The Lake Osoyoos Sailing Club is hosting its Learn to Sail day camp for kids again this year. (Contributed photo)

By Vanessa Broadbent

Osoyoos Times

Registration is now open for the Lake Osoyoos Sailing Club’s annual Learn to Sail day camp for kids.

At the end of August, kids ages six to 13 can learn the basics of sailing: launching, docking, steering, balancing, propulsion and boat safety.

The club regularly offers lessons for adults, and this is the third summer children have the opportunity to learn.

The day camp, called the Mobile Optimist Sailing School (MOSS), is taught by BC Sailing.

The first day covers rigging, but by day two participants hit the water, club director Brian Harvey said.

By the end of the week, the kids are able to sail on their own.

“That’s the intent, to have them sailing by themselves,” Harvey said. “Knowing enough about the wind and how the sail moves and how the rudder moves, how to get from A to B, turn and get back to A.”

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BC Sailing supplies the seven-foot, nine-inch Optimist Dinghies used, but the Lake Osoyoos Sailing Club has purchased four of their own for camp participants who want to continue sailing after the camp ends.

Anyone with a membership is able to use the club’s watercraft for an additional fee.

“That means if they love it, and the parents show some interest, we make it accessible for families with kids,” Harvey said.

No experience is necessary to participate in clubs, but participants need to be comfortable in and on the water while wearing a life jacket.

“Some find it more challenging than others because they’ve never done it before,” Harvey said. “You can play basketball or baseball anywhere, anytime, but a sailboat is different, and you have to think about it. None of them can go into it and be experts.”

The day camp runs from Aug. 19 to 23, 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily, and 16 spots are available. Cost is $275 plus taxes with funding available through Kidsport for qualified families.

To register, visit sailosoyoos.ca.