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
Essentials:
A USCG approved life jacket
Water compatible shoes
Sun protection + sunglasses
Swim suit
Water Bottle
Lunch for full day courses
Recommended:
Towel
Spare Clothes
Warm layers
Rain jacket or spray gear
snacks
Not recommended:
Expensive electronics
Toys
Candy
We do not cancel class!
Rain by itself doesn’t stop us from sailing, so dress and be prepared!
If we have storms or inclement weather we will enact our severe weather plan, including moving to tornado shelters if necessary. Our program continually monitors weather throughout the day to make sure your student is safe.
WCSC also refunds sessions cancelled at least two weeks prior to the class start date, minus a small $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 WCSC staff member will contact you promptly to confirm or complete the change to your record.
If you’re interested in viewing your student during class, please reach out to your instructors. WCSC 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 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
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.
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 “(WCSC Laser)”. This means a class has a sign-up for the provided boats (WCSC 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 or our own membership programs if you’d like to ensure sailing centers like ours are available for future generations!
As part of that US Sailing requires WCSC to have our staff 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 or higher, with some of our staff even holding Level 3 Small Boat Coach instructor Trainer certifications to provide training for instructors across the country.
To find out more about US Sailing’s instructor certification system click here.
This includes regular Quality Assurance Assessments by US Sailing to ensure that we meet the standard.
WCSC is the only currently accredited sailing center in Minnesota, but we’re working hard with our industry community to help them reach the standard as well!
Click that big blue “give” button in the top menu above to find out more information on our legacy campaign.