Welcome & Instructions

 

Dear SPYC Junior Sailors and Families,

Welcome to the 2026 Seaside Park Yacht Club Junior Sailing Program! We are very excited to have moved to an automated registration process. Please complete all sections of this form and submit payment by May 1st, 2026.

SPYC Junior Sailing Mission Statement:
To teach children to sail in a safe, fun environment, fostering a lifelong love of the sport while teaching respect for boats, each other, and the water.

Junior Sailing Program Structure:

• Sailors must be 7 years old by June 1st 2026
• Start Date: Monday June 22nd
• End Date + Dance/Awards: Thursday Aug 13th
• Monday - Thursday 8:00AM – 1:00PM

Ducklings:
Sailors must be ages 5 & 6 by June 1st 2026. Built for brand new sailors to introduce basic sailing knowledge and concepts. Runs Monday - Thursday 9:00AM – 12:00PM

• Session 1: July 6 – July 16
• Session 2: July 20 – July 30
• Session 3: Aug 3 – Aug 13

Note for Ducklings - Please use the Sign-Up Genius link HERE to to confirm session before registering.

Registration Fees:
Duckling Program - $450 per session, $35 non-member fee
Junior Sailing Program - $1450 first sailor, $1340 additional siblings, $425 non-member fee

Instructors:
We are happy to announce our instructors for the 2026 season. Piper Walsh will be our Head Instructor! We are happy to welcome back Jack O’Leary. In addition, we have hired fantastic new instructors including Aly Brekenridge, Ella Reid, Jack Schlenker, Matt Wilhelm, and Rosie Wagner. Keep an eye out for their photos and bios on our website.

Personal Equipment and Gear:
All junior sailors must provide their own sailboat. Ducklings do not need their own sailboat. Sailors will also need:

• US Coast Guard approved life-jacket (required)
• Bathing suit
• Closed-toe shoes (e.g. crocs, neoprene sailing boots) and no flip-flops
• Sun block, sunglasses, hat or visor 
• Towel, rain gear and a change of clothes
• Sweatshirt and warm clothes 
• Head Protection (bicycle helmet) – This is recommended for first year sailors
• No personal electronic devices (including cell phones, Apple watches, smartwatches, or any other digital devices) are permitted to be used during program hours

Severe Weather:
If there is severe weather in the forecast, Families will be notified through Team Snap of cancellation or early dismissal

Regattas:
While regattas are not mandatory, we encourage all eligible sailors to participate. To help boost regatta attendance, there will be no regular program on days when regattas are scheduled for a specific group. The instructors will inform parents beforehand whether their child’s group has program or not. 

Code of Conduct:
Upon submission of this registration form you will receive via e-mail a copy of the SPYC Junior Sailing Code of Conduct. We ask that you share and discuss this document with your sailors. On the first day of the program we will be reviewing and having all sailors and parents sign the Code of Conduct.

Disciplinary Actions:
Unacceptable and disruptive behavior will not be tolerated.  This includes horseplay, foul language, bullying, inappropriate physical contact, intentional damage to property and other such disruptive acts. If behavior is deemed unacceptable, parents will be notified, and the sailor could be expelled from all future classes.

We look forward to meeting each and every one of you. Welcome aboard!

 

Sincerely,

Dana Holmes & Andrea Wilczynski - SPYC Jr. Sailing Advisory Co-Chairs 
dana.stellar@gmail.com & awcigar@gmail.com 
Piper Walsh - Head Instructor - piperwalsh@icloud.com 
Kathy Buerle - SPYC Vice Commodore - kbuerle@gmail.com 

 

Duckling Program

$450 Member rate per session
$35 additional for non-members

Junior Sailing Program

$1450 Member rate, first registrant
$1340 Member rate, additional sibling registrants
$425 Non-Member fee

 

Registration fees are paid via the SPYC online payment system. You may use the link below to open the payment website in a new tab, or the link will be e-mailed with the confirmation of your submission.

PLEASE NOTE - You will need to enter the registration fee amount into the payment website, it will not automatically transfer.

Junior Sailing Payment Link

The undersigned is the Parent/Guardian of the Sailor(s) named above and hereby acknowledges that the execution of this Agreement is a condition of the Sailor’s participation in Seaside Park Yacht Club (hereinafter referred to as the “SPYC”) events. The undersigned acknowledges for himself/herself, and on behalf of the Sailor(s), that the sport of sailing and the conduct of SPYC entail and are subject to certain inherent risks, and therefore, the undersigned agrees as follows:

1) The undersigned accepts all risks on land and at sea which arise from Sailor’s participation in SPYC events.

2) The undersigned consents to the participation of Sailor in all regattas, clinics, practices, and other sailing-related events (hereinafter collectively referred to as “Regattas” in which SPYC either organizes or participates, and acknowledges that said consent is without exception. The undersigned further agrees that this Agreement will extend to the benefit of any and all yacht clubs and/or sailing associations (hereinafter referred to as “Host Clubs”), which are the host to or venue of such Regattas, and to the Junior Sailing Association of Barnegat Bay.

