Summer Race Team

Laser Race Team

Intermediate/Advanced sailors above 120 lbs. At least one summer camp/learn to sail is required before joining the team. If you are not sure if your sailor qualifies, email youthracing@boatingcenter.org.

Costs

The CBC is currently in the process of purchasing ILCA sailboats for sailor use. We encourage sailors to consider purchasing their own boats if possible, but will strive to offer club boats.

We do not want cost to be a barrier from participation. Our scholarship program can be found here.

Dues cover coaching at practices, entry fee for race night (optional), coaching at regattas, regatta logistics, and gear (wetsuit, PFD, and booties). Out of pocket expenses for sailors will be registration fees, food, and housing / camping for regatta.

Weekly Schedule

We practice 2 times a week Wednesday/Thursday 4:30 - 7:30. Our 2024 Summer Season is June 26th - September 5th. Practices are held at the Community Boating Center Bellingham. Attendance is highly encouraged at all practices and regattas as this is a competitive sport. 

The Community Boating Center hosts race night once a week on Tuesday, 5:30 - 8:30pm. Team dues cover entry to race night.

Regatta Schedule

Below is the regatta schedule for this summer. Our team is planning to attend 4 regattas. Summer regattas are usually two days with the sailors on the water all day. Coaches join the sailors on the water in a safety boat to offer support and coaching between races. Everything depends on the wind so the amount of racing/on the water time can vary. Saturday usually does not have a last start time as they want to get as many races off as possible. Sunday will have a hard deadline for racing, followed by awards and going home.

June 29-30 Bellingham Youth Regatta (ILCA)
Bellingham, WA - All Fleets
A great home regatta to kick off the season.
July 8-11 ILCA Wind (ILCA) Registration + More Information

August 10-11 JAM (ILCA)
Bainbridge, WA - All Fleets
Top boats are awarded Jam and/or Pajama Pants. Camping or finding airbnb.

August 24-25 JOs (ILCA)
Seattle, WA - All Fleets 
JO’s is a large youth regatta that focuses on quality racing and on-shore activities. Hosted by Seattle Yacht Club. Plan on driving home to Bellingham for the night.  

September 1 Bellingham Breeze (Tera) (ILCA)
September 7-8 Octoberfest (ILCA)
Seattle, WA - All Fleets
A fun final regatta hosted at Sail Sand Point. Final series awards are given out. Plan on driving home to Bellingham for the night.

Required Gear

All sailors are required to wear a lifejacket with a whistle, which the CBC can provide. There will also be days that we will require a wetsuit (which we can provide) or you won’t be able to sail. We strongly encourage additional proper gear such as sailing gloves and booties (we have these available as well!). Please no cotton base layers or sweatshirts, they do not dry and can be a safety hazard on windy or colder days. On the days we are not able to sail we will do team workouts, including cardio exercises. Team members must be prepared for the possibility of a team workout and running.

Please contact youthracing@boatingcenter.org with any additional questions.

Meet the Coach

Cooper Snell grew up sailing Lido 14s and Sabots in summer sailing camps. He moved to Bellingham to pursue a degree in Physics at WWU. While at Western he discovered his love of competitive sailing on Western’s sailing team. As a US Sailing Level 3 Coach, Cooper has coached all levels of sailors in Bellingham, including CBC’s Middle School Team, Whatcom Sailing’s High School team, and Western’s sailing team. Cooper is excited to launch CBC’s first ILCA summer racing program and is looking forward to having fun in the sun this summer!