Seats are now available in the following seminars:

March 20-21, 2010 - Annapolis, MD 
September 18-19, 2010 – Hampton, VA

Our unique 2-day Ocean Sailing Seminars focus on the essential skills of successful passage-making for short-handed crews of 30-70 foot cruising sailboats. Small class size allows for personalized discussions about realities of open ocean sailing. We’ll help you prepare your boat and crew, select your gear, and respond to  the challenges of ocean sailing. This is not another Safety at Sea Seminar.

Ocean Sailing Seminar speakers are experienced offshore sailors and skilled communicators. They will become your advisors as you prepare for your first offshore passage in months to come. Content has been developed from over 20 years of experience with participants in our Caribbean 1500 and Atlantic Cup Rallies.

You’ll learn about ...

• Preparing mentally for offshore sailing
• Leadership skills necessary to select and train the people on board
• Cost effectively equipping your boat for passages  
• Selecting the best sails and trimming them properly for passage-making and long term cruising
• Communications and Navigation systems
• The most common problems at sea
• Planning your passage: Fuel, water, and provisioning
• Weather systems and how they affect your sailing strategies
• What to do when the weather gets rough
• Successfully navigating the Gulf Stream
• Getting yourself, your crew, and your boat ready to go
• Enjoying life on board

Registration Fee

• $295 per person ($250 for additional person).  Refundable up to two weeks prior to seminar date less a $50 cancellation fee

Seminar Includes

• Lectures 8:30 – 5:00 Saturday, 8:30-4:00 Sunday
• Continental breakfast and lunch both days
• Copy of Advanced Bluewater Cruising – by Hal Sutphen, a $24.95 value
• Certificate of course completion

Speakers

	Steve Black, founder and president of the Cruising Rally Association. He has completed over 50 offshore passages including three solo transatlantic races. A former educational publisher, he served as Executive Director of US SAILING before launching the Caribbean 1500.
	Rick Palm, Director of Education and Chief Safety Inspector for the CRA. He is a lifelong sailor who has circumnavigated and continues to cruise extensively up and down the Eastern seaboard and throughout the Caribbean. Rick served as a sailing instructor in the U.S. Air Force and honed his training skills in the medical business. Working for a Tayana importer and MRPRefits Inc., he has benefitted from years of hands-on experience commissioning and refitting sailboats.
	Julie Palm, Marketing Consultant for the CRA. She has circumnavigated with her husband Rick and has 30 years of experience in passage planning and bluewater sailing. The Palms have completed five Caribbean 1500 rallies and Europa 92 (the predecessor to the WorldArc), cruising from Grenada to NovaScotia and around the world. Julie particularly enjoys talking to the women in our seminars and rallies, helping newcomers benefit from the experiences of those who have done it before.
	Tim Hasson, President of Tech Yachts, is an expert in the selection, installation, and on board instruction for communication and navigation systems. He heads shore side opperations during our rallies providing communications, weather links, emergency management, and family support.
	Dave Flynn, Director of Special Projects Group for Quantum Sail Design is a professional sailor specializing in sail trim, and sail selection for the offshore cruising market. He is respected around the world as a sailmaker, champion sailor, coach, and educator. Dave has been part of winning racing programs for over 20 years, winning the Daimler Chrysler Trans Atlantic Race and the Newport Bermuda Race, among others.
	Andrew Bishop, Managing Director of the World Cruising Club, will join the list of featured speakers on the Ocean Sailing Seminar agenda, March 20-21 in Annapolis, MD.  Bishop will discuss cruising opportunities in the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC), the World ARC and on-line information resources.

Agenda