May Is Community Sailing Month On Hatteras

Meg PhillipsMeg Phillips
Hatteras Sailing News

Taking a minute for ourselves

Those of us who live here on Hatteras are looking forward to a busy summer as we clean cottages, mix drinks, manage reservations, stock shelves, repair whatever, and all work together to make the summer visitors make those precious memories that keep them coming back to Hatteras year after year. May is a really good time to breathe in the wind and soak in the waves of our home island for ourselves. At Hatteras Community Sailing, we’ve nominated May “Community Sailing Month” and jam packed the sailing center schedule full of opportunities for Hatteras Island Residents to get out on the water and learn to sail before memorial day. 

“We all get so busy working in summer. I just think it makes sense to take a little time for ourselves in May and experience the wind and waves that bring all those visitors to our lovely home. I set up the schedule so local folks can get involved at every level from taking your first sail all the way through adult team racing in the Chesapeake.” says Meg Phillips, Program Manager, Hatteras Sailing. 

Hatteras Community Sailing (HCS) programming is all open to the public – residents and visitors. You do not need to be a member to participate and all are welcome. 

Community Sailing Schedule

Hatteras Island residents can use the coupon code #ILive&WorkHere for 20% off the course fees for the community sailing activities listed below between now and May 7th, 2023. 

Intro To Sailing – Community Sailing

For beginners who just want an introduction to sailing, we are offering community sailing “Intro To Sailing” days. Take your first sail. Go sailing for a couple hours each Monday in May. 

Basic Keelboat – Learn To Sail 101

The first of Hatteras Sailing’s  “Learn To Sail” series, basic keelboat introduces the knowledge and skills needed to learn to sail a small sailboat with a keel independently without an instructor or skipper. We learn points of sail, boat parts, tacking, jibing, man overboard rescue techniques, and basic sail trim. Each student should leave the course confidently sailing a small keelboat. HCS will teach on the Melges 24, ‘Pantswetter’

Liveaboard Basic Cruising – Learn To Sail 102

Add onto the knowledge and skills we learn in Basic Keelboat 101 and take it all up a level onto a much larger liveaboard boat the Sabre 42, ‘Legacy’. This course focuses more on navigation, large sail management, winches, furlers, engines, systems, operating a sailboat with a motor, docking, reefing, systems on board a liveaboard boat, etc. The students stay on  board the boat overnight and “sail away” in this course to either Ocracoke or Beaufort depending on the weather. 

Performance Keelboat

Not interested in cruising? Like the idea of socializing at regional regattas with a group of friends? Fall and Winter Regattas are packed full of interesting people, fun parties, and exciting races giving you a great reason to get off the island for a few days in the off season. Sailing the Melges 24 is fun, athletic, and exciting.  Learn the next level of sail trim, sailing with an asymmetrical, racing strategies and tactics, and more. Train in May and then Compete in Southern Bay Race Week in Hampton, VA on the Melges 24. Learn to be a better sailor and grow your range of skills including sail trim, boat handling, helming, rules and tactics, wind, weather, teamwork, and rig tuning. build on your strengths and eliminate your weaknesses. Join us for this unique opportunity to become better and experience a regional regatta on one of the best one design boats in the world.

  • Basic Keelboat is recommended as a prerequisite.
  • Train on May 4, 11, 18, 25 from 1-5pm (practice dates are flexible to weather and can be shifted  by the group that signs up)
  • Regatta May 30, 31 & Jun 1

Sign Up Here: https://hatterassailing.org/product/2024-performance-racing-clinic-may/