There are very few places in this world where you can learn to sail for $45 a quarter, but that is exactly what the UCSC Sailing Program offers. Fall quarter, I entered into beginning dinghy sailing, and three quarters later I am about to complete intermediate keelboat. Offered through OPERs, each level of sailing comes with new and distinct challenges, ranging from man overboard drills, to sailing backwards, to racing out to the mile buoy. Sailing students meet at the harbor once a week, for a two-and-a-half hour class that generally consists of heading out past the lighthouse, amongst pelicans and surfers, into the open ocean. There, the instructor — either Gabe or Rusty — sets out buoys and runs drills. The elation felt while the cool ocean air whips across your face and you traverse the turbulent seas is ineffable — as is the realization that once you complete your second quarter and pass a skills test, you’re able to check out boats for fun. As you perform a starboard tack and sail back toward the harbor, try and remember that this is a class.
