Menu Close

Sail 1: Introduction to Sailing

Sail 1 is a group class for beginners taught on 14-ft. single-sail Sunfish dinghies and 14-ft two-sail Holder dinghies.  Each class has 4 sessions that are 3 hours in duration.  This class covers the basic concepts of sailing including safety, rigging, knots, points of sail and boat handling.  Each session will have a brief lecture followed by on-the-water sailing practice.

Limited to 10 students per session. Introductory classes are only taught in June. Traditionally all intro sessions have been full by June 1st. If you would like to take a class this year, we recommend you register early.

  • Prerequisites:
    • No prior experience required.
    • Open to all adults (18 and older) and Juniors (ages 12 to 17).
    • If you have physical limitations and are not sure if they will affect your ability to participate in this class, please contact the Sailing School Director with any questions or concerns.
  • Cost:
    • Adults: $225, Juniors $150 (Cost includes US Sailing Instruction Manual.)
    • The Iowa State Parks require non-Iowa vehicles to pay a $5/day parking fee or have an annual Lake Manawa permit ($40). Find out details here.
  • How to Register:
    • From the main Sailing School page, locate the session you are interested in attending and click the link in the Session column.
    • Complete the required information, checkout and pay.
    • You will receive a confirmation email when you request has been processed along with information about the class.
    • You will be contacted two weeks prior to your scheduled class with additional details.

Return to the main Sailing School page.