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If you're unable to read this e-mail please click here
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ASA Bearings Newsletter If you're unable to read this e-mail please click here |
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21st Century Sailing Education
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by Ash Ashbaugh, ASA Affiliate Representative |
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Technology advances and the social acceptance of instantaneous communication and information allow sailing education to extend beyond the formal class environment.
“Learning How to Sail” is a big subject. With a range of activities such as racing, cruising, day sailing, social sailing, commercial captaincy, etc., it can also encompass many levels of training and years of experience. Unlike most sports and recreational activities, sailing equally requires both knowledge and skills.
In the last few years the ASA has created an industry-leading array of new media information to introduce and inform all levels of sailors in a way that augments our standard sailing classes.
We have posted over 50 videos on YouTube including basic sail trim, knots, expert interviews, navigation, race start practice and much more. We also have tutorial videos on the asa.com website with more in-depth presentations of essential skills. |
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A big shift in thinking began when we prepared an interactive on-line program “ Your First Sail”. This program was created for the sailor anticipating a sailing class, joining a sailing club, or just going sailing with friends for the first time. It covers topics such as the parts of a boat, wind direction, points of sail, and more. It even addresses what to wear and how to board the boat. Despite its thoroughness, this self-paced course only takes around 30-45 minutes to complete, and is full of interactive diagrams, videos, and pictures to keep the learning fun.
Expanding on this adaptive interactivity, we recently combined education theory with game theory to create the award-winning Sailing Challenge App for smart phones and tablets. |
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In this application, points of sail, apparent wind, trimming, tacking, jibing, right of way, and docking are each presented with realistic graphics and motion at multiple levels. Each module includes a timed game scenario to test and rate knowledge and skills. The last module puts it all together with a race against time. The beauty of this app is that you can begin anywhere at any level, proceed in any way, and experiment with techniques at any time. It is even possible to start with the final race and improve by going back to modules to see how to improve your techniques. The race game alone is worth the App and it just gets better the more you explore it. |
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We believe that sailing outside the class is also a learning experience. To boost sailing in general and to easily connect skippers and sailors, we provide the free “Go Sailing” app. This app was launched with the mission of making sailing accessible to everyone - novices and salty dogs alike. The app lets you post a crew request, examine applicants, browse available trips and events, apply to attend, use trip messages to effectively plan with your crew, track sailing history, certifications and more. The app can be focused on schools, clubs or individuals across multiple locations, and is the best way to make sailing connections happen.
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Nothing can replace the ASA Instructor personally teaching people how to sail. We believe that these latest tools augment the Instructor by extending the learning environment beyond the classroom, and by making what could be loosely called “homework” interesting and fun.
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We urge ASA Affiliates, Instructors and their students in the San Francisco Bay Area to attend “Learning to Sail in the 21st Century” at the Pacific Sail & Power Boat Show in Richmond, CA April 7-9 2017. Ash will be giving this lecture on Thursday, Friday and Sunday - see seminar schedule >> |
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Pivot Point - Angle of Attack When in Doubt, Let It Out! |
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by David Wilbar, ASA Instructor Evaluator |
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Usually, ASA Instructors have a limited amount of time to move sailing students from zero to a sailing “Learner’s Permit”. My experience has been that memorization of sailing terms and boat parts at the start of each class can become intimidating to the novice. So, we should always be looking for ways to make learning to sail less rote, and more intuitive. Particularly sailing upwind.
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Instead of numerous sailing terms and jargon, begin with fundamental sailing concepts. Introduce some basic sailing terms as you go. Use a very basic sloop model with a keel in this presentation. A fan can be helpful.
A sailor who can identify the mast or boom vang, but can’t read his sails is not yet a sailor.
Pivot Point: Every sailboat, no matter what size, will spin or “pivot” just like a top that is spun. The top will spin the direction of the pressure. The part the boat spins on is near the middle of the keel. So, just like a top, if there is pressure on this side of the top, the pointy end goes this way. And the part behind the pivot point goes exactly the other way. Just like a top.
