Clinton Marina Sailing Club is an auxiliary of Commodore Decatur Yacht Club (CDYC). Learn more
Five steps from your first ride to regatta weekends.
Pick a date for your free sailboat ride. We'll hold your seat while you take our short 20–30 minute safe sailing basics course.
Saving progress for .
One membership, only $100/yr, includes full sailing access to both Clinton Lake and Lake Decatur. You don't need to own a boat or know anything about sailing.
No sailing experience or gear needed. Our Saturday Coordinator, Bob, will connect you with an experienced skipper. Our boats are stable and comfortable, so you'll stay dry. Just bring sunscreen and a hat.
Saturdays at 10 a.m. at CDYC on Lake Decatur, starting in May
▶ Watch the video (youtu.be/2hws7rrKJ0I)
A 3-session hands-on course that makes you useful on any boat: safety, knots, rigging, sail trim and your job when the boat tacks or jibes. You'll train with Eric, a US Sailing Certified Instructor, and finish Crew Ready.
3 sessions, typically held in conjunction with Sea Leg Saturdays at CDYC.
Once you're Crew Ready, you can sign up for Crew Bank sails. Skippers will post sailing opportunities, and you can sign up for a slot. A fun opportunity to build skills and confidence.
Scheduled by skippers at their convenience.
Wednesday nights at Clinton Marina Sailing Club. Short, casual races where the point is getting better, not winning. Coaches help skippers and crew sharpen their skills, and nobody takes the results too seriously. Still sound a little too “racy” for you? Visit our Cruising page.
Wednesdays at 6 p.m. at Clinton Marina, starting in May
Regattas are the club's big weekends. The racing is competitive, but the event is for everyone: sail in it, help run it on the water or on shore, or just come cheer and stay for the party. Every member and volunteer is part of the fun.
Glow in the Dark Regatta, Sep 10–12, 2027 at Clinton Marina.
Commodore Cup Regatta, Oct 17–18, 2026 at CDYC.
▶ Watch the video (youtu.be/1atFL1_vn1c)
All sailing activities described above are complimentary and included with membership.
The boat you'll learn and race on
The Flying Scot is the club's primary training boat and one-design racer. It's the quintessential training boat because it strikes the perfect balance between performance, stability and comfort. Read more on Wikipedia
A wide hull and a weighted centerboard keep the Scot steady and upright, so it feels secure instead of tippy. Built-in flotation makes it unsinkable, according to its builder.
Designed in 1957 by Sandy Douglass with families in mind, the Scot has a big, roomy cockpit with space to move around and simple rigging that's easy to learn.
With plenty of sail and a spinnaker for downwind runs, the Scot can plane, lifting up and skimming across the water on a breezy reach.
A strict one-design racing class, so racing comes down to skill and teamwork, not who spends the most money. It's one of the most popular racing classes in North America.
Singlehanded racing
The Laser, now raced as the ILCA, is the world's most popular singlehanded racing dinghy. It's light, simple and quick to rig, and it's where many sailors learn to really feel the wind. Read more on Wikipedia
One sail, a two-piece mast and a handful of lines. It rigs in minutes and launches from a beach or a dolly.
At about 130 pounds, the Laser reacts to every move you make, so it teaches balance, steering and sail trim quickly.
Interchangeable rigs (ILCA 4, 6 and 7) let the same boat fit sailors of different sizes and different wind conditions.
Designed by Bruce Kirby and Ian Bruce around 1970, it has been raced at the Olympics since 1996, and more than 200,000 have been built.
Keelboat racing
The J/22 is a 22-foot keelboat that's quick, forgiving and big enough for a crew of three. Its weighted keel keeps it upright, so it builds confidence in new sailors and still rewards experienced racers. Read more on Wikipedia
A fixed fin keel with 700 pounds of ballast keeps the boat stable and upright in gusts that would knock a dinghy flat.
The long, open cockpit fits three or four sailors, with room to learn every job on board: helm, main, jib and spinnaker.
Light enough to tow behind a car and launch at a ramp, so the boat can travel to regattas.
Designed by Rod Johnstone in 1983, the J/22 is an international one-design class, sailed in fleets around the world and in championship match racing.
Simple, fun sailing
The Sunfish is the classic beach boat: a small, flat hull you sit on top of, with one colorful sail. It's about as easy as sailing gets, and it's still raced at a high level. Read more on Wikipedia
One sail on a lateen rig and just a couple of lines to manage, so there's very little to learn before you're sailing on your own.
At about 120 pounds, two people can carry it to the water and launch it from a beach or a dock.
The wide, flat hull is stable, and if it does tip over it's easy to pull back upright and keep going.
Introduced in the early 1950s, with more than 300,000 built. It's in the American Sailboat Hall of Fame and has been raced at the Pan American Games.
Beach catamaran
The Hobie 16 is the world's best-known beach catamaran. Two banana-shaped hulls and a big sail make it fast and thrilling, and with more than 135,000 built, there are Hobies on beaches around the world. Read more on Wikipedia
Two narrow hulls slice through the water, and when the breeze picks up one hull lifts out and you fly along on the other.
The curved hulls work without daggerboards, so you can sail right up onto the beach.
The trampoline deck carries one to four people, and racing crews hang out on a trapeze.
Designed by Hobie Alter and Phil Edwards in 1971, it's raced in fleets around the world.
