Training - MUDJ Sailing

Mercy & University of Detroit Jesuit (MUDJ)
Student High School Sailing Team

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Team Training
In partnership with the PYC and the Community Sailing School
Training @ PYC
The MUDJ Sailing team partners with the Pontiac Yacht Club high school sailing program (now known as the SE Michigan Community Sailing School) to provide the necessary weekday training and instruction for the team to learn and compete

A COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAM
The Community Sailing School high school program with support from the Pontiac Sailing Foundation provides professional coaches, safety powerboats, a full fleet of 30+ competition-ready 420 and Laser class sailboats, and dry-land facilities for changing and instruction. This means students do not have to provide their own boat and sails. It also means the team does not have to bear the burden of owning, maintaining, and storing its own equipment.

This is a program that is known by college coaches as past students have gone on to sail in college programs such as MIT, Tufts, Harvard, Boston College, Northwestern, Drexel, Marquette, Michigan State, and Michigan among others. The training is the same caliber as a student might engage in at a college level using the same kind of boats and racing in the same collegiate format.

Training sessions usually entail a briefing, boat handling drills, and practice races to prepare for upcoming regattas. Sailing small boats can be physically demanding so students are encouraged to train on their own to be in performance sailing shape.

The PYC provides facilities for students to change and store their gear as they go out on the water. The clubhouse is also used for chalk-talks and team meals after sailing.
PART OF A LARGER FAMILY
Multiple other high school teams participate in the PYC training program, including Detroit Country Day, Bloomfield Hills, West Bloomfield, Seaholm and the combined Brother Rice and Marian team. Students from all schools train at the same time and are organized into one of four groups depending on their skill. The advanced level sailors generally sail with other members of their team depending on the drill. The big benefit of being part of a larger group is the broad base of support at regattas and at practice. More teams also means more coaches helping our sailors succeed.
TRAINING FOR ALL LEVELS OF EXPERIENCE
It is not a requirement that you have previous experience to participate in the sailing program. In fact, most students that come to the program have little or no prior experience. Because of the scale of the PYC program, it is able to organize students by skill level allowing instructors to design on the water exercises appropriate for the student's abilities. But less experienced sailors also benefit from being able to sail with their friends in higher levels as crew depending on the activity.
LOCATION
The Pontiac Yacht Club (PYC) is located on Cass Lake in West Bloomfield located at 3270 Wards Point Drive West Bloomﬁeld. (Approximately 9.5 miles north of Mercy High School).

Team members separately coordinate carpools from both Mercy and UDJ to the PYC for weekday practices.
TIMING
Training is Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 4-7 pm and organized by skill level. Students are expected to arrive at 3:30 and change in time to be on the water by 4pm. Sailors are typically off the water by 6:30 and are offered a quick meal allowing them to usually be fed and free by 7pm.

The Spring season runs from late March to the end of May.

Fall season starts the first week after Labor Day and runs through the first week in November.

Regattas are typically held on Saturdays at various venues.
Team Warm Up

Kids circle coach boat as warm up drill
30 boats at practice divided into 4 tiers based on skill
Summer Sailing Programs
When school is out, students of all ages can still get on the water through one of several local sailing programs. Most programs offer full and half day opportunities as well as abbreviated 10 day and full summer options. There is something for every sailor, whether you are just starting out or into advanced racing. Club Membership is not required or a temporary membership is built into the cost of the class. Several offer tuition assistance for families

DRYA Juniors
Organizing Body for Local Sailing
The Detroit Regional Yacht-Race Association organizes sailboat racing among clubs for adults and juniors
Pontiac YC
Cass Lake
The PYC junior sailing program is run by the same folks who provide the MUDJ team training with many of the same coaches
DYC Juniors
Belle Isle
The DYC Junior sailing program is run out of one of the oldest yacht clubs in the country and home of the MUDJ keel boat (big boat) activities
Bayview
Detroit River
BYC is notorious for its sailboat racing and host of the annual Port-Huron to Mackinac race. Their Junior program has been around since 1957
Crescent Sail YC
GP Farms
Located on Lake St.Clair, this volunteer driven club is sail only and a very popular small boat racing venue
Grosse Point YC
Lake St.Clair
A terrific sailing center located on the harbor edge at the GPYC. Home of state champs GP South Sailing