About
RYC Youth Programs offers youth sailing activities that include learn-to-sail fundamentals, racing techniques and strategies, and a range of on-the-water experiences such as Junior Program Winter Sailing, High School Sailing, and weekend regattas. Participants can take part in specific events and clinics including a Match Racing Clinic, Wednesday Night Beer Can Racing, Speakers Night, the Bullship Regatta, Sail a Small Boat Day, the Big Dinghy Regatta, the Sears Cup - Area G Qualifier, the Alerion 28 West Coast Championship, and the ILCA Master PCC. The program also includes structured classes and teams such as RYC Youth Racing Team, RYC Summer Sailing, Guppies class, Beginner class, Intermediate Adventure Class, Young Advanced Class, Advanced Teen Class, Race Camp, and Race Team, with classes taught in Optimists, El Toros, Lasers, FJs/420s, and J22s, and with students usually bringing their own boats while a limited number of club boats are available for new students.
• Ages: 8–18 years old
• Schedule: Junior Program Winter Sailing runs on Sundays from October to March; High School Sailing meets twice a week from 4:00pm to 7:00pm; the RYC Youth Racing Team practices in the spring on Tuesdays from 4:00pm to 7:00pm and Saturdays from 1:00pm to 4:30pm; the Summer Program and Race Camp run from 9:00am to 3:00pm for drop-off and pick-up.
• Price: Registration Fee ($980). One Time Non-Member Fee ($40). Cancellations: $75 service charge for cancellations outside of two (2) weeks prior to class; 50% refund within 2 weeks of class start. Credit Card: 3% Payment Processing Fee. ACH: .8% capped at $5 Payment Processing Fee.
The RYC Youth Programs build fleets of young sailors, 8–18 years old, using current and effective curriculum that focuses on sailing skills, seamanship, and sportsmanship while teaching youngsters to care for their equipment. All sailors in the RYC Summer Program are required to pass a water comfort check while wearing a life jacket. The Guppies class is designed for ages 6–8 and focuses on water comfort, basic boat awareness, and building confidence around sailboats; the Beginner class introduces new sailors to the fundamentals of sailing and emphasizes confidence building, teamwork, and fun; the Intermediate Adventure Class introduces longer distance sails and exploring new parts of the Bay; the Young Advanced Class is for young sailors ready to refine their skills; and the Advanced Teen Class is for older sailors who are comfortable on the water and ready for a more challenging, independent experience. Boats for High School Sailing are CFJs, and boats for the RYC Youth Racing Team include Tera, Feva, and C420.
Richmond Yacht Club was formed in 1932, and the Junior Program began in 1952, with literally thousands of kids participating in the Junior Program over the years. The club has a do-it-yourself volunteer approach with primary emphasis on sailing and racing and is committed to serious sailing and fun. The RYC program is designed to be accessible to a wide range of students and relies on volunteers to keep costs reasonable, and scholarships are available for sailors through RYC or the RYC Foundation. The RYC Junior Program has received the Garrett Horder Trophy (2019) for the most innovative juniors program on the west coast (from Canada to San Diego) and the Admiral Chester W. Nimitz U.S.N. Perpetual Trophy in multiple years for making the greatest advancement in promoting youth activity in yachting, including instruction in boat handling proficiency, seamanship, and safety.
Leadership and key contacts for RYC Youth Programs and the broader club include Amy Choi and David Maggart as contacts for Junior Program Winter Sailing, Will Paulsen as Sailing Director, Curtis Lew as General Manager and Bar and Galley Manager, Mark Vandenberg as Harbormaster, Jim Quanci as Commodore, Greg Mitchell as Vice Commodore, John Paulling as Rear Commodore, Lynn Branstad as Secretary, Chris Straub as Port Captain, Michele Logan as Treasurer, Ira Potekhina, Anne Thomas, Velina Barnes, and Bob Johnston as Directors, and Linda Hanafee (Bookkeeper), Robyn Mikel (Office Admin/Membership & Communications Coordinator), and Kiki Nunez (Accounts Payable). The Richmond Yacht Club states that it has long had a reputation as the “sailingest” club on San Francisco Bay and that activities at RYC echo the motto: THIS CLUB WAS BUILT FOR FUN.
Last updated March 9, 2026.
• Ages: 8–18 years old
• Schedule: Junior Program Winter Sailing runs on Sundays from October to March; High School Sailing meets twice a week from 4:00pm to 7:00pm; the RYC Youth Racing Team practices in the spring on Tuesdays from 4:00pm to 7:00pm and Saturdays from 1:00pm to 4:30pm; the Summer Program and Race Camp run from 9:00am to 3:00pm for drop-off and pick-up.
• Price: Registration Fee ($980). One Time Non-Member Fee ($40). Cancellations: $75 service charge for cancellations outside of two (2) weeks prior to class; 50% refund within 2 weeks of class start. Credit Card: 3% Payment Processing Fee. ACH: .8% capped at $5 Payment Processing Fee.
The RYC Youth Programs build fleets of young sailors, 8–18 years old, using current and effective curriculum that focuses on sailing skills, seamanship, and sportsmanship while teaching youngsters to care for their equipment. All sailors in the RYC Summer Program are required to pass a water comfort check while wearing a life jacket. The Guppies class is designed for ages 6–8 and focuses on water comfort, basic boat awareness, and building confidence around sailboats; the Beginner class introduces new sailors to the fundamentals of sailing and emphasizes confidence building, teamwork, and fun; the Intermediate Adventure Class introduces longer distance sails and exploring new parts of the Bay; the Young Advanced Class is for young sailors ready to refine their skills; and the Advanced Teen Class is for older sailors who are comfortable on the water and ready for a more challenging, independent experience. Boats for High School Sailing are CFJs, and boats for the RYC Youth Racing Team include Tera, Feva, and C420.
Richmond Yacht Club was formed in 1932, and the Junior Program began in 1952, with literally thousands of kids participating in the Junior Program over the years. The club has a do-it-yourself volunteer approach with primary emphasis on sailing and racing and is committed to serious sailing and fun. The RYC program is designed to be accessible to a wide range of students and relies on volunteers to keep costs reasonable, and scholarships are available for sailors through RYC or the RYC Foundation. The RYC Junior Program has received the Garrett Horder Trophy (2019) for the most innovative juniors program on the west coast (from Canada to San Diego) and the Admiral Chester W. Nimitz U.S.N. Perpetual Trophy in multiple years for making the greatest advancement in promoting youth activity in yachting, including instruction in boat handling proficiency, seamanship, and safety.
Leadership and key contacts for RYC Youth Programs and the broader club include Amy Choi and David Maggart as contacts for Junior Program Winter Sailing, Will Paulsen as Sailing Director, Curtis Lew as General Manager and Bar and Galley Manager, Mark Vandenberg as Harbormaster, Jim Quanci as Commodore, Greg Mitchell as Vice Commodore, John Paulling as Rear Commodore, Lynn Branstad as Secretary, Chris Straub as Port Captain, Michele Logan as Treasurer, Ira Potekhina, Anne Thomas, Velina Barnes, and Bob Johnston as Directors, and Linda Hanafee (Bookkeeper), Robyn Mikel (Office Admin/Membership & Communications Coordinator), and Kiki Nunez (Accounts Payable). The Richmond Yacht Club states that it has long had a reputation as the “sailingest” club on San Francisco Bay and that activities at RYC echo the motto: THIS CLUB WAS BUILT FOR FUN.
Last updated March 9, 2026.
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