Make plans now to participate in this summer’s Put-in-Bay Community Swim Sail 2010 Program. We have our regular programs for island youth ages 4 to 18 and are working to also provide private lessons for adults and interested families. Evening Endurance Swim and a one-week race clinic for interested sailors will begin the week of June 14th. Morning swim classes and a four-week Learn-to-Sail Program will begin one week later on June 21st. We will host our Annual Spaghetti Dinner and Raffle Fundraiser in Friday, June 25th and the entire program wraps up with the Annual Award’s Night scheduled for Friday, July 16th.

Morning swim sail 2010 classes are for children who are four years of age or older on June 14th. Classes are held four mornings a week, Monday through Thursday, for four weeks. Evening Endurance Swim classes are held Monday and Wednesday evenings for five weeks beginning June 14th. These classes are for swimmers who have completed up through Level IV of the American Red Cross Learn-to-Swim Program and want to improve their strokes and endurance. Many teens continue swimming to stay in shape for high school teams and/or to prepare for additional water safety or lifeguarding courses.

Our Learn-to-Sail program has averaged 45 participants over the last few years. We try to offer something for everyone. Our youngest novice sailors, aged eight to eleven, usually start out in our Opti Green class with other beginner sailors. Older first-time sailors are welcomed into our Rec Sailing class where sailing with their peers, they quickly learn the basics and more. As their skills improve, interested sailors can choose to join the Race Team and travel off-island to compete against other area youth. Hopefully, this year’s
four-week format will make it easier to host grandchildren and avoid conflicts with spring sports, school, and camps. To make up for the lost days, we plan on increasing class length to improve time on the water.

Registration materials will be available online at www.pibswimsail.org after March 15th. Returning participants will receive their forms by mail. To be added to our mailing list or for answers to your questions, please contact Swimming Chair Debbie Larson
at 440-835-1558 or Sailing Co-Chair Jane O’Brien at 440-286-5546. We can also be reached by email at pibswimsail@gmail.com. Registration forms will be due by May 1, 2010.