Sailing School Director: Jana Petersen-Pingel

Jana is a lifelong NLYC member, sails an MC, past E boat Skipper, ER Nurse, wife and mother to three kids, 2 in the MYST program and one an Opti sailor.  She has a great support system within the club that helps her set up and run the sailing school programs over the year.   Please reach out for assistance.  Her or her team of dedicated volunteers should be able to answer your questions, please e-mail or call/text. 

Jana Petersen-Pingel    
262-565-8711    
nlycsailingschool@gmail.com

Nagawicka Sailing School has many classes available for all ages, we do hope you find one that meets your needs! Please reach out with any questions.

Our mission is to develop a love of sailing and make new friends along the way!

Overview of the program

Children ages 5 to 15 may choose to learn sailing on the Opti.  This a small boat with one sail intended for 1 child (2 if very young).  It's a very easy boat to learn on and is sailed around the world.

As kids progress and/or want to take sailing to a deeper level we encourage them to join the competitive Opti team.  These kids focus on competition and participate in regattas and the club race series.   For this reason, we require them to provide their own boat that they know and care for.

For the very little we have a parent & child class, ages 5-8 or the Kinder camp. These are both a gentle introduction to sailing and a fun way to approach sailing.

Children roughly 10-16 years old may feel more comfortable on a bigger boat, such as the X.  Crew generally start around 9-11 years old "learning the ropes" for a year or two after which time we would encourage them to be the skipper!  

The X boat is unique to the Midwest and is only sailed on inland lakes.  Our junior sailing program feeds into adult sailing when the children age out at 16 years old (in the calendar year).  The X fleet is governed by the  Inland Lake Yachting Association.  www.ILYA.org

We also have classes for teens aspiring to be or are already on the high school racing team.  Our program is a great way to try it out and see if it's a good fit. The boat we use is the 420, the same one used for college racing.  To learn more about Midwest interscholastic sailing visit www.missa.hssailing.org.  Also, reach out to our sailing school director or your high school athletic department for more information.

Adults we have classes for you too!  Our coach Sharon is a lifelong sailor and past Commodore who is very passionate about teaching sailing. 

**All students must wear a comfortable US Coast Guard Approved life jacket, and bring a towel and water bottle. Children the age of 5 and under must wear a life jacket at all times while on NLYC property even if they are just visiting.

*Membership is highly encouraged, we have exciting social events (some family oriented and some adult-only) as well as discounts on lessons.  The view of sunsets on the new pavilion is priceless!