The Little Washington Sailing School is gearing up for its 2017 youth sailing program this summer.

The program holds weeklong sailing sessions from June 12-July 31 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. It is open to boys and girls ages 9-18 and requires no prior sailing or boating experience, but does require that each student knows how to swim.

Students are taught the ins-and-outs of sailing. Skills include rigging, steering, launching, weather awareness, the proper care and storage of equipment, sailing nomenclature, etc.

Each day of learning is paired with lecture and sailing. Students will hear a lecture in the morning, break for lunch and then head to the water to practice the skills. By Friday, they are sailing past the trestle all by themselves.

Board member Kevin Clancy said he admires watching the progress of the many young, first-time sailors.

“It’s all about seeing these kids who barely even know what a sailboat is, and then by Friday they are skippering,” Clancy said.

The learning doesn’t stop there, though. Situational awareness, problem solving and teamwork are just some of the vital strategies used in sailing.

Clancy said hearing screams such as, “I’m gonna crash!” or “I can’t steer this boat!” are common at sailing school. However, he said those young sailors stare those types of challenges right in the face almost every week – and instead of backing down, they overcome it.

“I think the coolest thing is that these young people learn to have the bravery and the courage to tackle and overcome a challenge that they once thought was insurmountable,” Clancy said.

The sailors will also recognize the importance of the river, a feature many communities don’t have. They are given the chance to discover and take advantage of the different opportunities the waterfront has to offer.

“I point to that trestle every Friday at graduation and I tell my students the world is past the trestle,” Clancy said.

From steering a boat to facing fears, the sailing school teaches youth lessons and strategies they can use well into their futures.

“The skills they learn sailing definitely help with the rough waters of life,” Clancy said.

Sailors can sign up online for a fee of $325. Registration is open at littlewashingtonsailingschool.com.