Education

Whether you’re heading out for a day sail, an evening club race, or a cruise to a tropical island, is your boat medically prepared? Join EMT Jon Bloomberg to learn how to build a complete medical kit and respond to emergencies such as severe bleeding, choking, stroke, heart attack, and more.

Presented by Jon Bloomberg Core Medical Systems. 

This seminar covers what to look for in assembling a crew and how to be the best contributor when you sign on. The best crew takes a combination of areas of expertise, compatibility, and redundancy of abilities. Make sure you and the rest of the crew are up the  challenge of the ocean.  Sheila McCurdy has sailed over 125,000 miles offshore in boats from 35-65 feet. As skipper and navigator with a fine crew, she placed second overall in the 2026 Newport Bermuda Race. She has been leading Safety at Sea courses for US Sailing for over 20 years. Sheila is a past commodore of the Cruising Club of America and has recently published the history of the club, High Seas and Home Waters.

Presented by Sheila McCurdy,  High Seas and Home Waters.

A discussion of the basics of docking sailboats and the advanced use of springlines to aid docking and departing in restricted slips & marinas.

Presented by Jim Barnes from PowerTime Boating

Are you curious about cruising to New England? Have you ever wondered how it would feel to sail past Lady Liberty? Do you doubt that lobster pots really outnumber Chesapeake crab pots? Join us for a candid presentation by Captain Cheryl Duvall as she shares highlights and a few lowlights from a recent 101-day cruise from Annapolis to Maine and back. Her image-rich slide deck features 42 destinations along the 1,820 nautical mile journey, through Long island Sound, the Cape Cod Canal, and across “Down East” Maine. She will share recommendations for anchoring, mooring, and docking between here and there. And she even has detailed latitude and longitude coordinates for those who are interested. Spare parts, tools, and safety measures will also be reviewed. From dodging ferries near the Statue of Liberty to redefining “lobsters rolls,” her sea tales are sure to inspire your future maritime adventures.

Presented by Captain Cheryl Duvall, the Chesapeake Area Captains Association

Participating in some or all the Clipper Round the World Ocean Yacht Race enables you to improve your ocean sailing skills in five key areas:

1. Advance your sailing knowledge and skill set to the high caliber of ocean yacht racing
2. Learn large sailboat system operation, maintenance and repair
3. Learn crewing and boat management for 24×7 offshore boat operations
4. Gain critical heavy weather sailing and boat handling experience
5. Build your overall ocean sailing confidence

Meet and learn from a diverse group of talented, driven and amazing sailors and non-sailors from around the world who, like you, have chosen to participate in this bucket list sailing challenge.

Discover the oceans… Discover the world… Discover yourself.

Presented by Rich Lautzenheiser, Clipper Round the World Ocean Yacht Race

The Chesapeake Bay has nearly 12,000 miles of shoreline, characterized by hundreds of shallow creeks with undeveloped coves and hideaways ripe for exploring by sailboat. Capt. Zahl has been exploring those precious anchorages for more than 30 years and will share his thoughts on ‘the best of the best’ in this illustrated presentation. He’ll discuss why, where and how to enjoy the unique settings for anchoring out — including several dog-friendly destinations — that help make the Chesapeake Bay such a valuable resource for sailors.

Presented by Alex “Wolf” Zahl of the Chesapeake Professional Captains Association

Presented by Lydia Mullan editor of Sail Magazine.

Presented by David Reed, Sailing World

The Bahamas has quietly become the cruising ground to beat — closer than the Caribbean, cheaper to reach from the USA, and 700 islands deep. Captain John Garza and Bahamas-based operations manager Travis Delva take you island by island: Bimini, the Abacos, Eleuthera and the Exumas, covering the anchorages worth the detour, the passages that demand respect, and what a week actually costs. Then the part most people get wrong — cruising permits, customs and immigration clearance, and the charter rules that catch visiting boats out. Whether you’re planning your first trip or thinking about putting your own boat to work down here, start here.

Presented by Captains John Garza and Travis Delva of Vessel & Co.

