Club Skipper Clinic

Has it been awhile since you last sailed? Or have you recently taken a sailing course and need more time on the water to solidify your skills? Development Sails include the practice of docking, steering, and sail trim on various points of sail, reefing, crew overboard recovery procedures, heaving-to, and standing turn maneuvers.

Whether your goal is to advance skills learned in ASA 104, build confidence as a bareboat skipper, or prepare for the ASA 105/106 course, this one-day clinic will bring you into the 21st century and prepare you for proficiency on common electronic navigation systems. While ASA courses prepare you for basic navigation, becoming proficient in the electronic navigation tools found on your boat allows you to plan your trip and chart your course with ease. 

Learning how to control the shape of your sails will greatly enhance your sailing experience. Whether you are a competitive racer or an efficiency-minded cruiser, this course will teach you the skills to maximize speed and balance on every point of sail within a variety of conditions. After a short discussion about the art and science of sail trim, you will receive hands-on practice and learn when and how to adjust sheets, traveler position, jib lead, halyard tension, cunningham, outhaul, vang, and backstay to optimize your boat's performance under sail.

The more you sail in winter or make long passages, the more likely it becomes that you’ll eventually encounter foul weather. This one-day clinic will introduce you to heavy weather sailing equipment, preparation, and techniques. Taught aboard our Spencer 44 Coho II, your instructor will cover topics such as personal safety equipment, high wind line handling techniques, setting up storm sails and running rigging, types of drogues and sea anchors, and steering in large following seas.

Build your confidence in any Berkeley Marina docking situation aboard vessels over 35 feet. This clinic will help you master the dynamics of prop walk, prop wash, boat speed and momentum. In addition to these skills, instructors will take students through the use of spring lines to make docking and departing in any condition simple and safe with only a skipper and crew. We will utilize a variety of slips and end ties to practice docking upwind, downwind, and across the wind as well as build confidence reversing under power. These are skills you can take with you anywhere in the world!

Meet Folie à Deux, the newest boat in Modern Sailing’s expanding fleet, and a beautiful cruising catamaran. As with many popular French-built catamarans, she offers a few motoring and sailing characteristics that differ from monohull sailboats. This 3-hour clinic will prepare you to skipper Folie à Deux, with specific tips for docking, undocking, and entering and exiting the Berkeley Marina.

The clinic curriculum includes:

Are dreams of long-distance cruising on your horizon? Learn to make the most of light winds on downwind points of sail by learning to fly the asymmetrical spinnaker! 

This clinic prepares the aspiring cruiser to fly a Cruising Asymmetrical Spinnaker (CAS) when passage-making with short-handed crew. Students will learn how to hoist, trim, and jibe this beautiful downwind auxiliary sail. Special handling techniques and emergency procedures are also covered. 

Due to strong winds on SF Bay in the summertime, this clinic is only available during late fall through early spring.

Are you a Platinum or Catamaran Fleet Rated club member and ready to take the lead on Club Sails? This clinic will prepare you to be the best Club Sail skipper you can be. Your instructor on board will review charter best practices and boat systems. The clinic will include practice docking, reefing, and more.

The benefits of being a Club Skipper include:

Were you trained on our J/24s in Berkeley? Interested in upgrading to charter our Catalina 30s? The Upgrade to Silver Fleet Clinic will teach you the ins and outs of driving and sailing a wheel-steered boat with inboard diesel propulsion. This 2-day clinic has a heavy focus on gaining confidence with docking and departures and a short sailing segment each day. Participants will be evaluated for eligibility to charter our Silver Fleet boats at the end of Day 2.