Hatteras Sailing started its program in 2020 with just the Opti Training. Now 5 years later we have kids participating all over the East Coast in major events such as East Coast Championships, New England Championships, Chesapeake Bay Championships and other really competitive and fun regattas. Our program is a very “proper” US Sailing based curriculum with Level 1 Certified Instructors and Junior Instructors. We have a flawless safety records since the Organization was started, and are proud to say we are the reason for many sailors getting a chance to start sailing and move onward to highly competitive opportunities.
Opti Sailing is the Foundation from where many of the greatest sailors started. Learning to be comfortable and have fun on the water at an early age is a tremendous advantage over sailors who start later in life. On the Optimist Pram, kids learn to be their master of their own fate because they are at the helm of their own boat !
Kids are started out gently with an emphasis on teaching the basics and building up their comfort levels to stronger and stronger wind conditions between virtually 0 wind and up to 20 knots of breeze. Sometimes when they are new, we pair them up with a more experienced sailor, especially in sporty conditions.
The International Opti is the World Standard for beginner youth sailors from the age of 6 to 13. There are thousands of Opti Sailors around the World and the competitions are intense for the highest skilled sailors. Opti programs are broken up into 4 levels of training and competitions. First is the GREEN FLEET. This is a fundamental learning fleet where coaches can help the kids in their events, and the focus is building confidence and independence so they can move into the higher levels of training eventually. At Hatteras, most of our sailors would be considered GREEN Fleet.
Once ready to move beyond GREEN Fleet, there is White, Red and Blue Fleets, which are divided up by age group. Younger kids are in the White Fleet, and the oldest kids are in the Blue Fleet.
Hatteras Sailing’s program is a hybrid of “At Home” training and exposure to new friends and competition from the nearest Yacht Clubs in Hampton, Colington, Norfolk, Wrightsville Beach, Lake Norman, Beaufort and New Bern. Without meeting kids with similar interest and strong motivation to excel, its very easy for our local kids to get bored. Hatteras is one of the best watersports locations in the World with the best wind and sea conditions on the East Coast, so it is our objective to help the kids become the best sailors on the Eastern Seaboard, if thats what they want to do. Having fun on the water is also a priority we are always trying to balance carefully.
Session 2 Proposed Schedule
- Practice – July 19
- Manteo Regatta – July 26
- Practice – July 27
- SAYRA Regatta – Aug 2 to 3 in Wrightsville Beach
- Practice – Aug 9
- Practice – Aug 16
- Practice – Aug 23
- Home Regatta – Sept 26-28 Lighthouse One Design
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