Getting Involved

Sailboat racing has never been a popular sport, and it is becoming even less popular. This is really unfortunate because it offers tremendous lessons in teamwork, setting and achieving goals and developing leadership skills. The importance of commitment and hard work becomes very evident when you make the decision to succeed in sailboat racing. It goes without saying that all of the skills needed to succeed in sailboat racing are the same skills you need to succeed in life. Despite all of its benefits, few people get to enjoy this incredible sport.

Long Beach has everything you need for terrific sailboat racing: great weather, a reliable breeze and a natural sailing venue protected by an offshore breakwater. Despite this, only a very small percentage of the people living in Long Beach race sailboats. USITA Long Beach offers an attractive, low-cost entry for adults of all ages into one-design fleet racing within a yacht club setting. We want to remove the barriers to joining a yacht club and starting a life-long involvement in sailing and sailboat racing. All you have to do is show up at Alamitos Bay Yacht Club, and you will have a chance to crew on the exciting International Tempest.

Getting people to show up is only the first step. The type of racing experience you offer is the critical next step that is often overlooked. Unfortunately, success in today's high-profile sailboat racing usually goes to the person with the most money and the best technology. We counter this trend by offering well-maintained boats which are identically rigged and have the same quality of sails. On any given day, any boat can win. It all comes down to how well you sail, which is the way it is supposed to be. If everyone had this type of experience when they started racing sailboats, the sport would be much more popular than it is today.

It is a win-win situation for everyone involved. Younger sailors continue the sailing they did in high school and college, and older sailors, who are new to sailing, have a chance to try their hand at racing without making a big financial commitment. The yacht club gains from the energy and enthusiasm of younger members, and yacht club members get the satisfaction of sharing their enjoyment of sailing and racing.

We are particularly interested in parents who sail and would like to mentor a son or daughter involved in the above program. There is no substitute for the active participation of parents who want to crew, skipper or help run the races. To summarize, we are looking for sailors who want to share with others their life-long involvement in sailboat racing. We welcome your participation.

In addition to promoting sailboat racing, we teach environmental advocacy. All fleet members are encouraged to learn more about the environmental problems facing our oceans, ranging from climate change to contaminated waste-water discharges. By the very nature of their activity, all sailors should be advocates for the water where they sail, whether it is on an ocean, a river or a lake.

The Tempest fleet is an advocate for protecting and improving the water and air quality in San Pedro Bay because this is where we sail, and we have a vested interest in keeping it clean. Because San Pedro Bay is home to the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles, we are strong supporters of their efforts to reduce the impact of port activities and protect our environment.

We are developing an educational program that will provide speakers for yacht club or community group in the greater Los Angeles area on how we can support efforts to protect San Pedro Bay. If you would like to support our efforts or need a speaker to address your organization, please let us know.

If you think we are on the right track, we need your help. We are looking for sailors who would like to mentor younger sailors, volunteer in putting the boats together, find younger sailors who would benefit from the program, or simply provide financial support. All contributions are tax-deductible.