AYC Racing School


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Forms Liability Waiver	Registration Four sailboats racing upwind on Lake Travis (image courtesy of Bruce McDonald) The number of instructors and sailboats available on any particular day will vary, so students are encouraged to register by sending an email to the following address: racingschool@austinyachtclub.net In order to reserve a spot, please send an email by the Wednesday prior to the class you plan to attend. What should the email say? Please include your full name, email address and the date of the class you are planning to attend, and please tell us whether you are a new student or whether you have attended class before. You can register for more than one class in advance if you want, but please remember to register for each class you plan to attend in order to help us plan the number of sailboats and instructors needed. For new students, please let us know how you heard about us and please include your level of experience so we can plan ahead (remember beginners are welcome :-) Late registrations are welcome but space is not guaranteed. Sending an email early during the week will reserve a spot for you and it helps instructors plan how many practice boats will be needed. Where should I go? Classes are held at the Austin Yacht Club. The AYC About page has a map and driving directions. If the front gate is closed when you arrive, please wait and an instructor will open the gate for you. When? Plan on getting to the club by the Class Start time specified on the schedule. Plan on being on the water between 2 and 2-1/2 hours for a regular class. If you would like to participate in one of the AYC races after class, then plan on spending the rest of the day enjoying beautiful Lake Travis! Please tell your instructor and we will try to find a boat that needs extra crew for the race. Most skippers at AYC are happy to take newcomers on board. Important: New students please arrive one hour prior to the start time in order to go through orientation as described in the What to expect section. What to bring? What to wear? Here are some suggestions for personal items you may want to bring: sunglasses (and neck strap) sunscreen + SPF lip balm hat or baseball cap boat shoes or other non-marking shoes (light colored, soft soled shoes) sailing gloves (if you own a pair) water/drinks, especially during the Summer! :-) lunch/snacks, especially if you will participate in the afternoon race shorts and a T-shirt during the Summer windbreaker and/or fleece jacket during Spring or Fall warm/dry clothes or foul weather gear during Winter (see Cold Weather Sailing) Whereas some sailors like to sail barefoot while cruising in The Bahamas, you will find that most racers prefer to wear shoes while racing :-) Regular white-soled tennis shoes would be an excellent choice... flip-flops or high heels would be a poor choice :-) Some types of running shoes (with dark soles) tend to leave scuff marks on the boat deck and that is why wearing boat shoes is better (or wearing shoes with light colored soft soles). Ask your skipper for an extra pair of sailing gloves if you don't own a pair. As you get more experienced you will probably want to buy your own pair (you can buy a pair at West Marine on 183 and Burnet Rd). Most boats have an ice-chest where you can put your drinks. All boats are equipped with life preservers. Please ask your skipper for one if you feel more comfortable wearing one. How much does it cost? The best things in life are free, and so is the AYC Racing School :-) Your instructors are volunteer sailors from the Austin Yacht Club who will be participating in a club-sponsored race later in the day. We get to the club a couple of hours earlier than we normally would in order to teach you how to sail. It's a win-win situation :-) We get to sail more (instead of mowing the lawn), and you get to learn how to sail. We are hoping that once you catch the bug you'll join us on the race course, and we'll teach you everything you need to know in order to get there.