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Mentor Program and How it works

The mentor program is the brain child of Tim Tunks who has spent 25 years racing and teaching on the local waters. Basically the program is designed to take sailors that have never raced and match them with people that have been racing for decades.

If you own a sailboat it can be raced. Dissimilar boats have a handicap rating that theoretically equalizes all sailboats. There are races nearly every weekend and on Wednesday nights. Racing is a great way to have fun and enjoy your boat. You don’t need to spend lots of money and if you know how to sail you can be racing in very short time (winning will take more time).  

The Standard Program: This is how it works. Once you set up an appointment with your mentor then you will meet at the 76 Gas Docks with crew on board and everything that your mentor asked you to bring along. The mentor will work with you for approximately two hours, covering the basic of starting, tacking and crew organization. There will also be explanation of the basics Rules of sailing. There is no charge (a cold beer would be nice). Your mentor will tailor your training to your needs. All mentors are people that race often and time on the weekends is at a premium so your mentor will usually only be with you once. You are welcome to contact other mentors and get as much training as you like.

If you want a mentor: Then go to the database and review the mentors listed and contact a mentor to arrange an appointment. He or she will review your experience and then set up a time to meet. Mentors do not charge for the service this site is strictly a public service and a way to put the two of you together. We do not screen mentors or evaluate them in any way. Mentors just want to have more people to race against and to give back to a sport that they love.

If you want to be a Mentor : Then sign up and wait for a call or contact any of the people looking for a mentor in the database. The program is meant to bring more people into the sport. We have thousands of sailboats in the marina and most think racing is expensive and very complicated you are here to correct that misconception. We ask that you have at least five years experience to sign up as a mentor. We ask that you meet your protégé at the gas dock to allow for the greatest amount of training time using the least amount of your time. Sails will be up and the crew ready to go by the time they reach the gas dock. Using the main channel to teach starting techniques and proper tacking on your way out of the marina is a good use of time. Cover all the basic rules at a start and at mark rounding, port-starboard, etc. Cover basic man overboard procedures. Basically we want these new people and the competitors they race against to be safe.

 
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