WYCYF Junior Sail is the Waukegan Yacht Club Youth Foundation's sailing program, teaching kids to rig and sail small boats in the protected waters of Waukegan Harbor and, for experienced sailors, out on Lake Michigan. Adventure Sail and Race Practice & Prep run Monday through Friday in weekly sessions from June into August, either 9am-Noon or 1-4pm, with full days available by registering for both; KinderSail for ages 5-8 meets Tuesday and Thursday evenings. Instructors are US Sailing Level 1 certified and trained in First Aid/CPR and boating safety, students take a brief swim check on the first day, and boats and safety equipment are provided. The foundation is a 501(c)(3) and limited before/after care is available on request.
The practical details
We list only what the camp itself publishes, and programs change — dates, prices, ages and availability can all move after we check. Confirm the details on the camp’s own website and contact WYCYF Junior Sail directly before you register or pay. Last checked August 2026.
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★★★★★Genevieve LevinsonI sailed here and it was a great experience! The staff were all friendly and it was very well-run.
★★★★★Jennifer BeltrameI cannot say enough good things about this program! Colin, the program director, does such an amazing job working with the staff to work with students of all abilities to create a love of the sport! My son started 9 summers ago and is now an instructor. The skills he has learned help him in all areas of life. Problem solving, self sufficiency, perseverance, the ability to teach others are all skills he has learned and continues to learn as being a part of this program. Sailing is a skill that will last a lifetime and open doors for your children!
★★★★★Calvin HuiMy then 6 and 8 year olds spent 6 weeks in the KinderSail program throughout the summer of 2022 and enjoyed it very much. It was a perfect way to introduce younger sailors to the sport. The class was led by 2-3 adults along with a group of teens who have all grown up sailing in the Junior Sail program. Because of that we felt like we were instantly part of a tight-knit community. The classes would start with 20-30 minutes of games that were designed to engage the kids and help them learn sailing terminology, safety, etc. Allowing them to expend some physical energy while memorizing the information they would need while they were on the boats sailing was well thought out. Once they were on the boats, each child had an opportunity to sail 1 on 1 with an instructor. If there were more kids than instructors, a few kids would ride with an adult on the safety boat until it was their turn. The kids who were there to enjoy themselves, like my 6 year old, rode along and talked about sailing (or not) with the instructors and had a great time. The kids who were more engaged in learning, like my 8 year old, were given chances to operate the different parts of the boat and really get hands on experience. I thought this was great as both kids came away from the program really enjoying sailing. Both want to go back again this summer. My now 7 year old will go back to the KinderSail program on Tu/Th evenings, while my 9 year old will be attending a few week-long summer camps. I would also note that we got fairly lucky with the weather. We only had a couple days when class was unable to hit the water, either due to heavy rain or unsafe sailing conditions. While the kids were disappointed to not sail on those days, they still had fun playing games. I would soften the blow a bit too by stopping with them at the ice cream shop just a couple hundred feet away from where class meets at the yacht club. One final note, since the program has been running strong for many years it has produced some sailors who continue to be very dedicated to the sport. So much so that we were invited by a former student/instructor, who was working with the SailGP team from Spain, to take a behind the scenes tour of their facility where they prepared the boats for practice sessions. We were also offered tickets to attend the race at Navy Pier the next day. It was a unique experience that our kids still talk about.
★★★★★Cory StevensMy child (about to enter high school) has been going to Waukegan Junior Sail for 6 years and we love it! It's taught my child a really fun sport, they've learned a lot about independence and how to trust their skills, and they look forward to it every year. We sign up for the entire summer (and, unusual for summer camps, it starts right after school gets out and goes until school starts in the fall). You can choose to do a week at a time, though, so it's flexible. You can do AM or PM camp or all day. Now that my child is older, they take Metra to the Waukegan stop and a camp counselor meets them there and they have a short 5 min. walk to get to camp. If the weather is bad or there's no wind, then they play games with the campers or go to the beach -- they don't close the camp. And they were open during the summer of 2020, which was a godsend -- very few camps were available. They have had the same counselors for many years -- and many, many repeat campers. Because the camp is on a harbor, they can sail when other sailing camps that launch right onto Lake Michigan can't. I cannot recommend this camp strongly enough!
★Lana StetsyukThis “camp” is a joke. After a week of camp my boys sailed in total of 2 hours. The director is rude and very unprofessional. Don’t waste your time and money here!