Back in 1982, a group of local sailors had the vision for an organization that would promote junior sailing and create opportunities for both members of Macatawa Bay Yacht Club (MBYC) and youth in the Holland community who were interested in sailing. This shared vision, along with a couple of borrowed sailboats, became the birth of Macatawa Bay Junior Association (MBJA).
At the time, there wasn't even an instructor boat, yet the organization held the course and began to grow. Over the past 35 years, MBJA has enabled countless participants and graduates to learn the joys and thrills that come from sailing on the open water. For many, this has even become more than a sport or activity - sailing has become their way of life.
At the time, there wasn't even an instructor boat, yet the organization held the course and began to grow. Over the past 35 years, MBJA has enabled countless participants and graduates to learn the joys and thrills that come from sailing on the open water. For many, this has even become more than a sport or activity - sailing has become their way of life.
Services
Marie joins us again for the 2021 season as our Acting Director! Having previously served a 6-year term as Director of the MBJA, Marie comes to us with a ton of experience. Not only that, but Marie is also a winning collegiate athlete and coach, a top women's sailor and organizer in MBYC's JY15 ladies racing programs, and in recent years, she campaigned her own Melges 24 in Holland-area races.
Sailing instruction at MBJA is conducted in a large variety of boats. These include Optimist Dinghies, Club 420s, Lasers and J22s. Between these classes of boats we have curriculums to suit all ages, abilities, and sizes. The Optimist Dinghy, nicknamed Opti, is the largest junior racing fleet in the world and the international standard in junior instruction.
When Macatawa Bay Junior Association (MBJA) was founded in 1982, the ultimate goal was to provide a local resource to secure the future of sailing in our Holland community. Now, over 35 years later, MBJA provides first-class sailing instruction for approximately 300 students every year. The healthy number of participants in our classes and programs is only sustainable, however, with the generous donations from sailing aficionados like you.
What will my child learn? Our highly trained staff uses the US Sailing instructional system in an open learning environment. Classes begins with land-based discussions and demonstrations followed by on-the-water instruction where skills like upwind sailing, downwind sailing, reaching and docking are covered.
What if my child has some sailing experience? Instructors are conscious of varied levels of experience but none is required. Staff arrange classes so as to accommodate all levels of learning. If you've taken this class and feel confident in your sailing skills, you may want to consider our 420 Adventure Camp or 420 Learn-to-Race for even more fun!
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