Yacht club trains aspiring sailors as early as 5 years old

Pooja Lodhia Image
Tuesday, September 3, 2019
Sailing club gives young sailors early start
ABC13's Pooja Lodhia and HTX+ meet with the sailing club in Clear Lake that is giving kids an early start in a life on the water.

SEABROOK, Texas (KTRK) -- When you grow up in the Bay Area, you grow up on the water.

"My dad is really big into sailing," explained Clear Falls High School junior Katie McGagh. "And when I turned 7, he was like, 'Hey, you want to go try it out?'"

The Lakewood Yacht Club offers sailing lessons to kids aged 5-17.

The idea is to teach responsibility, along with coordination.

"You're playing chess on a board that keeps moving because you're sailing with wind and then the wind changes," explained Terry Flynn, Waterfront director. "It also changes your position on the boat."

Local high schoolers train at the club before competing around the country.

"Every other weekend, you're like, 'Oh yeah, I'm going to Portland' or 'I'm going to San Diego.' It's really cool," said Clear Falls High School junior Maggie Schuler.

"I just love the competitive aspect, but also it's so laid back and you can really do it your whole life," McGagh added.

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