by Hannah Tuson-Turner

Youth Sailing Captain

Summer junior lessons went well this year with excellent staff, new classes and record attendance.

Returning this year for his fourth season as an instructor but his first time as the head instructor was Wylie Kau. He graduated from Orcas High School in 2016 and was a captain of the varsity sailing team. His experienced leadership, adventurous spirit and commitment to the program helped him become a new favorite with our participants.

Michael Chesher was the second instructor for both beginning and intermediate sailing and was an excellent addition to the team. Chesher was newly certified as a U.S. sailing instructor this spring; he demonstrated excellent skills as a safety-boat driver and teacher.

We want to thank our instructors and the other sailors and volunteers who helped to make the season happen, including Jules Mann and all the sailors from the high school team. Betsy Wareham, Burke Thomas, Bob Brunius and Ben Luna tag-teamed to help field questions, assist with registration and be a resource for the staff.

The programs set a record for attendance this year, filling more than 200 class spaces and reaching 140 local and visiting kids. In addition to the “beginning” and “intermediate” classes, we also offered “intro to race” (ages 9+) and “fun on the water” (six to seven-year-olds), which were well-received by the community. The series of classes work well together to provide a learning pipeline for sailors.

Finally, we want to extend a huge thank you to the Orcas Island Yacht Club community for hosting another season of youth sailing this summer. We are already looking forward to next year!