Local AdventureSail Day in Kingston Introduces Middle School Girls to Sailing

​Local AdventureSail Day in Kingston Introduces Middle School Girls to Sailing

​At-risk youth participate in Kingston session of nation-wide sailing initiative

​KINGSTON, N.Y. – The Kingston Sailing Club partnered with Mentor Me of Ulster County, the Sailing School at the Hudson River Maritime Museum, and the National Women’s Sailing Association on Saturday, August 14, 2021 to offer a unique opportunity for local middle school girls. Almost 20 participants came to the museum’s waterfront campus as part of the nation-wide AdventureSail Day initiative. Girls at the Kingston session experienced a day-long introduction to sailing basics while developing self-confidence and exploring career paths in the maritime industry. 

The AdventureSail program was begun by the National Women’s Sailing Association in 1996 as a mentoring program for at-risk girls between the ages of 9 and 14 and is run by community sailing centers and yacht clubs all around the country. 2021 was the first year Kingston Sailing Club participated. 

The goal of AdventureSail Day is to enrich the lives of America’s underserved girls through sailing, with an emphasis on diversity and inclusion. The program seeks to open girls’ eyes to a multitude of life’s positive possibilities, and through continued participation in sailing,  a positive activity that will encourage affirmative life choices, help girls develop self-confidence to overcome adverse living conditions, and introduce career paths and opportunities that involve the marine industry, marine related sciences and their local waters.

Kingston Sailing Club’s AdventureSail Day began with an hour of introductions, practice in tying basic knots, and a “chalk talk” on the parts of a sailboat and the basics of sailing, all presented by professional sailing instructors who volunteered their time to teach the girls and their chaperones. 

Next, eight volunteer Kingston Sailing Club (KSC) skippers and eight volunteer KSC crew members each took out one adult mentor and two girls for four hours of sailing on the Hudson River aboard their sailboats.  Lunch was generously donated by the local Bruderhof Communities and was eaten picnic style on the boats. 

Participants and their mentors got to experience riding on sailboats, setting the sails, trimming the sails, steering the boats, and some even went for a brief swim!  For most of the mentors and girls, the day was a first sailing experience. After some initial nerves, the girls and their mentors participated in every aspect of sailing the boats. Giggles, laughter, and cheers could be heard echoing across the River as the crews enjoyed the mighty Hudson. 

After sailing, everyone gathered back on shore at the Hudson River Maritime Museum Boat school for photos, talked about future sailing plans, and celebrated with an ice cream cake. 

Each of the girls took home a backpack donated by the National Women’s Sailing Association, filled with snacks provided by Mother Earth’s Storehouse in Kingston, a water bottle, a notebook and pencil, and a Riverport Women’s Sailing Conference t-shirt donated by Kingston Sailing Club members. Most importantly, each girl got a card with information about the Sailing School at the Hudson River Maritime Museum and an invitation to apply for a scholarship to participate in its Youth Sailing Program in 2022. 

For details about classes and registration for Youth Sailing School offerings, visit the Sailing School online at www.hrmm.org/youth-sailing-program or call 845-338-0071.