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Santa Barbara Sea Shell Association Returns for 75th Season of Youth Sailing
April 1, 2023 @ 10:00 am PDT
The Santa Barbara Sea Shell Association is celebrating its 75th year of providing an accessible, inclusive and unique youth sailing program in Santa Barbara.
Most Sundays between April 1 and October 31, the club meets at the boat ramp at the harbor to launch, sail over to “Sea Shell Beach” between Stearns Wharf and the harbor, and run a series of races. Sea Shells “skippers” – girls and boys ranging from 7 to 16 learn seamanship – build confidence, and develop all of the skills attendant to small boat racing. This program is made possible by its dedicated parents and families, who run the organization.
Originally, skippers sailed wooden “Sea Shell” dinghies they built from a kit. Today, SBSSA maintains a fleet of fiberglass Sabots and modern polymer boats including the RS Tera, RS Feva, and O’Pen Skiff.
As a non-profit dedicated to making sailing fun and accessible, SBSSA charges minimal dues and relies on fundraising and donations to continue. It has endured as part of our community for the past 75 years due to the dedication of its families and alumni.
2023 registration will open in February. More information about the Santa Barbara Sea Shell Association and how to become a member is available on our website, www.sbssa.org.
