The Gulf Shores, Ala., club has given a 19’ Flying Scot and Capri 14.2 to the youth sailing program, which has educated 1,300 children since the City of Orange Beach took over and expanded the program in 2004. The city recently opened the Wind & Water Learning Center, which now serves as the permanent structure for Sail Camp.
The Point Yacht Club in Gulf Shores, Ala., has donated two boats to the City of Orange Beach’s Sail Camp program, which teaches youth how to sail, the Robertsdale (Ala.) Gulf Coast News Today reported.
In late 2003, the Point Yacht Club voted to turn Sail Camp, a program it developed, over to the city’s Parks & Recreation Department. The club hoped to help the program grow so that more youth could be exposed to sailing and ultimately advance the sport along Alabama’s Gulf Coast, Today reported.
Since 2004, the Sail Camp has grown and expanded under the city’s direction, with almost 1,300 children learning to sail through the program, Today reported.
The city is marking its 10th year running Sail Camp, and it recently celebrated the opening of the new Wind & Water Learning Center, which is now the permanent home for Sail Camp. Construction of the building was made possible by contributions & donations from the community, Today reported.
With Sail Camp finally having a home base, the Point Yacht Club felt it was time to make the next contribution by adding to the fleet of vessels available for training. The club donated two boats, a 19’ Flying Scot and Capri 14.2, and has also put on loan a second club-owned Scot for the program, Today reported.
“It is a goal of Point Yacht Club to promote sailing as a recreational activity and sail boat racing as a competitive sport,” the club’s donation letter said. “It is our hope that the program will be extended to include sailing Flying Scots with the intention of developing sailors who our club can sponsor in Gulf Yachting Association (GYA) competitive events.”
Point Yacht Club hosts many events each season. The group has four club races and two GYA-sanctioned regattas, Fast Women in July and Lost Bay Regatta in October, as well as raft-ups and parties. The club currently has 90 member families, Today reported.
Wind & Water Learning Center staff have already started using one of the Flying Scots and are ecstatic to have a bigger vessel to challenge their more experienced students, Today reported.
Now that Sail Camp is over for the summer, Wind & Water Learning Center Coordinator Caroline Harris will be developing programming that will include the larger vessels and also offer students more extended training opportunities, Today reported.
The ultimate goal for the new facility will be to have various water training available March through October, Today reported.
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