Whether you’re a new sailor or an experienced cruiser, understanding your standing rigging is critical to both performance and safety. This seminar covers the fundamentals of sailboat rigging, including common terminology, how to inspect your rig, proper rig tune, the causes of common rig failures, and the growing role of modern synthetic rigging. You’ll leave with practical knowledge you can apply to your own boat and a better understanding of when maintenance, adjustment, or replacement may be needed.

Presented by Stephen Lloyd of  The Yacht Rigger

Escape to the magical islands of the Bahamas and Caribbean! Using beautiful video footage from the Distant Shores TV series and YouTube Channel as well as still images, music and live narration, longtime cruising sailors and award-winning videographers, Paul and Sheryl Shard, will show you the choices of routes south to these top cruising destinations. Will you head for warmer climes down the ICW, jump offshore or take the Thorny Path? Will you go on your own or join a rally? Pros and Cons of both. Come and find out what makes sense for you and what will keep your crew happy and safe. The Shards will also outline an achievable plan for a successful tropical cruise, highlight destinations not to be missed and discuss places to run to in bad weather as well as options for Hurricane Season. Don’t miss this entertaining and informative seminar by these 36-year veterans of the sailing lifestyle.

Presented by Paul and Sherly Shard of Distant Shores. 

59º North’s boats have collectively sailed almost 200,000 bluewater miles, from the High Arctic to the South Pacific and have experienced every kind of weather there is. Co-Founder Andy Schell, who’s been aboard for many of those miles, will distill down the most important aspects of heavy weather sailing that you can apply to your own sailing. What actually defines “heavy” weather? What are the strategies to cope with it? When do heavy-weather strategies switch from “active” to “passive?” How to optimize your boat and gear for heavy weather (while not compromising on light-weather performance). This will largely be a discussion-based talk, illustrated by some gnarly photos we’ve gotten through the years and across the high-seas, so come armed with your questions and comments!

Presented by Andy  Schell at 59º North.

Come aboard for a week or weekend and cruise protected waters with soft bottoms, and explore a notable diversity of town and country. The Chesapeake has so many creeks, coves, rivers and ports to discover that one could possibly spend their whole life boating them and never visit the same place twice! Learn sample cruises of both long and short duration, and find out how the history and culture of the Bay influences what you’ll see along the way.

Presented by John Stefancik, executive director of the Marine Trades Association of Maryland.

Join YouTube boat repair experts Andy Miller of Boatworks Today and Mads Dahlke of Sail Life as they break down the strengths, weaknesses, and best uses for each resin. Sponsored by TotalBoat, this free seminar will help you choose the right materials for repairs, restorations, and new builds with confidence.

Presented by Andy Miller of BoatWorksToday & Mads Dahlke from Sail Life .

Presented by Jahn Tihansky. 

Downwind sailing can be some of the most comfortable and enjoyable sailing you’ll do, but choosing between a cruising spinnaker, code sail, gennaker or even your genoa can be confusing. Join North Sails Expert Austin Powers as he breaks down the different downwind sail options available to cruising sailors and explain when, where, and why you would use each one. He’ll cover sail selection, wind angles, handling systems, rigging considerations, and practical tips for making downwind sailing easier, safer, and more enjoyable on your cruising boat.

Presented by Austin Powers of North Sails. 

We will cover a few of the most popular activities in US Sailing’s Reach Curriculum, including activities for children and adults. Learn how you can use sailing and your local marine environment to engage young learners and grow with them as they experience STEM and sailing in new and exciting ways! US Sailing’s Reach Program utilizes sailing as an education platform, challenging youth to embrace education, establish a love of learning, and explore productive STEM-based careers.

Initially designed for use in the classroom and sailing centers alike, Reach has expanded – come see for yourself!

Presented by Whitney Kent of  US Sailing

Join Walter as he gives you the best hints for a great on the water picture, whether it is of a boat or the nature surrounding you! Celebrating over 30 years as a Marine photographer Walter Cooper grew up sailing and boating along Lake Huron. Inspired by his surroundings and his pastimes, Walter’s interest in photography began in grade school. Throughout the years of his education, he continued to spend time on the water, both boating and developing his skills and devotion to photography. During the 1995 America’s Cup Walter worked for America3, the Women’s Team as a staff photographer.  He spends his time shooting major yachting events, cruising stories and running his business.

Presented by Walter Cooper owner, Walter Cooper Photography.