The Marquette Yacht Club offers sailing courses for young people in the summer

MARQUETTE, Michigan (WLUC) – The Marquette Junior Yacht Club sailing school began its first day of classes Monday.

Young students set sail from Marquette’s Lower Harbor to become experienced sailors.

“We can sail more on Lake Superior with the boat, a big boat that’s on Lake Superior, and I can help more when we sail,” said 11-year-old Louis Eaton.

The student said he wanted to learn more about sailing. During the four-week class, students ages eight to 17 practice skills such as tying knots, learning boating terminology and sailing on a set course. Principal Rah Trost said the goal is to train more sailors.

“Maybe they sail in a club or a racing team, they may be recreational sailors, you know, it’s kind of a lifelong learning process,” Trost said.

This season, 80 children have signed up to learn to sail. Trost added that the club has a 40% return rate to the water. Classes run Monday through Aug. 2 and cost $200 per week per student. Trost said the community supports the program. The UP Sailing Company sponsored two children.

“So they learn about the weather, they learn about wind, they learn about sails, but they also learn how to work together, and that’s a life skill that obviously transfers to anything,” Trost added.

Student Max Geschwindt came back for a second year. He wanted to get his sailing license and enjoyed meeting up with friends.

“Because if you make a mistake, there are other people there to help you so that you don’t capsize and break your skull,” said Geschwindt.

You can register for a lesson here. You can find more information about the sailing school here.

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