Gift memberships and lesson plans are available
Sign Up| Event | Class | Host Club/Sponsor | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| BICS/BIYC Summer Sailing Kickoff Event |
All | BIYC, BICS, National Hotel | May 25, 5-7pm |
| Off Soundings Club Spring Series | PHRF OS | Off Soundings Club, ECSA | June 7-8 |
| BICS Thurs Night Sailing | PHRF | BICS | June 27 - Sept 5 |
| Mary D Fund Benefit Regatta | PHRF OS | BICS | July 13 |
| BICS / SHYC Offshore Regatta | PHRF OS | BICS,SHYC, ECSA | Aug 10 |
| BICS Around the Island Pursuit Race |
PHRF OS | BICS, ECSA | Sept 1 |
| SHYC B.I.G. Jack Watch Hill to BI Regatta | PHRF OS | SHYC | Sept 7 |
| BICS Annual Member Awards Picnic | PHRF | BICS | Sept 7 |
| Off Soundings Club Fall Series | PHRF OS | Off Soundings | Sept 13-14 |
| Cliff Mitchell Mem Columbus Day Regatta | PHRF OS | Newport YC | Oct 12 |
Note: All events will be Pandemic compliant. All BICS and Off Soundings events are sailed under the PHRF Class Rules of the Eastern Connecticut Sailing Association.
To join ECSA to get your PHRF Certificate go to: www.ecsa.net (LINK)
Key:
BICS is a member-based organization, open to everyone, and with a single low annual membership fee, our members can participate in the unlimited use of our boats, along with member discounts for sailing lessons, and racing, boating safety, and race committee certification clinics.
Members get monthly email updates during the sailing season and our BICS quarterly newsletter by Email year-round. Members are invited to participate in all the BICS activities including, cookouts, family sails, and racing events like Block Island Race Week, Off Soundings, Eastern Connecticut Sailing Association events, and the “Around Block Island pursuit Race” where members get first choice on crew opportunity lists.
BICS offers discounted memberships for BIYC Members and Scholarships for eligible applicants.
BICS offers a comprehensive program of sailing lessons with US Sailing Certified Keelboat and Cruising Instructors with the goal of building the sailing knowledge, proficiency, and confidence needed for our students to get checked out in our boats so they can take their friends and family sailing without an instructor onboard.
BICS offers the US Sailing “Basic Keelboat”, “Basic Cruising”,” Bareboat Cruising”, and “Coastal Navigation” Courses in larger boats (not dinghys) specifically to each of our student’s sailing ability with inexpensive group lessons for beginner and intermediate sailors, and private lessons for any level of experience.
Our students who complete the Basic Cruising, and Bareboat Cruising courses are eligible to apply to US Sailing for their International Proficiency Certificate which is their passport to chartering a sailing vessel without a professional captain and crew almost anywhere in the world.
The Basic Keelboat graduate will have successfully demonstrated the ability to responsibly skipper and crew a simple day sailing keelboat in familiar waters in light to moderate wind and sea conditions. This course is taught in two five lesson segments over a period of five days.
The Basic Cruising graduate will have successfully demonstrated the ability to responsibly skipper and crew an auxiliary powered cruising sailboat, during daylight hours, within sight of land in moderate wind and sea conditions. This course is taught in conjunction with the Bareboat Cruising Course described below.
BICS offers Basic Cruising courses this winter while under way on a fabulous one-week family cruise / sailing vacation in the British Virgin Islands. See link below.
This course is designed to provide the prospective bareboat charter skipper with the knowledge and confidence to qualify to lease a bareboat for charter in US, the Caribbean or the Mediterranean with US Sailing Basic Cruising and Bareboat Charter Proficiency Certification. The Course covers all the material in the US Sailing Basic Cruising and Bareboat Cruising course curriculum including planning a cruise, provisioning, cruising boat systems, (engine, galley, sanitation, and rigging) weather forecasting, coastal navigation, sailing in light and heavy weather, docking, anchoring, and emergency procedures.
The Course includes one day of classroom instruction and three days “under way” to a nearby cruising destination like Mystic CT and back to our base on Block Island. Prerequisite: US Sailing Basic Keelboat Course.
BICS offers Basic Cruising courses this winter while under way on a fabulous one-week family cruise / sailing vacation in the British Virgin Islands. See link below.
If you are an experienced sailor, you may also challenge a course to achieve the desired level. The US Sailing Keelboat Certification System is a series of sailing levels based on the natural progression of experience from day sailing to cruising and then extended passage making.
A certification candidate may, with previous experience and competency, challenge the required prerequisite levels by completing the written and practical examinations for each required level. Essentially, you will be taken for an on-the-water check out for the highest level of certification you are challenging. Pass the practical and then take the exams for the appropriate certification levels. BICS offers a “Challenge a Course” certification for all the above courses, to experienced sailors in a single day of the applicant demonstrating their proficiency and passing the US Sailing written test examinations.
Call BICS to make an appointment to Challenge a Course.
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There are great reasons to donate to Block Island Community Sailing including:
Please help support our programs! BICS is a nonprofit, educational, community benefit sailing organization which is eligible for charitable donations under IRS 501 (C), (3)
You can donate to support a specific program or donate to support all our programs here!
BICS is an educational, nonprofit, tax exempt, organization incorporated in the State of Rhode Island, dedicated to make sailing available and affordable to everyone. We are a 501, (C), (3) charitable, tax exempt organization.
The mission of Block Island Community Sailing is to make the sport of sailing accessible and affordable to everyone, especially women and senior sailors. We promote an accessible and welcoming environment that encourages learning, volunteerism, and community spirit.