Angle of Attack: How do we create pressure on either side of the pivot on a sailboat? By adjusting our two sails, the “main” and the “jib”. The jib is in front of the pivot point and the main is behind the pivot point. Using our “sheets”, we adjust the front edge of each sail so it “splits” the wind. The goal is to create pressure differences on either side of the sails. That pressure difference will create the motion needed to move the boat forward, or to the left, or to the right.
When in Doubt, Let is out! How do you know how or when to adjust your sails for the proper Angle of Attack? By watching the front, or leading edge of your sails. If you see the front shaking, or “luffing”, they are not trimmed properly. If you see the leading edge of the jib-“the luff”-shaking, pull it in using the “jib sheet”, just until the luffing stops. Do the same with the main, using the “main sheet”. On the other hand, if you don’t see any luffing at all on either sail, ease out each sail just until you see it start to luff, then trim in just until the luffing stops.
To recap: Don’t just teach terminology… teach concepts! |
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GO SAILING Ambassador Volunteers
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GO SAILING announced a volunteer-based Ambassador project last week to help spread the word about the free mobile app. The app is a gift to the sailing community from the American Sailing Association (ASA), and effectively solves the problem of skippers needing crew and crew needing skippers and acts as a means for sailors of all skill levels to connect and stay connected. Sailors can also find or organize sailing related events and publicize them for free.
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In just under 48 hours, a remarkable number of close to 100 Ambassadors have applied. Picked upon sailing experience, community involvement, geographic location and social reach, they will use their networking abilities and sailing enthusiasm to visit sailing schools and centers, Yacht Clubs, Associations and other sailing related institutions to help answer questions and present the app as what it is... A tool to help increase engagement and activity worldwide and help sailing grow.
So far, most of the US states have an Ambassador present, and parts of Europe, including the Mediterranean area, are also covered. The GO SAILING team, which is constantly looking for more sailing enthusiasts to come aboard locally and internationally, is excited to already have established a strong sense of community that is especially represented through the volunteer work. At this point, we’d like to express a huge thanks to all those who strive to help the sport of sailing grow locally, domestically and internationally.
The app will soon be available worldwide (in 100+ countries) and is available to download for iPhones and Androids - Download Now >> |
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ASA offers Schools the ability to post their school flotillas on our website. This is a fantastic way to get your program visible to people from other states. The cost is $250. We ask that you have an ASA Welcome Party event as part of your flotilla and send us photos and articles so that we can use them to promote the sailing life.
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You are also required to have the participants sign waivers, including emergency contact information, and keep in your files. Here are some samples:
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The Pirates Lair is ASA's new clothing and brand merchandise supplier. We are excited to announce a wide variety of brand new products for ASA instructors including wicking shirts, polos, caps and more!
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Enjoy free ground shipping via USPS. Enter coupon code ASA784 at checkout. |
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ASA affiliate schools can add their school logo to any of the ASA products online or choose from thousands of products in the Pirates Lair catalog.
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FOR SALE : ASA First 22 Sailboat
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Lenny Shabes, Founder of the ASA and its current Chairman would like to sell his ASA 22 demo. The ASA 22 was designed by Beneteau’s Naval Architects, Finot-Conq, and modified by Lenny and a group of ASA’s very knowledgeable sailing instructors. The goal was to create a boat that is fun to sail, easy to maintain, and a great boat for teaching ASA 101. Its extended cockpit provides room for an instructor and four students making it a profitable boat for instruction. Lenny’s boat is in excellent condition and has been used primarily for advertising, marketing and the launch of GO SAILING. It is featured in almost every picture and video of the ASA First 22 online or in print. It has bottom paint and a cool Beneteau spinnaker with all its gear. The swing keel allows the boat to be put on a low trailer for easy transport. Lenny is asking $24,995 OBO. The boat is currently located in Marina del Rey, CA. Learn more about the ASA First 22 >> |
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Contact Lenny at info@asa.com if you are interested in buying the boat.
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Useful links for Instructors & Affiliates
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