, don’t worry about feeling out of place. There is at least one other member I met who travels in from Manhattan to go sailing on his boat. He took the subway in, so you Manhattanites will have some company on the long trip home. If you come by mass transit from some other area, you might get a ride home from someone going your way.
So, it’s full speed ahead for boating in Sheepshead Bay.
Here are the details:
(Please note that the time listed on the original flyer has been changed from 8 p.m. – 10 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.)
Miramar Yacht Club
3050 Emmons Avenue
Sheepshead Bay
Brooklyn, NY 11235
Located between Haring St & Nostrand Ave
Class is taught on the second floor in the Party & Banquet Hall (available for rent — special discounts for members)overlooking the docks.
$50 per person (accepted at the second class)– special price for couples or families — and includes class materials, refreshments, and the Free Sail.
For reservations call 718-743-5823 or e-mail.
Note: The link to the website won’t work on Firefox.
[I cannot be held responsible for inaccurate sailing references — I’m just barely learning the ropes — oops, I mean the lines.]