A few years ago, the Half Moon Bay Yacht Club (HMBYC) decided to move its focus on its youth sailing program. This year, the same efforts were rewarded as the club has been awarded with the 2017 Nimitz Award for its contribution in advancing the youth sailing.
He said “This Nimitz trophy is the oldest one. It dates back to 1958 and the award has been actually signed by Adm. Nimitz himself. He sponsored the award personally and signed the trophy.”
The sailing camps are in the middle of the youth sailing program of the club. The group has increased enrollment to an average of 100 campers every year, and many come here with almost no prior sailing experience.
Through the Half Moon Bay Yacht Club Women’s Sailing group (HMBYCWS) and the Half Moon Bay Yacht Club Foundation (HMBYCF), which is a nonprofit charitable organization, many scholarships were offered. The foundation offers four scholarships to youths who would otherwise be not able to attend camp. And two scholarships are offered to young women who apply to the Claire Borkert Memorial scholarship.
“Much like teaching ski with kids, there is a window of time as a developing of person where they have not yet learned to be scared of things,” said Pyne. “These young sailors are not scared of capsizing. They just enjoy it, giggle and keep the things going.
“On some level, at these ages, it the apt time to create lifelong sailors and it is easier to get kids interested in sailing and trained them to become a big sailor of future. The camp, work with the same objective.”