Opti Beginners
This class is offered in 4 week blocks and is designed to introduce students to a new dinghy, the Optimist, as well as improve their basic sailing skills. Students will start off in pairs and, later, sail alone. Students will improve upon the foundational skills they learned in Beginners.
Age: 9 – 13 years old
Required Experience: Beginners + instructor recommendation
Times: M-F, 9-12 OR 9-4 (additional fee)
Graduation requirements:
-
At least 4 weeks of Opti Beginners (completion of 8 weeks is strongly recommended)
-
Demonstrated confidence and competence in singlehanded sailing
-
Demonstrated confidence and competence in key skill areas (listed above)
-
Recommendation by Opti Beginner instructor
Next steps:
-
Age 10 – 13 + instructor recommendation: Opti Green Fleet (Students must demonstrate a desire to learn to race)
-
Age 13+ and instructor recommendation: Keel Boat or 420 Green Fleet
Typical timeline: 1 – 2 summers, 8 weeks each. Varies depending on size, age, maturity, confidence, and skill level of sailor.
Cancellation Policies
CANCELLATION AND REFUND POLICY
GBSA’s operational budget is entirely based on the tuition we collect each season. As a non profit, we aim to keep enrollment costs as low as possible while being able to fund our operation from year to year. As such, we can only offer limited refunds for customers in specific cases. Please read the policies below for more information and contact the Program Director at director@gbsa.info with any questions.
Request for a refund for complete cancellation due to non-emergency reasons:
Request timeline
Action
From registration opening - March 31st
100% refund
March 31st - June 1st
50% refund
After June 1st
No refund can be provided
Please note: We will not process any refund requests for sailors who miss less than ½ of their class days. We do not prorate for any missed sailing time. You may contact the Program Director to inquire about setting up a make-up day, but this is not guaranteed.
Request for a refund due to an emergency: Please contact the GBSA Treasurer at treasurer@gbsa.info and explain the cause for cancellation. We will work with you to find a fair solution.
Changing classes: Whenever possible, we will accommodate class changes for your sailor. If we are unable to move your student into another class due to capacity reasons, and you therefore need to unenroll your sailor, we will process requests using the policies outlined above.