ASA's Sailing Challenge

I was hoping to start introductory sailing classes during this quarter of college but stay-at-home orders cancelled all of the upcoming classes. I have been very excited to learn and didn’t want to put it on hold. So, I got a few books and this app to teach myself the basics while at home. This app runs smooth, it has a simple design free of distractions, and, most importantly, it teaches you what sailing is all about. It has fun quizzes on terminology and fairly difficult course challenges to test your ability to maneuver. Thank you for the app. I let has allowed me to gain a sense of what it’s like to sail!

And by new I mean from a land locked state and the closest you’ve gotten to a sailboat is lake “whatever” near your hometown where you might see a handful of smaller sailboats on occasion but only at a distance this app is great for running over some fundamental basics of how wind works upon a sail, which in turn explains how your sailboat moves under different sail orientations. As well as the very basic idea of right of way, and docking under sail power only which way more people sailing should be used to doing imo. The app I definitely worth the cost of a Starbucks for this knowledge in an easy to understand and repeatable way to practice. Over time I’m sure it will receive even more polish through feedback. But if you just want to dip your toe into the water as it were and learn some very basic concepts and ideas it’s worth it, plus it gives you a nice way to kill time stuck at an airport or in a cab ride while you are having basic concepts repeatedly drilled into your brain until it’s second nature. I’m very encouraged by ASA’s embracing of technology to teach new folks. Videos, apps, etc. well done ASA!

I'm planning to sail for the first time in about 2 weeks. Ive spent many years using small motor boats and don't plan to spend several hundred dollars taking classes to learn to sail the $500 used sailboat I bought. I've read lots of information and watched a bunch of videos so I thought I had a grasp on the basics from a technical standpoint. This app actually put my knowledge to the test much better than I expected and while I'm probably still going to struggle a bit, I'm going to be way more prepared after getting some feel for the wind and sail reaction. I might provide an update after I take my maiden voyage if I'm still alive.