Finding Their Sea Legs

Cape Fear youth sailing teaches local kids more than how to catch the wind and steer a boat – it gives them confidence and a lifelong love for the water.

Sailing may start with learning which way the wind blows, but at Cape Fear Youth Sailing, it quickly becomes something deeper. Kids emerge from the program braver, more capable and more connected to the coastal waters that shape life in Brunswick County.

Cape Fear Youth Sailing, the only on-the-water youth sailing club in Brunswick County, is coming into its 30th year of teaching local kids to sail. Oak Island-based Cape Fear Yacht Club hosts the camps in partnership with Oak Island Parks and Recreation.

The mission, according to the camp’s website: “to introduce and teach water safety, sailing instruction, recreational sailing and all allied activities, including racing for young people, with the guidance and support of the U.S. Sailing Association instructional programs and curriculums.”

Of course it is a fun learning opportunity for the community’s younger demographic, but it is much more than that. Students leave with a greater confidence in the water — something essential for coastal living.

The camp supplies young sailors with pivotal sailing and maritime knowledge. They will learn about wind, tides and currents, environmental awareness and boating etiquette, and overall develop a connection to the community and local areas.

“Over 50 percent of our kids are local,” says John Hall, chairman of Youth Sailing. “Sailors become more aware of the environment and grow a respect for the local boating community. All of these factors contribute to building a maritime spirit and a deeper connection to Southport and Oak Island.”

The camp is structured into one-week sessions, offering time for beginners and more advanced students.

The first half of the camp is dedicated to beginners, called Optis, who learn closer to shore. The second half of the camp is for more advanced students, called 420s. These students can expect to hop onto larger two-person boats, venture into Intracoastal Waterway and potentially out to Swabbie Island.

A passion for being on the water is something the program’s alumni carry with them.

Arlee Potter, now a sophomore at South Brunswick High School, was a camper himself and is now a first-year Instructor.

“I just love being on the water,” Potter says. “This program taught me how to sail. This is my first year as an instructor, and it’s the best job I could have.”

Andy Kowal, the vice commodore of Youth Sailing, says that it takes more than wind and good will to run a program like this.

“What many don’t see from the shoreline is how CFYS stays afloat,” he says.

To fund the program, the Yacht Club puts on a golf tournament fundraiser in October to collect donations and essential funds for the camp.

“The annual Cape Fear Youth Sailing Golf Tournament has quietly become the backbone of the program,” Kowal says. “Held each year on Columbus Day, it serves as the primary funding source for the Cape Fear Yacht Club’s nonprofit youth sailing program.”

The fundraiser includes play on the stunning course at Oak Island Country Club and a prime rib dinner. Golfers from all over the region join to support the camp’s community.

The camp is a great way to engage children not only in fun hands-on learning, but also in important life lessons of safety and comfort on the coast.

“Volunteers, instructors and donors all play a part in keeping CFYS going strong,” Kowal says. “As the summer sun rises higher and the boats tack and jibe across the waterway, one thing is clear: Cape Fear Youth Sailing isn’t just teaching kids to sail, it’s helping them find direction, independence and a lifelong love of the water.”

Sail Away
Cape Fear Yacht Club Youth Sailing Program
4791 Fish Factory Road, Oak Island
capefearyachtclub.com/youth-sailing