Youth sailing focus
This year the Annapolis Spring Sailboat show has a renewed focus on getting new people into sailing, including youth sailors and adult beginners. As part of that effort, a Youth Sailing Panel Discussion will take place at the seminar tent on Saturday, April 27 at 10:30 a.m. inside the show.
Youth Sailing Panel Discussion and Q&A
All are invited to attend the youth sailing panel discussion, which will be lively, informal, and include a Q&A session. Whether parents have already registered their child for a youth sailing program this season or simply wonder whether such a program would be right for their family, they won’t want to miss this chance to have all their youth sailing questions answered.
Moderated by SpinSheet staff, this session will touch on all the essentials that families need to know to get their youngsters sailing. The panel will include a recent college sailor and current youth coach, parents of current youth sailors, and a high school sailor who is captain of her team.
Topics to be covered include gear kids need, safety, costs, time commitments, how kids progress to bigger boats, and more. More generally, panelists will discuss how sailing fosters life skills, problem-solving, and independence. Children are encouraged to attend accompanied by an adult. Children ages 14 and younger may enter the show for free.
Youth sailing gear and boats
Along with a selection of dinghies, the Annapolis Spring Sailboat Show has a lot to offer young sailors and their parents. The Rooster sailing gear trailer will offer a wide variety of sailing apparel available for purchase as well as knowledgeable staff to direct parents as to what gear their child needs and proper fitting. Annapolis Sail Works, staffed by knowledgeable local sailors, will also be onsite. They provide performance and recreational sailboats (including Optis and other youth-friendly dinghies), equipment, apparel, and repairs. Both will be great resources for families of youth sailors.
Loaner lifejackets will be made available at the show entrances courtesy of BoatUS.
