Club Profile: Vero Beach Youth Sailing Foundation

Youth Sailing Foundation of Indian River County, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) organization funded solely by donations and local grants. Our free sailing lessons are open to Indian River County children, age 9 to 18, who can pass a swimming test. High school students are invited to participate in our free Vero Beach High School or Indian River Charter High School Sailing Teams. YSF also offers adult sailing lessons for a fee.
News Flash: YSF is Hiring!!

Why sailing? In learning to sail, children learn life skills that will guide them their entire lives. Our program takes children outdoors, away from computers and cell phones while providing vigorous physical activity. Our children learn to rig and pilot their own sailboat, complete races, understand the sailing language, and interact not only with children but with adults. YSF’s success is measured in the self-confidence, discipline, decision making, and leadership skills that become evident in our students.

 Our progress and growth since our 2009 beginning is the result of the generosity of the community in both monetary gifts and volunteer hours. Partnerships with the Vero Beach City Marina, the Vero Beach Power Squadron, and the Moorings Yacht Club have given us the impetus to expand and create the type of programs we desire to offer to the community. We have built a total of 33 wooden Optimist sailboats, 24 of which were donated to be used by children who cannot sailboats. The Vero Beach High School Sailing Club uses our twenty Club 420 two-person sailboats. We own 5 twelve-foot Trinka sailboats and 4 nineteen-foot O’Day Mariner sailboats which are used both for the adult and the children’s classes. We also have numerous power boats that are used as safety boats while the students are sailing.

 Our program has many facets:

1. Free childrens beginning sailing instruction by certified US Sailing Instructors under the direction of our Sailing Director. Both classroom and on the water training is provided on Saturdays during the school year. Eight-foot long Optimist sailboats are used for beginning sailors between the ages of 9 & 14. Our beginning sailors sail on Saturday mornings and our more advanced sailors sail on Saturday afternoons.

2. In September of 2014 Youth Sailing Foundation collaborated with Vero Beach High School to form a high school sailing team using our Club 420 two-person sailboats. These boats are used nationally in high school and collegiate competition. In February 2015 the Vero Beach High School Sailing Team competed in a sanctioned ISSA (Interscholastic Sailing Association) regional regatta and as a result, 8 team members received Vero Beach High School Varsity letters. In September of 2015 Indian River Charter High School was invited to participate by creating the the Indian River Charter High School Sailing Team. The high school team practices on Wednesdays and Fridays after school. Our goal is to expand this program to include all Indian River County high schools.

3. In the spring of 2014 Youth Sailing Foundation started an Adult Sailing program. Adults pay $400.00 for eight 3-hour beginning sailing lessons combining on-the-water and classroom training. The adult students sail YSF’s 12-foot long Trinka sailboats and the ratio of students to instructors was very low. We now offer beginning and intermediate sailing to Adults. Classes are on Thursdays and Saturdays. The tuition collected from Adult Sailing is being used to fund our free children’s sailing lessons.

4. YSF’s Summer Sailing Camp is held at the Moorings Yacht & Country Club each summer. In 2015 YSF expanded from 6 to 8 one-week long beginning sailing camps for children between the ages of 8 and 13. Camp hours are 9 AM to 3 PM Monday through Friday. Children learn to sail 8-foot long Optimist sailboats. The fee to participate in one week of camp is $250.00 which includes lunch each day.

5. For those who like wood working, YSF offers the opportunity to assemble an eight foot wooden Optimist sailboat from a kit.  Parents and children are closely supervised and assisted by trained YSF volunteers.  The kit costs $2000.  It takes approximately 40 hours to assemble the Optimist sailboat.
News Flash: YSF is Hiring!!