Sailing Camp

Campers learn and review the essentials of sailing at their experience level on the beautiful San Francisco Bay!

Registration Opens Jan 30, 2025

Age & Eligibility

Novice Sailing (Full day): Campers must be ages 10-17 on the first day of camp in order to register. All campers must have basic swimming skills.
Intermediate Sailing (PM only): Campers must be ages 10-17 on the first day of camp in order to register. Successful pass of Sailing Novice Sailing (or equivalent skill level) as a prerequisite to this camp. All campers must have basic swimming skills.
Adventure Sailing (Full day): Campers must be ages 10-17 on the first day of camp in order to register. All campers must have basic swimming skills. Must successfully pass Novice + Intermediate Sailing required (or equivalent skill level).

Questions about Eligibility? Contact Adventures Youth Programs Manager Lauren Gregory.

Location

UC Berkeley Marina – 124 University Ave Berkeley, CA 94720

Camp Sessions

Novice Sailing

FULL DAY NOVICE SAILING
This course is designed to teach the basics of sailing, including rigging, tacking, gybing, capsizing, docking, knots and safety issues (glossary of nautical terms). With a low instructor to camper ratio every student can find an ideal learning environment either in the classroom or on our sailboats. Campers will spend 3-4 hours of each day sailing & rigging aboard our Zest sailboats, while the rest of the day will be a mix of classroom learning and land-based activities.

No previous sailing experience is required, however a comfort with wind and water is strongly encouraged.

The Register button will take you to our CampDoc registration portal, where you can view camp availability and options, add extended care and additional weeks or sign up multiple campers for multiple weeks.

Registration Opens Jan 30, 2025

Session	Dates	Days	Time	Price
Week 1	6/9/2025 – 6/13/2025	Mon – Fri	9:00 a.m. – 4 p.m.	$682
Week 3	6/23/2025 – 6/27/2025	Mon – Fri	9:00 a.m. – 4 p.m.	$682
Week 4	6/30/2025 – 7/3/2025 No Camp 7/4	Mon – Thu	9:00 a.m. – 4 p.m.	$546
Week 5	7/7/2025 – 7/11/2025	Mon – Fri	9:00 a.m. – 4 p.m.	$682
Week 6	7/14/2025 – 7/18/2025	Mon – Fri	9:00 a.m. – 4 p.m.	$682
Week 7	7/21/2025 – 7/25/2025	Mon – Fri	9:00 a.m. – 4 p.m.	$682
Week 8	7/28/2025 – 8/1/2025	Mon – Fri	9:00 a.m. – 4 p.m.	$682
Week 9	8/4/2025 – 8/8/2025	Mon – Fri	9:00 a.m. – 4 p.m.	$682
Week 10	8/11/2025 – 8/15/2025	Mon – Fri	9:00 a.m. – 4 p.m.	$682

Skills to be Taught
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Appropriate clothing and safety procedures, how to rig the boat, how to steer effectively in a variety of wind directions, how to tack the boat, introductory rope work, introduction to capsize recovery.

Skills required to Pass
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Assist with rigging a Zest, tie figure 8, as both helm & crew: reach, beat & run, tack the boat, get out of head to wind, capsize recovery basics, describe points of sail, identify: wind direction, right of way, impact of tides, safety gear, main rigging & sail parts.

Intermediate Sailing

This course is an excellent follow-up to our Novice Sailing class. Campers will refine sailing skills and to develop confidence in the higher afternoon winds in a fun and controlled environment aboard our Zests and Venture sailboats. Our instructors are experienced sailors who aim to ensure that the campers learn in a fun and enjoyable manner while fostering a love for the lifelong skill for sailing.

Campers must have completed Novice Sailing with Adventures or have commensurate experience from an outside institution. Comfort with wind and water is strongly encouraged. Please contact Lauren at laurengregory@berkeley.edu with any questions about qualifying experience.