Two-person racing dinghy
The 420 is a two-person racing dinghy named for its length, 420 centimeters. It's lively but stable in a breeze, which makes it one of the most widely used boats for learning to race with a partner. Read more on Wikipedia
The skipper steers and trims the main; the crew handles the jib, spinnaker and trapeze, so both sailors learn every part of racing.
At about 180 pounds, it planes easily and responds quickly to good technique.
It's known for staying stable and manageable in heavy weather, which is why it's so widely used for training.
Designed by Christian Maury in 1959, it's a World Sailing international class with about 56,000 built.
Olympic two-person dinghy
The 470 is a fast, light two-person dinghy named for its length, 470 centimeters. It has been an Olympic class since 1976 and rewards teamwork and athletic sailing. Read more on Wikipedia
At about 260 pounds with a big spinnaker, it planes readily and feels fast in almost any breeze.
The crew works from a trapeze, hanging outside the boat to keep it flat and fast.
Raced at the Olympics since 1976, it was the boat of the first Olympic women's sailing event in 1988.
Designed by André Cornu in 1963, with more than 40,000 built in 20 countries.
Two-person one-design
The Snipe is one of the oldest and most widely sailed racing dinghies. It's simple, with no spinnaker or trapeze, and it's raced around the world, from Trieste to Tokyo. Read more on Wikipedia
Just a main and a jib, so racing comes down to boat handling and tactics.
A retractable daggerboard lets it float in about 6 inches of water, so it can be beached or trailered easily.
At about 380 pounds, it's steady enough for new sailors and still very competitive.
Designed by William Crosby in 1931, with about 31,000 built, it's a World Sailing international class.
Three-person racing
The Lightning is a 19-foot centerboard boat designed by Olin Stephens in 1938, and one of the most popular one-design classes in the United States. It's roomy, stable and fast with the spinnaker up. Read more on Wikipedia
Normally raced with three, it can carry six adults, so it's great for taking friends out.
A wide hull and about 700 pounds of boat make it steady and forgiving.
A 300-square-foot spinnaker makes the downwind legs exciting.
More than 15,000 have been built, and it's raced in the US and several other countries.
Trailerable cruiser
The Catalina 22 is a small cabin sailboat that's easy to tow, launch and sail. With about 15,000 built, it's one of the most produced boats in its size range, raced in fleets across the US and cruised on lakes everywhere. Read more on Wikipedia
Berths for overnight trips, and a place to get out of the sun or rain.
The swing keel pulls up into the hull, so the boat sits low on a trailer and launches at a ramp.
At about 2,500 pounds, it feels steady and comfortable for new sailors and families.
Designed by Frank Butler in 1969, it was named Sail magazine's best small cruiser for trailering.
Cruising and racing dinghy
The Wayfarer is a roomy, rugged 16-foot dinghy designed by Ian Proctor in 1957. It's equally happy racing around the buoys or cruising, and Frank Dye famously sailed one from Scotland to Iceland and Norway. Read more on Wikipedia
A big, open cockpit has space for a crew of two or a small family.
Built for open water, it's stable enough for long cruises and confidence-building lessons.
Race it with a spinnaker, cruise it with camping gear, or use it to teach.
More than 11,000 have been built, sailed in the UK, Canada, the US and beyond.
Family daysailer
The Day Sailer is a nearly 17-foot centerboard boat designed by Uffa Fox and George O'Day in 1958. It's stable, roomy and easy to sail, and its small cuddy cabin keeps gear dry. Read more on Wikipedia
A simple rig and a forgiving hull make it a great boat to learn on.
A small cabin up front stores gear and can sleep two.
At about 575 pounds, it's steady enough for families and beginners.
Inducted into the American Sailboat Hall of Fame in 2003, with more than 10,000 built.
Keelboat racing
The J/24 was the first J/Boats design, in 1977, and became one of the most popular racing keelboats ever, with more than 5,200 built. It's a true racer that's still comfortable for an afternoon on the lake. Read more on Wikipedia
A 950-pound fin keel keeps it upright and confident in a breeze.
Raced with three to six people: helm, trim, spinnaker and bow.
Below deck there's room for sails and gear, with settees and a V-berth.
Recognized by World Sailing, with active fleets and championships around the world. It sold 1,200 boats in its first two years.
Three-person racing
The Thistle is a 17-foot racing dinghy designed in 1945 by Sandy Douglass, who also designed the Flying Scot. Light, lively and roomy, it was raced in more than 150 fleets by the 1990s. Read more on Wikipedia
At about 515 pounds with a big rig, it planes readily and feels quick.
Raced with three, with room for up to six.
The centerboard pulls up to about 6 inches of draft for beaching and trailering.
It's the reference boat for Portsmouth Numbers, the handicap system used to race different kinds of boats against each other.
Youth sailing
The Optimist is the boat most young sailors start in. It's a small, boxy single-hander for kids from about 7 to 15, and with an estimated 400,000 built, it's the most-produced sailboat in the world. Read more on Wikipedia
At about 77 pounds and under 8 feet long, it's sized for young sailors to rig, launch and sail on their own.
One small sail on a sprit rig and a handful of lines, so kids learn steering and sail trim without much to manage.
A wide, flat hull keeps it stable, and it can be sailed in surprisingly strong winds.
Designed by Clark Mills in 1947, it's the biggest youth racing class in the world, and most Olympic sailing medalists raced Optimists as kids.
Questions?