Back by Popular Demand:
“If it’s Wednesday Night it’s Sailing Seminar Night!”

The Detroit Regional Yacht-racing Association (DRYA) is proud to repeat their popular Wednesday night sailing seminars, “The Joy of Sailing.”

During the months of January, February and March, the DRYA will host a series of ten novice sailing seminars focusing on pleasure cruising and racing. Each seminar is sponsored by a different DRYA member club and is open to the general public free of charge. The seminars will begin at 7pm and last 2 hours with a short break. Some of the clubs will offer refreshments or dinner service before and during the seminar for a nominal fee. Children of all ages are encouraged to attend, under adult supervision.

"These [sailing] seminars have been developed with the novice or inexperienced sailor in mind," explains DRYA Rear Commodore Robert Schappe. "It is our hope to educate the public about the joys of sailboat ownership and the camaraderie and spirit in sail racing. These seminars will give new or potential boat owners a taste of what sailing is all about. Should someone wish to learn even more, member clubs will be on hand to discuss their individual membership and sailing instructional programs."

Whether you are a seasoned sailor, a new sailboat owner, or just wondering what sailing is all about, the DRYA seminar series will be a fun and rewarding way to spend your winter Wednesday evenings.

The following topics will be covered during the seminar series:

Each week, the DRYA will send out an e-mail reminder announcement providing you with information regarding the upcoming seminar and its location and directions. You can also download the full schedule from the DRYA website at www.DRYA.org.

Please contact the hosting club directly for information regarding the availability of meal and beverage service and prices.

About the DRYA

The Detroit Regional Yacht-racing Association (DRYA) is a non-profit organization comprised of 29 area clubs and some 300 individual members, both Canadian and US. These clubs are located from Toledo, Ohio to Port Huron, Michigan and Sarnia, Ontario.

The Detroit Regional Yacht-Racing Association (DRYA) was established in 1912 as the Detroit River Yachting Association by the Commodores of the Detroit Boat Club and the Detroit Yacht Club, Commodore Harry Austin and Commodore Harry Kendall, respectively. Originally founded to be a clearing board to assist local clubs in resolving conflicts with their individual summer regatta calendars, the DRYA is now a Michigan Corporation and a registered Non-profit organization.

Today, the DRYA continues to support sailboat racing in the Detroit area by establishing a racing schedule to avoid conflicts and standardized sailing instructions and by providing handicaps, race management, and racing and sailing related mailings to its members.

Membership in the DRYA and one of its member clubs is a general requirement to sail your own boat in DRYA sanctioned races. Membership is not required to crew aboard racing vessels, although we recommend membership to stay informed of upcoming races and regattas. A temporary 'provisional membership' in the DRYA (valid for up to 12 months and non-renewable) will also allow you to compete in these races for one year. The intention behind this type of membership is that it allows you time to look at the various clubs and to make a reasoned decision as to which club best fits your needs.

The DRYA is hosting ten seminars, developed with the novice sailor in mind, between January 2005 and March 2005. These seminars are open to the public and are free of charge. Visit our website at http://www.drya.org for more information