Southport Magazine

The best summer youth programs make the most of the local environment, and here in Brunswick County, that includes anything in and around the water. Tying into the regions’s rich boating history, the Cape Fear Yacht Club (CFYC) offers a six-week training course for future sailors, including hands-on training time in the water on sailboats. 

The 2023 CFYC Youth Sail Program will run from June 18 to July 31 this summer. The program, which is a 501(c)(3) non-profit entity managed by the Cape Fear Yacht Club, is conducted in cooperation with the Town of Oak Island’s Recreation Department.

The CFYC Youth Sail Program is intended for youth between the ages of 9 and 17. It offers three weeks of instruction and hands-on training in the Opti Class sailboat, and then three weeks of training in the 420-class sailboat.

The Opti class sailboat is a small, 8-foot long, single masted sailboat with only a main sail intended to be sailed by one person. It is used by more than 50 nations in international competitions for young sailors. The boat has a shallow draft of only about 5 inches and uses a daggerboard as its keel. The entire boat only weighs about 80 pounds.

The 420-class sailboat is a larger sailboat with two or three sails, intended for two-person sailing. The boat is called the “420” because of its length, 420 centimeters (about 14 feet). This sailboat weighs just less than 200 pounds and it is also used in international sailing competitions. It is intended for more advanced sailors and there are many local, regional, and international competition regattas.

The CFYC Youth Sail Program has been teaching young sailors for 28 years. CFYC runs the Youth Sailing Program and the Club also owns and maintains a fleet of the Opti class and 420 class sailboats. CFYC also provides safety boats which accompany the participating youth while they are on the water. 

The Yacht Club holds various fund-raising events during the year to help provide funding for the Youth Sail Program to help keep costs to the students as low as possible. Most of the cost of maintaining these boats is raised with various fund-raising events during the year such as the Flotilla raffle, an annual golf tournament, and several local area sponsors.

For more information or a detailed listing of the schedule please visit Cape Fear Yacht Club Youth Sailing.