Oyster Bay is a hub for sailing, with a rich boating history and tons of opportunities for everyone to participate.
Hunt and Betsy Lawrence founded Oakcliff Sailing Center of Oyster Bay in 2010 with the goal of raising the standard of sailing in the United States. The Lawrences were disappointed with the lack of U.S. success in international competitions in recent years, like in the 2012 London Olympics where the U.S. sailing team brought home the fewest Olympic medals since the 1936 Olympics. Although it sounds like a lofty goal to raise the caliber of U.S. sailing, the center believes they are capable of doing so, as they are equipped with “an expert collection of directors, coaches, industry leaders and alumni,” said Dawn Riley, executive director of Oakcliff Sailing Center.
Located at 4 South St. in Oyster Bay, the sailing center offers a wide variety of programs. The Acorn program, available for all ages, aims to introduce sailors to the fundamentals of competitive yacht racing. Teenagers from all over the United States, and even the world, come to Oakcliff to participate in this program to improve their sailing skills. So many international sailors come to Oakcliff that they have on-site bunkhouses available.
The appeal of Oakcliff for sailors, according to the center is “the access to boats, comprehensive training and the successful job placement attracts people from literally all around the world,” said Riley.
For more advanced sailors, Oakcliff has several training programs that prepare sailors for the professional world, including learning about advanced and professional sailing or running a marine business. Custom training programs are available to suit individual needs.
The sailing center even offers cooperate team-building programs, in which sailing exercises encourage communication, efficiency and trust. Oakcliff creates custom programs to cater to the needs of each group in an effort to create long-lasting positive results, according to the center.
Oakcliff Sailing Center also has a program designed for military veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and other illnesses. Started in 2014, the program has already had incredible results, according to the center.
Many of the veterans have had life-changing experiences due to the program, stating, “this is the best therapy I’ve ever had,” and that it has “made my year, not my day, my year,” said two veterans who have participated.
Sailing exposes the veterans to “positive and constructive stress,” according to Oakcliff and also urges the veterans to work as a team and socialize, which creates a liberating experience once the group accomplishes their goal. Oakcliff Sailing Center has grown and accomplished a lot in its short six-year history so far, according to the center. In 2013 alone, Oakcliff was named an official U.S. Sailing Team Sperry Top-Sider National Training Center, organized and hosted 19 regattas and sent competitors to several grand prix events.
This past April, the center’s very own Elizabeth Shaw joined the first ever all-female team for the Atlantic Cup, a race from Charleston, SC, to Portland, ME. Shaw sailed the first leg of the race from Charleston to Brooklyn.
Oakcliff Sailing Center is looking forward to growing in the future and taking on new projects.
“It is super exciting to see the progress and the quality individuals that come to Oakcliff and go on to do great things,” said Riley.
For more information, visit www.oakcliffsailing.org or call 516-802-0368.
For beginner sailors of all ages, The WaterFront Center is located right down the road from Oakcliff at 1 West End Ave. They offer classes and camps for children and teens grades 1-12 as well as adult classes for all skill-levels. The WaterFront Center also has educational classes about marine life and offers sailboat and paddleboard rentals.
For more information, visit www.thewaterfrontcenter.com or call 516-922-7245.
