Onboard By Margaret Pommert
Launch Ramps: Youth Sailing Local boating community leaders have been exploring the need to increase the diversity, equity, and inclusion of all sailors and power boaters on our waters. As I heard someone recently say, “Boating here is pretty darn white.” Everyone agrees this is an important topic, for a variety of reasons. So, our discussions have now turned on how to make this happen. Just like with boats, new boaters need “launch ramps” where they can easily access our waters. We’ve come to the conclusion that if sailing is going to diversify, it’s going to happen at the youth level. Andrew Nelson is Youth Sailing Director at The Sailing Foundation, a local organization whose mission it is to support the growth of sailing in the Pacific Northwest and where I serve on the Board of Directors. As a 501(c)3 non-profit, The Sailing Foundation augments the good work currently being done by local sailing programs and organizations, all in an effort to grow the sport. “We can learn from what other sports like golf, lacrosse, and rowing have done,” Nelson explains when describing The Sailing Foundation’s Youth Sailing Initiative efforts. “They’ve made major inroads in diversity by focusing at the youth level. Making these sports part of high school athletics is a big reason for that. When these become school sports, they cast a much larger net.” Quite simply, making these sports available to ALL students at a local high school increases access to the sport by those that might not otherwise be exposed to it or have equity of access. That leads to diversity of participation. The Sailing Foundation supports youth sailing, including high school sailing, by employing Nelson as a coach and mentor to youth 60
sailing programs throughout the Pacific Northwest at no cost to those programs. One of the big challenges of boating inclusion is the expense involved. To address this, The Sailing Foundation offers youth sailing scholarships. “A key part of our mission is to provide more access points to the sport of sailing,” Nelson explains. “We are working with existing sailing centers and yacht clubs to expand their beginner’s programs, and point the general public in their direction. It’s believed that a big reason people never start sailing is because the pathway isn’t always clearly marked.” The Sailing Foundation continues to award scholarships so that girls and boys enrolled in the free and reduced lunch program can get on the water. “Our outreach focusses on breaking down barriers and making sailing more visible to potential new sailors,” he adds. “We are broadening our net with our work in the high school sailing programs. It takes time, and those other sports still have a long way to go too, but we’re at least trying to create an environment where it can happen.” Community sailing programs, such as Sail Sand Point, The Center for Wooden Boats, and the Northwest Maritime Center are also key players in increasing access to boating in our area. For more information, visit www.nwyouthsailing.org. Onward! Seattle-based Margaret Pommert is a licensed 100-ton captain, certified sail, power and navigation instructor, leader in the woman boater community, safety at sea advocate.
