2020 Summer Camp - The Mark Sorensen Youth Sailing Program

We had a bumper crop of local Florida Keys kids discover how much fun sailing is and so we’re super excited about growing our team of youth sailors throughout the academic year.

We can’t express our gratitude enough to the club members and local Keys businesses that donated to our Mainsail Scholarship program and made it possible to send a dozen of our underpriviledged local kids on a full two-week scholarship to our sailing camp. Getting as many of our kids on sailboats and making the sport accessible and affordable to all of our children continues to be the driving force behind The Mark Sorensen Youth Sailing Program.

Our dates for next year are locked and loaded so MARK YOUR CALENDARS! Registration will open online on our website on February 1, 2020.

FLORIDA KEYS SAILING SUMMER CAMP 2020: June 1 – July 31

See you next summer!

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Are you looking for a children’s camp in the Florida Keys where your kids and teens can discover a new water sport that connects them to the marine environment, builds their self-confidence and lets them make new friends? If that’s a yes, then the Florida Keys Sailing Summer Camp at the Upper Keys Sailing Club is just the ticket for kids ages 5 through 18 looking for a fun and nature-filled outdoor summer experience. Whether you have a little one about to start kindergarten or a demanding teen, we have a sailing program suited just for them. Please take a few moments to look through our offerings and start planning your summer schedule in Key Largo!

After a super successful debut last summer, we are bringing back our Largo Conchs program for those water-loving little ones. For those kids that aren’t used to being ashore, this program lets them get comfortable on the water and hooked on sailing. Our Largo Conchs will climb aboard sailboats accompanied by an instructor at all times. Through fun and games, lil’ conchs will learn about boating safety, basic seamanship and proper sailing terminology all while exploring Buttonwood Sound. There’ll be plenty of kid-sized kayaking near shore, beach swimming and excursions to nearby islands when the weather permits. Children will be required to bring their own proper fitting life jacket, snacks and/or lunch and a reusable water bottle.

Because we want to have as many young kids experience sailing and being out on the water this summer, we are offering this fantastic program to all kids ages 5 – 7 for only $300 a session. Please click on the following link to sign up your camper. Largo Conchs Registration

LEARN TO SAIL – Ages 8-14
For Beginners and Intermediate Sailors (Full Day Only 9 am to 3 pm)

In this course, campers will sail on a variety of sailboat dinghies like the Opti, Sunfish, and Zuma among other boats. In addition to having a lot of on-the-water fun, the focus of this two-week program is on learning the fundamentals of sailing, boating safety, rigging and how to skipper boats upwind and downwind and all around the bay. Our property has direct beach access to Buttonwood Sound in Key Largo, so beach swimming, near-shore snorkeling (with your own mask and fins), kayaking, paddle boarding and excursions to nearby islands are all part of the program too.

The cost for local Florida Keys and Homestead area children is $450 per child per two-week session. To qualify for this rate, children must attend a school located in these communities full-time. The cost to attend for all other non-local children is $575 per child per two-week session. Please click on this link to fill out the registration form, sign the waiver and complete payment: LTS Registration

INTRODUCTION TO C420 SAILING – Ages 12-18
(10am to 3pm)

Parents, for those of you with demanding middle or high school-aged kids, sailing is the perfect sport to pick up as a teenager. You are NEVER TOO OLD to discover sailing, so this summer have your teens drop their mobile devices and hop aboard a two-person boat with a friend or fellow camper. No sailing experience, no problem! We will pair your child with a more experienced skipper so they can comfortably ease their way into sailing. And for those teens who have outgrown an Opti or Sunfish and want to try sailing a bigger and faster boat with a friend on board, then our Intro to C420 course is the perfect solution to get your teens off the couch and on the water. The two-week course will teach sailors boat handling skills by controlling the trim of the mainsail, jib and spinnaker sails together. The C420 is the same boat raced competitively in high schools and universities all over the country.

Class size is limited to 8 sailors per session; must have a minimum of 4 sailors per session.

Session 1: June 17 – June 28th
Session 2: July 8 – July 19th

Cost: The rate for local Keys and Homestead teens is $450 per child per two-week session. All others pay $575 per sailor per two-week session. Please complete the following registration form and submit accordingly: Intro to C420 Sailing Registration

(Payment and registration for the Intro to C420 Sailing course must be received two weeks prior to the start of the session. There is a non-refundable cancellation fee of $175 for this program only. Please note that the C420 is a two-person boat, therefore last-minute cancellations will adversely impact other sailors registered for the course.)

OUR REFUND POLICY

We understand that summer plans can change last minute. That’s why MSYSP is happy to give you a full refund on your child’s registration so long as we are given a TWO WEEK NOTICE. We are also happy to reschedule the session to an earlier or later date in the summer to accommodate your schedule. Unfortunately, WE CANNOT GIVE ANY REFUNDS IF THE SESSION IS ALREADY IN PROGRESS.

THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT OUR CAMP

All campers MUST bring their own REUSABLE WATER BOTTLE each and every day! We are big on recycling and going green so minimizing the use of plastic cups and bottles is a huge deal for us.
Absolutely no mobile devices are allowed during camp hours. Any camper seen with an iPhone or iPad in hand will have it swiftly taken and returned to the parent at the end of the day.
We DO NOT offer day camps. The child must attend a full session or not at all.
We expect all campers to show up and be picked up on time each and every day. Kids can be dropped off 30 minutes before the start of the program and must be picked up no later than 30 minutes after the end of the day.
Parents and relatives are allowed to stay for a half hour on the first day of camp but are not allowed to stay or come during the middle of the day to watch their kids. Every Friday at about 10:30 am, we invite all family and friends to come and watch their kids sail from our pier. If available, we’ll even take you out on a motorboat so you can take up-close pictures and videos of your kids sailing. So come on Friday, but just stick to drop off and pick up on all the other days.
We have plenty of rainy-day and no-wind activities in our playbook so bring your camper regardless of the weather. In those very rare days when the weather forecast continues to be poor past noon, the camp director will send out a blast text to all parents and give them the option to pick up the campers early. For parents unable to pick up their kids early, we will take care of your child through the end of the day as usual.
Our Camp Director is always happy to take your calls, emails and texts should you have any questions, comments or concerns.

Lastly, please check out our Summer Camp Fact Sheet as well as our Sailor Code of Conduct.

For more information, please contact:

Rosa Lamela
Director
(305)747-2600
info@msysp.org

Thank You For An Amazing 2019 Summer Sailing Camp Season!