basic sailboat racing rules

Advanced Sailing Classes Guide

After you spend a season or so refining your basic sailing skills, you’re ready to take the next step in your education. If you’re interested in cruising and recreational sailing aboard keelboats, then you should head to the next levels of certification, such as those the ASA or US Sailing offers. For example, the ASA’s progression of keelboat standards is as follows:

1. Basic Keelboat Sailing
2. Basic Coastal Cruising
3. Bareboat Chartering
4. Coastal Navigation
5. Advanced Coastal Cruising
6. Celestial Navigation
7. Offshore Passage Making

How far you go within the structure of an educational system depends on what kind of sailing you want to do and what other opportunities you have for gaining experience and practical education. After you’ve taken three or so levels of education over a couple of years, you may be comfortable enough to stop there. Or you may enjoy the challenge of moving up the certification system.

The U.S. Coast Guard may offer classroom courses in your area on subjects such as safety, seamanship, basic rules of the road, navigation, knots, and weather. Some of these courses are oriented for powerboaters, but most of the classroom subjects pertain equally well to sailing. Check out the Web site (www.uscgboating.org) for details.

If you’re more interested in racing, then you have to find a boat on which you can race. Spread the word that you’re an eager and willing crew member. We know of no better way to begin racing than to get out there and do it.During the off-season, you may consider taking one of the sailboat-racing classroom courses offered in your area; find class information through your local sailmakers. We have both taught at a national racing seminar series called North U. Who knows? Maybe we’ll see you there!

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