About the SDYC Junior Program

San Diego Yacht Club seeks to advance one of the club’s proudest traditions: our Junior Sailing Program.

The program is at a turning point. Over the past two years, participation has grown by nearly 60%, with close to 700 young sailors enrolled in year-round activities. This growth is no accident—it’s the result of a bold shift in philosophy led by Sailing Director Erik Hallback and Coach Jon Rogers, who introduced a pathway-based approach so every junior finds their place in sailing.

From their very first day, our juniors sail both singlehanded and doublehanded boats—broadening their horizons beyond the sabots of the past. Today, SDYC juniors can explore a fleet of Quests, Sabots, Lasers, FJs, C420s, 29ers, and J22s, charting their own course whether their dream is cruising to Catalina or competing on the Olympic stage.

The results speak for themselves:

  • 40 Sabots traveled as a team to regattas, finishing 1st–4th at Nationals, including top woman.

  • High-Performance Youth Sailing (HPYS) dominating nationally, winning the 29er Nationals and earning 75% of the 2025 US Sailing Youth National Team slots.

  • Unprecedented retention and rekindled enthusiasm, with sailors who once drifted away returning stronger than ever.

The Board of Directors has embraced this momentum with a strategic plan to expand programming, grow coaching staff, strengthen communications, add maintenance support, and launch new pathways including seamanship and foiling. In support of this, we are replacing six C420s, twenty FJs, and adding four RS Quests.

This investment ensures our juniors can reach for the highest levels of sailing—from youth championships to the Olympics, Offshore racing, or even the America’s Cup—while carrying forward the proud legacy of seamanship at SDYC.

Campaign Goals

To make this vision possible, we need your partnership.

We invite you to join us at the Après-Ski by the Sea Gala on November 7, make a financial donation, participate in the silent and live auction, or purchase naming rights to one of SDYC’s fleet of sailboats.

With your help, we can take SDYC Junior Sailing to the next level, ensuring it remains one of the premier programs in the nation while preparing the next generation of sailors to join the ranks of members like you.

We look forward to celebrating with you on November 7 and charting the next great chapter together.

100% of your donation is tax deductible (donating to the SDYC Sailing Foundation 501(C)3
(25% sustaining the Jr Program’s endowment and 75% for our new assets).