Frequently Asked Questions
Those new to the exciting world of sailing often have many questions. If your question is not answered below, please reach out to office@wayzatasailing.org
Anything they need to be in, out, and on the water for the day!
Essentials:
A USCG approved life jacket
Water compatible shoes
Sunscreen
Sun protection (think sleeves, hat, and sunglasses)
Swim suit
Water bottle
Bag lunch (full day courses)
Multi-layer fabric face covering (COVID-19)
Recommended:
Towel
Spare Clothes
Warm layers
Rain jacket or spray gear
snacks
Not recommended:
Expensive electronics
Toys
Candy
Rain by itself doesn’t stop us from sailing, so dress and be prepared!
If we have lightning, severe wind, or inclement weather we will enact our severe weather plan or cancel class. This may include moving to tornado shelters if necessary. Our program continually monitors weather throughout the day to make sure your student is safe. Traditionally our program does not cancel camps and simply moves inside for inclement weather.
COVID-19 CHANGES
Due to limited social distancing site capacity indoors, classes may be cancelled preemptively for days when sheltering indoors may
be necessary. This decision will be made at the exclusive direction of the Executive Director. Class cancellations will be issued on
the following stoplight system:
1. RED LIGHT WEATHER indicates class cancellation will be made by 6pm on the preceding day and indicates a planned full or
half day cancellation.
2. YELLOW LIGHT WEATHER indicates unstable weather and only students that can be picked up within 2 hours of an
unscheduled weather cancellation will be allowed to participate.
3. GREEN LIGHT WEATHER indicates there is no expected cancellation, however the above PARENT/GUARDIAN
REQUIREMENTS must still be met at Organization’s request or direction.
Please review the documentation in your account confirmation for specific information as policies vary from class to class.
In general, we’re happy to reschedule sessions for times that work better for you and your family for a small $10 change fee to cover our accounting costs.
Refunds may be available up to two weeks prior to the class start date, minus a $30 cancellation fee for to cover administrative and scheduling costs.
All requests to change a registration (cancellations or session changes) must be made in writing (US Mail or email). A Wayzata Sailing staff member will contact you promptly to confirm or complete the change to your record.
Absolutely! Each class is a bit different in timing, placement, and student needs due to weather and class composition.
In general, one hour before pickup is normally a great time to arrive early and watch from your car, or outside the designated site boundary. The public dock on Arlington circle is frequently the best place! Please do not interact with students or the class.
If you’re interested in viewing your student during class, please reach out to your instructors. Staff are happy to accommodate requests and can suggest times and places to view from that will help you see the action while minimizing any potential for distraction.
Our instruction and sailing site is located at 456 Arlington Circle South, Wayzata, MN 55391.
Please respect our neighbors by using our adjacent gravel parking lot located at 1000 Eastman Lane, Wayzata, MN 55391 for parking, pick-up, and drop-offs. We’re right across the footbridge in the large grey house. See you there!
Our mailing address is P.O. Box 768, Wayzata, MN 55391
Please visit our COVID-19 page for adjusted drop off and parking plans, including where to reach staff.
Convenient drop-off and pick up is available immediately next door to our site. Please use the gravel parking lot located at 1100 Eastman Lane, Wayzata, MN 55391. Take the footbridge to access the sailing center on the other side of the lagoon.
Please visit our COVID-19 page for current information related to the coming season.
At WCSC we embrace STEM learning wholeheartedly in our classes, though we favor a hands on and science based curriculum to fully utilize our unique setting.
We don’t currently use the term STEAM, even though we utilize use art as a programmatic element to teach in all of our classes. STEM is the more universally recognized term across the educational industry.
We find the balance – Art and Math are both welcome pathways to learning!
Most sailors prefer sailing or kayaking oriented life jackets due to their range of motion and higher fit chest which allows sitting more comfortably.
To test your life jacket put it on and sit down at the dinner table. A comfortably fit PFD should not ride up when they sit down, and have enough room and flexibility to eat dinner with silverware. If you can’t sit at the table or eat comfortably, you’ll probably have the same frustrations in the boat!
We suggest trying on a few at a local shop like Midwest Mountaineering, West Marine, or REI.
Boats are provided for all camp and adventure classes.
However, in some racing classes you may see a class split into two registration pools. For example, our Laser racing class is split into “(BYO Laser)” or “(WS Laser)”. This means a class has a sign-up for the provided boats (WS Laser) and a sign-up for those that need to provide their own (BYO Laser).
If you’re passionate and progressing we always suggest that you consider purchasing your own boat. This not only speeds up your learning but opens our equipment back up for new folks!
Some classes like group camps and adult lessons will not open for registration until Mar/Apr. You can always change your registration for a small fee if the dates do not work out later on!
The best way to keep track of our sign-up dates is to register for our newsletter (usually about once or twice a month).
For sailing safety, we do require that your child be comfortable around the water and with swimming at least 40 yards in their life jacket.
Absolutely not! We love our friends and neighbors next door but are a seperate 501c3 non-profit community focused organization with no membership requirement.
We would however, love to have your support through donations if you’d like to ensure sailing centers like ours are available for future generations.
Wayzata Sailing is an accredited US Sailing Community Center, which means we value equity and inclusion alongside meeting a higher educational and training standard than typical sailing schools.
As part of that US Sailing requires Wayzata Sailing staff to hold instructor certifications on a wide range of teaching, instruction, sailing, safety, and powerboat skills.
Our entire instructional staff are certified as US Sailing Level 1 Small Boat Instructors. The highest trained staff on site are currently Level 3 Small Boat Coach instructor Trainer, a certification to provide instructor training for other instructors across the country.
To find out more about US Sailing’s instructor certification system click here.
Community Sailing Centers are simply sailing schools that have been accredited by US Sailing (our sport’s national organizing body) for their safety and teaching standards, quality of staff and instruction, professionalism, equity and inclusion, and how the center offers access and enjoyment of sailing to the public.
This includes regular Quality Assurance Assessments by US Sailing to ensure that we meet the standard.
Wayzata Sailing is the only currently accredited sailing center in Minnesota, but we’re working hard with our local community to help them reach the standard as well!