Junior Test FAQ
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Who gives Junior tests?
Senior Skippers, Cruising Skippers, and specially designated Junior Skippers (those who have passed the Senior dinghy practical sailing test) may give Junior Skipper practical sailing tests. People wanting to take the test can ask the Dayleader to point them out. If you have trouble finding these skippers, try calling them and make arrangements to meet at a specific time. Persevere!
When can Junior tests be given?
Junior sailing tests are generally given when winds are at least ten knots (11 miles per hour). Ten-knot winds are common in the summer, but infrequent during the winter. As a rule of thumb, if you see whitecaps on the water past H's Lordships Restaurant, the wind is over ten knots. Junior sailing tests are commonly given after Saturday morning lessons and Sunday morning races, but they can be given anytime sufficient wind and a tester are available.
How should you prepare for the test?
Practice the sailing maneuvers described in the introductory sailing handbook, especially tacks, jibes and person-overboards in increasingly stronger winds up to (and over) ten knots. During a lesson, ask your instructor to show you how to perform maneuvers you have not tried yet. Get as much sailing time as you can -- it really helps if you can take a couple of lessons each time you come down. Or, ask a skipper to take you out by yourself for an hour or so to get in a lot of practice. You are not expected to sail perfectly -- you should be reasonably competent and obviously able to sail a dinghy on your own without endangering yourself or others. Complete all the other requirements -- written test, rigging test, and two hours extra work (in addition to the regular two hours per quarter).
How should you be prepared the day of the test?
On the day of the test, be ready to go in the water. Borrowing a club wetsuit (or bringing your own) is highly recommended. Rig a dinghy, or obtain one already rigged. The Bahia's and JY's are special checkout boats, and taking your test on one can qualify you as a Jr Skipper and as a Bahia or JY skipper. Be sure to fully examine the dinghy before taking the test, to assure that all the required equipment is on board, sails are properly rigged, and nothing is broken.
What maneuvers will you be asked to perform?
You will have to perform at a minimum the following maneuvers: leaving the dock (sailing backwards), tacking, jibing, person-overboard retrieval, anchoring, capsize recovery, and docking (slow sailing). In addition to these basic maneuvers, you probably will be asked to perform one or more of the following maneuvers: sailing in circles around a buoy, heaving to, and reefing the main while under way. If your tester is savvy, you'll be asked to teach them a lesson, with them posing as the complete beginner, in order to develop your skills as a teacher, especially: preventing a capsize, giving simple, direct instructions, and teaching your 'student' skills in logical order: steering, coming about, sail trim, hiking out, jibing, slow sailing, etc.
What do you do after the test?
Before you celebrate, have the person who gave you the test sign off on your card to make it official. Move your card from the novice book to the Junior Skipper book. You can now take out a Hunter (in wind <= 15 knots) or P15 on your own anytime the Dayleader permits sailing. You can now also get yourself checked out to use the other Junior Skipper dinghies, including Lasers, JY-15's, and Bahias. Pass the written racing test, and start skippering in the Sunday morning Lido races. Start taking keelboat lessons (Wednesday evenings at 6:00 at J Dock). You're encouraged to also start teaching students yourself. It's a great way to improve your own sailing, help out the club, and earn free memberships.
