US Sailing adds Siebel sailors programs in Pacific Northwest

BRISTOL, Rhode Island—US Sailing has announced the expansion of its youth development program, with Primary and Supporting Siebel Centers set to be built in the Pacific Northwest. Sail Sand Point in Seattle, Washington will be the home of the Pacific Northwest’s Primary Siebel Center. The Center for Wooden Boats in Seattle and Gorge Junior Sailing in Hood River, Oregon, meanwhile, have both been announced as Supporting Siebel Centers. Seattle’s Sail Sand Point awards thousands of dollars in scholarships and offers learn-to-sail classes, race team coaching, rentals, group programs and boat storage. The Center for Wooden Boats, also in Seattle, serves as an advocate for maritime heritage. The center has been around since 1979 and offers educational, interpretive and hands-on programs on building, maintaining and using historic small crafts. Gorge Junior Sailing in Hood River, Oregon, meanwhile, promotes sailing as a life skill. Its learn-to-sail classes are offered to youth between the ages of 5 and 18. The center also offers an “Open Sail” event each week, a free sailing experience open to anyone in the community. The Siebel national community sailing program was created in April 2019, as part of a donation from the Thomas and Stacey Siebel Foundation to US Sailing. “The purpose of this...