FEATURE ARTICLE ON THE NORTH TEXAS SAILING SCHOOL

Spring 2004 American Sailing Journal - Newsletter of the American Sailing Association

Traveling west on Interstate 30, Dallas bound motorists endure more than 150 miles of rather featureless prairie, dotted with small towns, and agriculture. That is until arriving in Rockwall, Texas. Topping a small rise on I-30, the spectacular scenery of Lake Ray Hubbard is in full display. Over 20,000 acres of glistening lake dominates the foreground, leading the eye to the famous Dallas skyline still 20 miles distant, but appearing to be on the opposite shore. Drivers descend the hill, arriving just a few feet above the water to traverse a four-mile long bridge. One of several fresh-water reservoirs surrounding the city, Lake Ray Hubbard was built in 1969-70 to serve Dallas area water needs as well as to provide a vast expanse of flooded prairie suitable for recreation. With almost 30 square miles of open water, Lake Ray Hubbard is the home to more than 1000 sailboats and sailors that share a passion for the sport.

Located in Heath, Texas, on the southeast corner of the lake, the Rush Creek Yacht Club is the home of the North Texas Sailing School. RCYC is nestled into a cove formed by the intersection of tributary Rush Creek and the East Fork of the Trinity River. The club was chartered in October of 1969 by a group of local sailors determined to provide a base of operations on Lake Ray Hubbard. This was no small task, as the lake had not yet filled to its present elevation of 435 feet above sea level. The North Texas Sailing School was founded 5 years later to bring people who were new to sailing closer to the sport without having to travel to the Texas coast to take a sailing class. Now entering its 30th year, more than 5000 students have learned to sail at NTSS.

Originally founded in 1975, the North Texas Sailing School became an ASA affiliate in 1985. Current owners Michael and Carol Hoye have added new features and programs to the curriculum. Offerings include junior sailing, spinnaker classes and corporate team building to compliment the many ASA certification classes. Michael Hoye is a native of Rhode Island and has been sailing all his life. Relocating to Texas as a youngster, and after a career in high technology, he decided to try teaching. Quoting Michael Hoye: “We love sailing and we love to teach sailing. We look at teaching as part of a lifelong learning process and we are dedicated to growing and serving the sport of sailing. Our commitment is to introduce sailing to new enthusiasts, including our youth. We place a strong emphasis on good seamanship, particularly safe handling of a boat in all weather conditions. Continual mentoring of our students throughout their sailing careers helps prepare all of us for success. We also want to provide existing sailors with as many resources as possible, including on-line communication where residents of North Texas can find information about sailing activities”.

The North Texas Sailing School maintains a fleet of J22 class boats that sail virtually every weekend in organized classes as well as on the Rush Creek racecourse. With mild winters and average wind velocities of 12 knots, sailing in the Dallas area becomes a 12-month activity. NTSS employs 14 ASA certified sailing instructors and offers ASA certifications 101 through 106. “All of our courses are held in approximately three hour increments,” says Hoye. “The yacht club environment at Rush Creek provides all of our students and instructors with a level of comfort that helps promote learning. Our instructors are members of Rush Creek Yacht Club, and they are privileged to race the boats as long as students are available to crew”.

Beginning in June of each year, NTSS and RCYC offers a sailing program for junior sailors, ages 7-17 years. Students are introduced to sailing concepts in daily classroom sessions, followed by on-the-water practical experience. Classes focus on teaching sailing fundamentals and proper boat handling technique. Various activities on and off the water encourage interest in sailing and seamanship. Each two-week session accommodates students of different ages and levels of experience.

Novice sailors begin learning in Optimist Dinghies, eventually graduating to the Laser. Advanced students practice racing and navigation skills on the Laser, and ultimately teamwork on the JY15’s. All juniors gain basic keelboat sailing experience on the J22’s at the end of each session. Advanced juniors have the option of moving up to professional coaching; perhaps leading to Olympic or other nationally recognized racing qualifiers. “Most of our junior sailing instructors are teachers by trade and hold advanced teaching certificates”, says Hoye. “Our adult sailing classes offer the ideal curriculum for them to develop sailing and racing skills that enable them to compliment the junior program”.

Another North Texas Sailing School innovation is the weekly alumni sail that offers the opportunity to keep student and graduate sailing skills up to date. Essentially a self-taught class, sailors meet each Sunday afternoon to practice what they learned in class and to meet other sailors with similar interests.

In addition to various sailing classes, NTSS sponsors team-building activities on the J22’s. North Texas Sailing School team building exercises require no previous sailing experience. Participants focus on working together as a skipper/crew team in a dynamic and sometimes demanding environment.

Teams learn sailing basics together in a combined classroom along with on-the-water training. Working with NTSS sailing instructors, teams are introduced to the concepts of sailboat racing, and dealing with constantly changing forces requiring team members to think and act fast. “It's definitely challenging, but at the end of the day, your sense of success and accomplishment as a team is a fitting reward”, Hoye says.

The symbiotic relationship of club and school seem to work hand in hand to promote both sailing and learning. Small wonder that the North Texas Sailing School is the most popular ASA affiliated sailing school in North Texas. Thirty consecutive years of sailing success is certainly something to be proud of.

Reprinted with the permission of the American Sailing Association