Dear Parents and Sailors,
It is my pleasure to join the Manatee River Pram Fleet as your new Sailing Director. Together with the Board of Directors, we are thrilled to continue the organization's mission of supporting and promoting youth sailing in a fun and friendly environment. The Manatee River Pram Fleet provides year-round educational, competitive, and recreational sailing programs for children aged 6 to 18. Enrollment for our Summer Learn-to-Sail Classes is now open. Summer sailing is an excellent way to get started with the sport and make new friends along the way. Our highly trained instructors follow a specialized curriculum filled with fun games and activities delivered with lots of encouragement and enthusiasm. Children have learned to sail with the Pram Fleet for over seventy years! Kids aged 6-7 can join our summer programs in a specially designed Pre-Sail Camp where they can safely play with the prams in shallow water and get a taste of being on the river. Youth aged 8-12 now have three levels of classes to progress and develop their skills. Our Beginner Sailing (Pram 1) class is a traditional introduction to sailing with no experience necessary. Intermediate Sailing (Pram 2) is for children who have attended a previous sailing camp and are ready to sail a pram on their own. Advanced Sailing (Opti 3) is for experienced sailors who have attended multiple prior camps and are ready to explore the river while learning to sail fast. Teens aged 13-16 now have an entry point into sailing with our Beginner (Sailtrek 1) class, and a chance to further develop skills and independence afloat with our Intermediate (Sailtrek 2) class. These classes are sailed in a variety of small boats and geared towards building social relationships while teaching safe seamanship habits. Experienced sailors aged 16 and up may apply to our Instructor in Training Program. Our Learn-to-Sail program emphasizes having fun while building confidence and skills in a safe and supportive environment. The experience establishes a solid foundation for continued future sailing with our year-round recreational Adventure Fleet and competitive Race Teams. We hope your child can join us for a fun and exciting summer on the water. Please visit our Clubspot page to view the current session availability and register for classes. If you have any questions about our sailing programs, please send our office an email at hq@manateeriverpramfleet.org. Sincerely, Kevin Dooley Sailing Director - Manatee River Pram Fleet kevin@manateeriverpramfleet.org |