By: Mike Klatt

The second ever Essentials of Sailing (EOS) class took place at the BoatHouse during the weekend of June 2-4.  Four students completed the class, double the number of graduates from last year’s class.   I was the lead instructor for the class, assisted by Chad Cox, Ryan Roggow, and Jesus Salas (a graduate of the first EOS class).  Ryan came all the way from Tulsa for the weekend to help with the class, and his wife Amanda, an OSU student, was enrolled in the class.  Also taking the class were Oklahoma Sailing Club (OSC) members Luisa Blanco, Tifarah Booth, and Pedro Olaya.

EOS is a new concept for the BoatHouse curriculum: Learn to sail in a weekend.   The class began out of a desire for a comprehensive introduction to sailing for new members of OSC.  Unlike other BoatHouse classes, EOS does not culminate in US Sailing certification.  Instead, the goal is to get each student to a point where they can continue to develop their sailing skills with minimal supervision.  The class is very intense, as it introduces most of the material of the week-long Small Boat Sailing classes in just over half the time.

The class began Friday evening with basic water safety (swimming and capsize recovery) followed by the bulk of the classroom material.  Saturday was an all- day session, mixing classroom presentations and sailing.  Saturday’s lunch break featured a cookout, a little something out of the ordinary compared to most sailing classes.  Class finished on Sunday afternoon after the students had some time to practice all of their skills.  Warm temperatures and strong winds challenged the students and instructors all weekend, but the four graduates are well on their way to becoming skilled sailors.
 

Left to right:  Tifarah Booth (student), Luisa Blanco (student), Pedro Olaya (student),  Jesus Salas (volunteer),
Amanda Roggow (student), Ryan Roggow (instructor), Mike Klatt (instructor).  Not pictured: Chad Cox (instructor).