“A sailing program serving Pittsburgh area high school students and others”
NEWSLETTER AT A GLANCE: We're getting excited about the upcoming sailing season. High school registration period is open, and a range of outreach efforts are underway. Pre-season sessions, that begin in late April, will include a new learning tool in the form of a sailing simulator. Early tests of the sailing simulator have been very positive.
2023 PPSL high school sailing season registration is now open. Please register by March 1st.
PPSL display at the February 11 opening of a new Carnegie Science Center exhibit on the Vikings is a big hit with many visitors stopping by our table.
Carnegie Mellon University Sailing Club continues to move ahead.
A sailing simulator developed by PPSL chairman Joe Kirk will help to advance sailing instruction.
Individual donors and corporate sponsors put "The Wind in our Sails". Their contributions make it possible to provide sailing opportunities for young men and women in Pittsburgh area high schools. Almost all of our student sailors have never been on a sailboat before.
This will be our third year of providing sailing opportunities for Pittsburgh area high school students. We hope you will consider making a donation to support our all-volunteer sailing program. Please see the contribution links at the bottom of this newsletter. Also, see the link below for a video on the PPSL sailing program.
High school sailing registration open
Registration is underway for the 2023 PPSL high school sailing season. Pre-season sessions are scheduled to begin in mid-April with sailing scheduled to begin in mid-May.
If your high schooler is interested, please complete and submit registration forms. This year's high school sailing season class is filling up. Please register by March 1st. Registration forms are available on our website. Register | Point of Pittsburgh Sailing LeagueRegistrants will receive a link to a zoom call scheduled for early March that will include program details and scheduling information.
PPSL display at the Carnegie Science Center Viking Exhibit a big hit
An invitation by Carnegie Science Center to the February 11th opening of the exhibit, Vikings, Warriors of the North Sea provided a great opportunity to highlight sailing and our high school sailing program.
The PPSL display included models showing the function of sailing rigs on Viking long boats and modern sailboats such as the PPSL RS Quest. A video on the PPSL sailing program, brochures and the recently developed PPSL sailing simulator were also included in the display.
PPSL representatives Geoff Wells and Joe Kirk were very busy answering questions about sailing and PPSL sailing program. A number of Science Center visitors also tried out the PPSL sailing simulator. It was a great hit, especially with young future sailors.
We really appreciated the invitation by the Carnegie Science Center to participate in the Viking exhibit opening and look forward to future partnership opportunities.
Photos: Board member Geoff Wells standing beside our table display and Chairman Joe Kirk using the sailing simulator to work with future sailors.
CMU Sailing Club prepares for launch this year
The Carnegie Mellon University Sailing Club continues to move ahead with plans to be on the water this year. An enthusiastic group of students have been meeting over the past several months. PPSL has been assisting the club with sailing instruction and organizational advice.
CMU Sailing Club members include some with sailing experience and others who have never been on a sailboat before. The strong academic background of CMU students has helped them to quickly grasp the fundamentals of sailing theory.
A recent session included working with the PPSL sailing simulator. See the article below for a link to a video on the PPSL sailing simulator.
What is the PPSL sailing simulator?
PPSL Chairman Joe Kirk wanted to see if he could put together a simulator to assist in PPSL pre-season off-water sailing instruction. In addition to representing the fundamentals of sailing, the simulator had to be portable.
The sailing simulator includes a small sailboat with functioning sails placed on a rotating disk that’s mounted on a circular board. Velcro mounts make for easy disassembling. The circular board has points of sail and a cutout of the sailing “no-go zone” (inside 45 degrees from the wind on either sailing tack). An electric fan is used to simulate wind on the sails. Telltales (strips of VCR tape) on the simulator sailboat work just like telltales on an actual sailboat. Here's a link to a video highlighting the PPSL sailing simulator. SAILING SIMULATOR
Initial reviews on the sailing simulator are very positive. Students in the Carnegie Mellon University Sailing Club and visitors to our display at the February 11th opening of the Carnegie Science Center Viking Exhibit found it to be both educational and engaging.
We’d like to know what you think of our sailing simulator. Email us at sailpittsburgh@gmail.com and put Sailing Simulator in the subject line.
