Spinnaker Sailing Workshop

Spinnaker Sailing: Skills Workshop

Ready to take your sailing skills to the next level? Join us to learn how to sail with a symmetrical spinnaker — often called the "third sail."

This workshop is designed for sailors who are already comfortable crewing with main and jib and want to expand their skills. Instruction takes place aboard our J/22 and Sonar keelboats.

What You'll Learn

During this 3.5-hour on-the-water workshop, you will practice:

• Rigging the spinnaker
• Hoisting and Dousing
• Trimming the spinnaker
• Jibing with a spinnaker
• Using the spinnaker pole

Each participant will rotate through key crew positions while flying the spinnaker, including:

• Foredeck
• Pit
• Trim

Prerequisites

This is not a beginner course. Before attending, you should feel confident with:

• Tacking
• Jibing
• Basic Helm Skills (steering and trimming on all points of sail)
• Wind awareness
• Rigging and Derigging a small keelboat
• Basic sailing vocabulary (parts of the boat)

DSC staff carefully monitor wind conditions and will reschedule the workshop if conditions are not appropriate for introductory spinnaker training.

Course Details

• Audience: Adult Education (participants must be at least 16 years old)
• Length: 3.5 hours (no meal break)
• Availability: Participants must be available for the full session, as boats will spend the majority of the time on the water.
• Boats Used: J/22 or Sonar keelboats — both are stable, heavy-keel boats that will not tip over during your sail.

For family-based sailing education options, please email info@downtownsailing.org.

Location & Arrival

• Parking is available in the gravel lot at the Baltimore Museum of Industry (BMI).
• Classes meet behind the BMI pavilion near the gate to the Downtown Sailing Center main dock.
• Please arrive a few minutes early to check in and meet your instructor.

What to Bring & Wear

• Close-toed shoes (required)
• Weather-appropriate clothing (it feels cooler on the water!)
• Full water bottle
• Sunglasses, hat, sunscreen
• A great attitude

Life jackets are required and will be provided.

Note: The on-site restroom is a port-a-potty.

Registration & Policies

• Payment is due at the time of registration. Space is limited — register early to secure your spot.
• If the event is full, you may join the waitlist. We will contact you if space becomes available or additional boats are added.
• There is a firm $35 administrative fee per course for switching dates or cancelling.
• Refunds are not guaranteed for cancellations within 14 days of the class start date.

Please review the full cancellation policy and additional details on our Adult Ed FAQ page before registering.

If the event is full, you may add yourself to the waitlist - we will contact you if a spot opens up or we are able to add more boats. 

Payment is due at the time of registration to reserve your spot - space is limited so don't delay!