Registration Opens Jan 30, 2025

Session	Dates	Days	Time	Price
Session A (Weeks 2-3)	6/16/25 – 6/27/25 No Camp 6/19	Mon – Fri	1:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.	$614
Session B (Weeks 4-5)	6/30/25 – 7/11/25 No Camp 7/4	Mon – Fri	1:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.	$614
Session C (Weeks 6-7)	7/14/25 – 7/25/25	Mon – Fri	1:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.	$682
Session D (Weeks 8-9)	7/28/25 – 8/8/25	Mon – Fri	1:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.	$682

Skills Required for Attendance
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(same as required to pass Level 1) Assist at rigging Coronado, tie figure 8 knot, as both helm & crew: reach, beat & run, tack the boat, get out of head to wind, capsize recovery basics, describe points of sail, identify: wind direction, right of way, impact of tides, safety gear, main rigging & sail parts.

Skills required to Pass
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Rig Venture unassisted, reef a boat, identify all parts of boat, rigging & sails, tie: bowline, double half-hitch, clove hitch, launch & recover boat from dock, unassisted: reach, beat & run, tack, gybe, pick up & leave a mooring, come alongside another boat, recover a man overboard, describe 5 essentials and apply to all points of sailing, right a capsized boat unassisted.

Adventure Sailing

Campers who have completed both Novice & Intermediate camps are invited to join us in the afternoons to build their skills. Under the supervision of sailing staff, campers will double- or single-hand our Zests & Ventures to refine skills in preparation to be able to rent from Adventures independently. Plans may include a sail to Treasure Island if conditions permit.

Campers must have completed Intermediate Sailing with Adventures or have commensurate experience from an outside institution. Comfort with wind and water is strongly encouraged. Please contact Lauren at laurengregory@berkeley.edu with any questions about qualifying experience.

Registration Opens Jan 30, 2025

Session	Dates	Days	Time	Price
Week 8	7/28/25 – 8/1/25	Mon – Fri	9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.	$682
Week 9	8/4/2025 – 8/8/2025	Mon – Fri	9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.	$682
Week 10	8/11/2025 – 8/15/2025	Mon – Fri	9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.	$682

Skills to be Taught
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Boat control maneuvers, racing rules & course laying, long sail route planning & safety protocols, anchoring, and trapezing.

Camp Details

Camp Curriculum & Requirements
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You may have noticed we re-tooled our youth sailing curriculum. Our goal is to increase transparency into our skills requirements in order to offer optimal experiences for our campers and families. It is our intention to be clear about expectations for sailors at all levels in order to create a safe and engaging learning environment and mitigate unnecessary risk.

We require clearance from one level to the next with safety in mind, as our weather conditions and equipment will vary between them. We have also outlined the necessary skills for admission into a camp and clearance to the next and are happy to discuss comparable sailing experience from other programs.

Our program schedule is structured around anticipated tide and wind conditions and are subject to adjustment to ensure participant safety.

What to Bring
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- It can be COLD at the Marina — even during the summer! Please outfit your camper in warm layers.
- Students should wear non-cotton clothing that can get wet
- Shoes or sandals that can be worn securely in the water or mud in the event of a capsize (e.g. old sneakers, Tevas, Keens. NO flip-flops!)
- Glasses should always have a strap to hold them on
- Bring a windbreaker, wool socks, sunglasses, and sunscreen
- Bring change of dry clothes for after class
- Adventures provides wetsuits and paddling jackets
- Students should bring a water bottle and a light lunch or snack

A Note on Outside Experience
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We want all of our sailors to enjoy themselves in our learning environment, which can be a rather demanding one for the less experienced. We are happy to discuss the nuances of the conditions in the South Sailing Basin on an individual basis to ensure placement in the appropriate camp program.

Extended Care Options

Extend your child(ren)’s camp day, and rest easy knowing that you have some extra time to get through traffic, finish a few errands, or pick up dinner before you pick up your child(ren).

Schedule: 4:00PM – 6:00PM Daily

Registration Opens Jan 30, 2025

Afternoon Extended Care	Price	Sessions Available
Weekly Extended Care	$125	Weeks 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
Weekly Extended Care	$100	Weeks 2, 4

Registration Opens Jan 30, 2025

Special Needs & Disabilities

Accommodations
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We have had many campers with special needs join us for the summer. To determine if a particular camp is right for your camper, or if you have questions about accommodations, please contact us at camps@berkeley.edu or call Minha Khan, Inclusion and Well-Being Coordinator, at (510)-643-2267.

Camper Aides
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If your child typically has an aide when they attend school, please share by emailing the Berkeley Youth Recreation Camps team at camps@berkeley.edu. For more information or additional questions, please email camps@berkeley.edu.