Learn from instructors who win races!
All our race school instructors have strong race pedigrees and will help you tune your skills to be more competitive as a skipper and crew. Instructor J/80 results from 2024 as the fleet 18 Annual Series Winner
- 1st Place CYC Spring Series
- 1st Place CYC Solstace Series
- 1st Place CYC Summer Series
- 1st Place CYC Fall Series
- 1st Place Pacific Northwest Race Week
KSC Race School is a bundle of classes
- KSC Racing Fundamentals- 3 hour evening remote class
- KSC RACE SCHOOL- 6 Monday Evenings 5-9pm and additional online zoom clinics.
In this 6-week course you will sail J/80’s on Monday nights from Shilshole Bay Marina. We will meet at the boat at 5pm, do some pre-race practice, participate in the race, and get back ashore for a debrief around 9pm. That is four hours of coaching on the water per day on a sporty J/80 with an asymmetrical spinnaker!
As part of the course, you will receive a copy of the Getting Started in Sailboat Racing. Furthermore, we will have weekly video conferences to cover various topics. These will be recorded and made available on our website for your convenience.
Topics will include:
- How races work and where to get race information
- Race starts and starting techniques
- Boat handling – how to go fast!
- Race tactics (e.g., laylines, shifts, favored tacks, etc.)
- Boat prep
- Team building
Each week the students will rotate positions on the boat, experiencing the nuances of each role and developing an appreciation for the synergy between positions.
If you are new to racing, this course will catapult you on your journey to becoming a competent racer. And if you’ve been racing on other’s boats, you’ll be armed with resources and experiences that would typically take years to build, making you a much sought-after crew.
PREREQUISITES
This course is designed for sailors who want to learn how to race. The concentration is on strategy and tactics, as well as sharpening existing performance skills. It is not intended to teach basic sailing. Students are not required to hold any certifications. Still, they are expected to know the basics of sailing, which include points of sail, the basic maneuvers of heading up, bearing away, tacking, gybing, and being able to helm a tillered boat.
We recommend taking our comprehensive US SAILING Performance Sailing with Spinnaker class before joining Race School. However, if you are comfortable with the practical aspects of the following list you can advance directly to Race School.
- Hoist, Douse and Jibe an Asymmetric Spinnaker
- Setting twist and draft to adjust sail shape to prevailing conditions
- Rig tuning for different wind strengths
- Man overboard recovery under spinnaker
- Optimizing heel angle for speed
In order to gain the US SAILING Performance Sailing Certificate, students need to hold the US SAILING Basic Keelboat Certification. If you don’t currently hold this, we can administer the Basic Keelboat Challenge, where you will head out onto the water with an instructor for a practical test and then complete a written test ashore. Contact us to set up an appointment.
SCHEDULE
A minimum of 3 students is required for each session of Race School. Should the minimum not be met, students will be offered the choice of a full refund or a space on a different session.
COURSE LOCATION: Shilshole Bay Marina, Seattle
