Contacts: Cynthia Goss, US SAILING, 203-453-2731
Bob Sweet, USPS, 508-495-4300
US SAILING and United States Power Squadrons
Sign Memo of Understanding to Share Educational Resources
Move Will Help More Boaters Gain
Access to Boating Education, Safety Training
September 11, 2007 — US SAILING and the United States Power Squadrons
(USPS) have signed a memorandum of understanding that outlines how the two
organizations can share educational resources, including instructional
programs and course materials. The move allows each organization—each of
which is a leader in the field of recreational boating education—to tap into
the other organization's particular expertise; this type of collaboration is
highly encouraged by the United States Coast Guard, in the hope of ensuring
a higher level of competency and safety amongst boaters in the United
States.
USPS will complement its classroom instruction with US SAILING courses in
on-the-water powerboat skill instruction and demonstration. US SAILING will
now be able to incorporate the extensive advanced navigational course
materials developed by USPS into its training programs.
"This is a great partnership that will extend the reach of both
organizations,” said Rich Jepsen, CEO of OCSC Sailing (Berkeley, Calif.) who
chairs US SAILING's Training Committee. "Each organization has outreach to
different audiences in the boating world, and sharing our resources will
give more boaters access to the training and knowledge they need to make
going out on the water more enjoyable—and ultimately more safe."
According to USPS National Educational Officer Dick Kyle, “We are looking to
enrich our programs with US SAILING’s strong experience with on-the-water
training. This expertise complements our classroom courses for our new Boat
Operator Certification Program and advanced sail endorsements included in
our USPS University."
The USPS Boat Operator Certification program has been created to recognize
the skill level of boaters and recognize their knowledge, in much the same
way as the Coast Guard license indicates professional expertise. Until now,
there was little most recreational boaters could do to gain such
recognition. To achieve each of the four levels (Inland, Coastal, Advanced
Coastal, and Offshore) the boater must complete a set of USPS courses,
attend a series of seminars, and demonstrate skills, some on-the-water.
Basic, on-the-water skills are what USPS has looked to the US SAILING
program for, for its inland certification.
One of the key US SAILING courses USPS will offer to its members is the Safe
Powerboat Handling Course. This two-day, hands-on, on-the-water course was
originally developed to serve US SAILING constituents who used powerboats
but lacked formal training in handling these types of craft. The original
target audience for this program included sailing instructors, coaches, and
race committee personnel who needed a high level of proficiency in powerboat
handling in order to perform their jobs on the water. The course has since
become known as valuable training for any individual who wants to learn how
to safely operate a powerboat. The National Association of State Boating Law
Administrators (NASBLA) has approved the course, and an increasing number of
U.S. states are recognizing that the program meets their boating safety
education requirements.
For more than 20 years on-the-water powerboat training has been a part of US
SAILING's educational offerings, initially incorporated into courses used to
train sailing instructors and later developed into separate
powerboat-handling courses. The courses are administered by US Powerboating,
a department under US SAILING’s Education Division organized to directly
address the educational needs of powerboat owners and operators in the
United States.
The Power Squadrons' advanced navigational materials are the key USPS
resources US SAILING will now be able to incorporate into its renowned
Keelboat Certification Series, which provides high standards of competency
for sailors, sailing instructors, and sailing schools to improve safety and
enjoyment for thousands of sailors every year. Qualified sailing schools and
instructors teach sailors of all experience levels proper boat handling and
seamanship skills, as well as the proper theory that is a crucial part of a
sailor’s education. Making USPS navigation training materials available to
US SAILING Keelboat Certification schools will improve its already robust
line-up of navigation training.
US SAILING offers sailing and powerboat courses through participating clubs,
schools, and community programs. These courses highlight on-the-water
training for students and instructor candidates, starting at the entry level
and progressing into racing, cruising, and offshore passagemaking. US
SAILING's Certification Series has established the definitive national
standards for sailing and on-the-water powerboat instruction in keelboats,
small sailboats, and sport and cruising powerboats.
United States Power Squadrons is known worldwide for its quality navigation
programs, from inland and coastal to offshore, using both electronics and
celestial tools. USPS has even trained navigators for the Navy during times
of war. USPS has become a leader working with industry to understand and
influence emerging navigation technologies, thus assuring training in the
latest techniques, equipment, and software.
USPS University Boat Operator Certification programs tap into their
navigation courses as well as classroom and hands-on work in seamanship,
boat handling, weather, marine electrical and electronics, engine and marine
mechanical systems maintenance, cruise planning and a wide range of seminars
on shipboard gear selection and use. The USPS Seminars are generally
available to the public across the country, often conveniently offered in
marine stores, yacht clubs, and marinas. Programs are offered through the
USPS network of 450 squadrons located virtually everywhere you find boaters.
USPS also offers National Association of State Boating Law
Administrators-approved public boating safety programs in the classroom and
online. These courses have been a mainstay of USPS support to boaters since
1914.
About US SAILING
The United States Sailing Association (US SAILING) is the national governing
body for sailing. Founded in 1897 and headquartered in Portsmouth, Rhode
Island, the organization provides leadership for the sport of sailing in the
United States. US SAILING offers training and education programs for
instructors and race officials, supports a wide range of sailing
organizations and communities, issues offshore rating certificates, and
provides administration and oversight of competitive sailing across the
country, including National Championships and the U.S. Olympic and
Paralympic Sailing Teams. For more information, please visit
www.ussailing.org.
About the United States Power Squadrons
USPS, in its nearly 100-year history, has been the premier recreational
boating education organization offering basic boating and a strong program
of navigation that has even been used to train Navy navigators in time of
war. Today, USPS offers the broadest range of boating courses and seminars
available for recreational boaters of all types, and provides a rallying
point for those interested in boats to meet, learn, and provide services to
fellow boaters. USPS also participates in a co-operative charting program
with NOAA helping to update navigation charts, and provides complementary
vessel safety inspections in cooperation with the Coast Guard. For more
information, please visit www.usps.org.
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