Sailing Schools “We run a tight ship,” ANSA Commodore Amy Purves jokes. “Our students seem to have a lot of fun learning how to sail, and our U.S. Navy association provides a certain cache that draws people who want to learn how to sail the right way to our school.” ANSA offers a full range of ASA classes on a Hunter 31, O’Day 30, Catalina 30, and Fontaine Pajot Astrea 42 cruising catamaran. A key difference between ANSA and other local sailing schools Purves says is the ability of students to learn on a 40foot cruising catamaran the club charters from Dream Yacht Charter. “Sailing a big cat is different from sailing a monohull,” says Purves, an ASA instructor and a 25ton US Coast Guard Master. “You need to understand the power of those big sails and how to maneuver the boat in close quarters as well as how not to stall during a tack.” An advantage in membership to the club is that students have access to other
a way of becoming a more well-rounded sailor and coach. “The advantages of being a J/World coach after being a student is that I know the program and tailoring a course to the client is much easier having already experienced a specific course from a student perspective. The big picture and what I think is the secret sauce is that I want to be there and so do the other coaches. We are perpetual students, always looking for better ways to teach; that makes for a learning experience that has a certain buzz that is hard to fake.” The Annapolis Naval Sailing Association has been teaching Bay region new sailors how to sail for more than 50 years. Until 2005, the club was restricted to members of the U.S. military. Now, anyone who wants to join can become a member. The organization is a not-forprofit with all proceeds going to maintain the club’s fleet. Instructors, many of whom have U.S. Navy backgrounds, are unpaid volunteers.
##Sail Solomons students in the Southern Chesapeake.
members’ boats for a nominal fee. They can also participate in boat maintenance projects that further sharpen their skills on and off the water. As most good sailing schools do, ANSA also offers private classes on students’ boats. “If you have just purchased a boat and want to learn on it, we can accommodate your training on your own craft. That builds a skill set quickly and it makes for an easy transition once the instructor is finished with his training.” #
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