3) The undersigned agrees to indemnify, hold harmless, waives any claims against and releases any obligation of SPYC, each Host Club, and all of their respective members, employees, agents and all persons serving as members of the Race Committees or Juries or any other person acting in any capacity for the conduct of any Regatta in relation to any loss, injury or damage, on land or at sea, to the Sailor or to the boat or other property of the undersigned or the Sailor to the fullest
extent permitted by law.

4) The undersigned agrees to reimburse SPYC, any other SPYC Sailor, any Host Club, and all of their respective members, employees, agents and all persons serving as members of the Race Committees or Juries or any other person acting in any capacity for the conduct of any Regatta or SPYC for any injury, or loss or damage to property caused by Sailor or the undersigned Parent/Guardian.

JUNIOR SAILING PROGRAM PARTICIPATION, ASSUMPTION OF RISK, INDEMNIFICATION AND HOLD HARMLESS AGREEMENT

The JUNIOR SAILING PROGRAM (hereinafter “JSP”) of the SEASIDE PARK YACHT CLUB (hereinafter “CLUB”) is a voluntary participation program. Each participant (hereinafter “Participant”) and/or each Participant’s parent or legal guardian shall be the sole person deciding whether he or she can safely participate in the JSP activities on any given day. Each Participant shall be knowledgeable as to their level of sailing ability and the safe condition and the seaworthiness of the vessel they have chosen or been assigned to operate.

JSP Sailing Instructors (Hereinafter “Instructors”) shall serve only as instructors in the art of sailing and shall use their best efforts to inform Participants of the sailing conditions existing at the dock PRIOR TO commencing on water sailing activities. Each Participant shall in their sole discretion sail, continue to sail or withdraw from sailing activities as any change in weather conditions occur while the on-water sailing program is in progress. Instructors shall use their best efforts to inform Participants of significant change in weather conditions when such changes occur or appear about to occur to the extent practical; however, there can be no assurance that significant weather changes will be observed, anticipated or communicated to any Participant due to the fact that the JSP is conducted over a wide area with individual Participants dispersed over said area.

Each Participant shall render all possible assistance to any vessel or person in peril, when in a position to do so AND WHEN SUCH ASSISTANCE DOES NOT COMPROMISE THE SAFETY OF THE PARTICIPANT RENDERING SUCH ASSISTANCE. The determination of “compromise the safety” shall be the sole determination of any such Participant rendering or contemplating rendering assistance.

Instructors shall instruct Participant in one or more methods of rendering assistance as a scheduled part of the JSP; however, such instruction is not intended to encompass all possible methods of rendering assistance and any JSP Participant should use their own judgment as to the type of assistance they can or cannot render in assisting another person. Each Participant shall always first and foremost maintain his or her own safety when deciding to render assistance.

Each Participant recognizes that there are inherent dangers in the participation in any sailing program and the environs surrounding the CLUB and its Marina facility, including but not limited to, the potential for serious bodily injury, death, loss of or damage to personal property, exposure to adverse weather conditions and circumstances beyond the control of the CLUB, its Officers, Trustees, employees, agents, volunteers, and Instructors. Each Participant hereby knowingly and voluntarily assumes all risks and responsibility for any damages, injuries, liabilities, losses, costs and expenses that he or she may incur while participating in the JSP.

Each Participant further agrees to voluntarily observe all sailing program rules and regulations including those set forth in the Sailors Code of Conduct. It shall be the sole responsibility of each Participant to be thoroughly familiar with all JSP and CLUB rules and it shall not be the responsibility of the CLUB, its Officers, Trustees or Instructors to enforce a JSP Participant’s compliance with said rules and regulations.

Participant and Participant’s Parent and/or Legal Guardian do hereby agree to release, indemnify and hold the CLUB, its officers, trustees, employees, agents, volunteers, Instructors, their successors and assigns (“Released Parties”) harmless from any and all liability, injuries, claims, demands, causes of action, damages, losses, costs or expenses (including court costs and legal fees) of any kind and nature (“Liability”) which may arise out of, result from, or relate in any way to the Junior Sailing Program unless such injury or damage is caused directly by the gross or willful negligence of the CLUB, its officers, trustees, employees, agents and Instructors.

THE JUNIOR SAILING PROGRAM AND THE SPYC CLUB ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY DAMAGE TO BOAT OR EQUIPMENT WHILE BOATS ARE EITHER UNDER TOW OR BEING TRAILED TO OR FROM REGATTAS AND OR INTERCLUBS. THE JUNIOR SAILING PROGRAM AND SPYC CLUB WILL PROVIDE TRANSPORTATION SERVICES AS AN ACCOMMODATION IF POSSIBLE (NOT AN OBLIGATION) TO THE  PARTICIPANTS. IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF EACH PARTICIPANT TO ARRANGE THEIR OWN TRANSPORTATION TO OUTSIDE REGATTAS.