Sailing Lessons on Demand
To accommodate the varied schedules of our members and provide additional times for sailing instruction, the Club offers a program which allows members to schedule a sailing lesson directly with an instructor at a time outside of the Club’s usual scheduled lessons. There are several Junior and Senior rated members who are willing to teach sailing skills to individuals or groups at a prearranged time. This is a supplemental program to our normal Sailing Instruction.
Here’s how it works
There's a list of instructors on the website. For each instructor, there's a sailing bio to help familiarize prospective students with their background. The instructor also indicates the type of boat (dinghy or keelboat), the level of student they are willing to teach (unrated, Novice, Junior, etc.), what skills they are williing to teach, their availability for lesons and their email address. For example, a given instructor might be willing to teach one afternoon a week on Tuesdays or Wednesdays, but not both or their availability may change from week to week due to travel, work, etc. Prospective students will contact the instructor directly via email to request a lesson. The skill level, lesson contents, and any pre-requisites can all be discussed between instructor and student when arranging the lesson. (It is ok to request a lesson for more than one student). The instructor is also free to decline a lesson request since their participation in this program is on a voluntary basis. Lessons On Demand will not be offered during regularly scheduled Club lesson times, Club races, Fast Track events, Open Houses or any other Club sponsored event involving the use of the club boats. Instructors earn volunteer hours for these lessons similar to hours earned during the Club’s normally posted lesson times.
Instructors
If you wish to sign up as an instructor, please email Rear Commodore a listing of the days and times you are available to teach. (This can be changed as needed). Please also send a brief bio outlining your sailing experience, indicate what level of student you wish to teach, what, if any, specific skills you’d like to teach and whether you are willing/able to teach on dinghies, keelboats or both.
After each lesson, please record the lesson in the log book in the ClubHouse, and remember to record your volunteer hours via the online site.
Students
To arrange a Lesson On Demand, look at the instructor bios below where you will find a brief sailing bio and info on their availability. You can then directly contact the instructor via email to arrange a lesson. Please understand that instructor availability is subject to change and that the listings do not represent a commitment to teach on the part of the instructor. NOTE: It is possible to arrange a group lesson, (more than one student). Please ask the instructor when arranging the lesson.
Let Us Know How It's Working. Send us an email. We want this to be a benefit for both students and instructors.
Instructors
John Bongiovanni
Cruising Skipper, Dinghy and Keelboat, Club member since November 2013, dinghy sailor since the mid-1980s, and Club Rear Commodore (sailing instruction). Willing to teach rated members working on the next rating (Novice to Junior, Junior to Senior), and to test for Novice and Junior ratings. Availability for lessons: Many weekday afternoons, Contact John
Ron Buono
I am Ron Buono Junior rated last year at Fast Track. I’ve been sailing for a long time. Recently, I’ve sailed exclusively dinghies. I’ve taught at the last three Fast Track sessions I’ve also taught many Monday, Thursday and Saturday sessions. I prefer to teach on Quests or Touras. I’m happy to teach fundamental sailing, tacking, jibing,slow sailing and circles. I would prefer to teach sailors training for Junior rating who have passed a rigging test and have had at least 4 lessons. I could be available Tuesday,Wednesday or Friday, after 2pm, no more than twice in one week. Contact Ron
Gene Golfus
Member of CSC getting Junior in the second Fast Track in 2018. Love teaching and teach a lot. I have Empathy and understanding , that for me, learning to windsurf and sail little boats has been harder and scarier than it is for some and i like to help people go from looking at the water to being able to enjoy sailing and windsurfing.
Memo Gunay
Senior Skipper, available to teach advanced Juniors working on Senior skills on dinghy or keelboat. Available most weekday afternoons after 2pm Contact Memo
Maureen (Mo) Johnson León
I joined CSC with zero boat or sailing experience, and really benefited from mentorship from more experienced sailors. Through consistent instructional support and practice, I obtained a junior rating at the end of my first summer season in 2022. Happy to teach beginners what they need to know to become juniors, and learn collaboratively with other juniors who are improving their skills. My teaching style emphasizes safety, communication, collaborative learning, and just “trying it out” so that both the students and instructor can push beyond our comfort zones on the water together. I’ll encourage pairing up with other sailors outside of scheduled instruction time to practice skills, have fun, and socialize with the whole sailing community. Available mid-week afternoons, some evenings and weekends. Contact Mo
Rick Merlau
I learned to sail at CSC and found that I have a lot of fun teaching sailing! Currently a Jr working on Sr, US Sailing lvl 1 small boat and WIPA lvl 1 windsurfing instructor, and teach paid classes at another spot.
Tim Quick
Congrats on finding one of the best sailing resources in the world: CSC!
As a dinghy and keelboat senior rated sailor at our club, I offer friendly, inclusive and dynamic sailing instruction tailored to your goals, ability and skill level.
NO experience needed for dinghy lessons. Junior dinghy rating required for keelboat lessons, as per club standard.
Lesson Topics
- Right of way
- Capsize recovery
- Single-handing safely
- Rigging, knots, sail settings
- Terminology and communication
- Raising/dropping boats on the crane
- Docking, departures, tight maneuvering
- Points of sail, crew overboard, slow-sailing, heave-to
- Physics of sailing, rudderless, back-sailing
- Dos & don’ts, boat & dock etiquette
- Low/high-wind & storm sailing
- Novice, Jr, Sr test prep
- Kites & trapezing
- Anchoring
- Lasers
I'm happy to help you advance as a safe, fun, responsible sailor in our club and the greater community.
We’ll have to schedule ahead of time, because I’m often out of town. When you reach out, please put “CSC Lessons on Demand” in the subject line just in case I miss your email.
Elyakim Rinat
Cruising Skipper, Club member since 2010. Willing to teach rated Juniors working on Senior dinghy skills. Available to have practice sessions with Juniors who are close to their Senior Keelboat test. Mostly available Monday through Thursday but other days could work. Contact Elyakim
Mike Sherrell
Senior Dinghy sailor. Club member for five years. Willing to teach Junior rated sailors on trapping out and/or gennaker sailing on Bahia's, Quests, or the RS500's. Also teach single-handing on the trapeze. Requires winds of at least 10 knots. Usually available on Tues, Wed, Fri, Sat and Sun.Contact Mike
Zac Weiner
Junior Dinghy sailor. CSC member for 15 years. Will teach anyone working towards their Novice or Junior ratings on any of the required skills. Usually available Tuesdays from noon to 2:30pm. Contact Zac
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