Featured School: Perry Yacht Club

By: Destinations, Instructors, Schools

Perry Yacht Club on Lake Perry in Meriden, Kansas

ASA had a conversation with Paul Barnett from Perry Yacht Club in Meriden, Kansas, His passion for the area explains why he loves to share it with others through sailing. “I consider this to be the most spectacular view in Kansas” he explains when describing the location of Perry Yacht Club. Home to Perry Yacht Club, Perry Lake is the largest lake in Kansas. The club, on the northwestern shore, is high on a bluff overlooking a large portion of the lake.

Perry Yacht Club is celebrating its 50th year this year and is the center of sailing life in the region hosting events from youth sailing to large regattas to collegiate events.  ASA instructor Paul Barnett has been teaching at Perry Yacht Club for some time and took over the operation of the school last year. PYC is just an hour from Kansas City and within a half-hour of Lawrence and Topeka.

Get to Know Paramour Sailing at Perry Yacht Club

Where They Sail: Sailing on Perry Lake, most PYC sailors come from cities in Northeastern Kansas, but many travel from surrounding states. The Club has a campground where many come for longer stays, while others stay on board their boats, many simply day trip from home as well. We are close to all that Kansas City offers, in sports and culture. University life is close and vibrant.

What They Teach: The Sailing School at Perry Yacht Club offers intro classes, ASA 101, Private Classes, and Zero to Hero Sail Camp for Adults. PYC also has a youth Sailing director who runs youth programs including “Buddy in a Boat” designed around ASA standards for safety and fun.

Meet Their Instructors:  Paul Barnett teaches the adult classes. Paul has been teaching people to sail for 30 years, beginning with a county-run program on a very small lake.He was recruited by Kansas City Sailing who used to run the PYC Sailing School almost 10 years ago  to run their sail camp for kids. That blossomed to Keelboat Instructor Certification and eventually to running the Adult program. “I learned to sail in the Chesapeake near Baltimore. on board a friend’s Merit 23.  After a corporate move brought me to the KC area, I learned lake sailing and enjoyed teaching and competing on smaller boats. As a successful racer, I found that my real passion was in developing sailors through education. My other love, my Paramour is Sailing. I established Paramour Sailing, llc School at Perry Yacht Club to share my passion.”

 Check us out at https://www.paramoursailing.com/.   

Their Programs  People are curious about learning to sail. if you are here in the midwest, the costs of just getting to a locale, staying at a resort, finding a coastal sailing school all might be an expense too large to explore something so new and different like sailing. That is a big investment when you don’t know you are going to like it. We offer a less expensive, more time and cost-effective way to learn the basics of sailing. Conversely, we do not have all the elements to offer like tides and currents. As such, we do not offer more advanced classes. Instead, we refer our students to coastal ASA schools once they catch the sailing fever and develop dreams of chartering or cruising the world. Many of our students have done just that.

Perry Yacht Clubwww.perryyachtclub.com(913) 235-41048369 Yacht Club DriveMeridenKS66512USA
Courses Offered:
101, 102, 110

Learning to Sail

  • ASA 101: What You’ll Learn ASA 101 is your introduction to Basic Keelboat Sailboat and is your key to a lifetime of sailing.
  • How To Sail Sailing a boat is part art and part skill but few activities offer such a variety of pleasures as sailing. Something special occurs when you cast off the lines and leave your cares at the dock.
  • 7 Tips For The Beginning Sailor There are the obvious things you need when you go sailing, sunscreen, a hat, a windbreaker, non-skid shoes, and wind. However, what do you really need to be ready to head out on the water?
  • How To Learn To Sail You won’t have to buy a boat or learn a new language or buy a new wardrobe to get a taste for sailing. You can dictate how much you want to experience.
  • Learning To Sail Is Just The Beginning Sailing means different things to different people. At ASA we understand that learning to sail is just the beginning of a relationship with a lifestyle that is infectious. Where will sailing take you? We have a few ideas but how you view sailing is the most important.
  • What Is Your Role on a Boat? What type of sailor are you and what role do you take on the boat? Your ASA sailing education will prepare you to be a skipper on a sailing vessel and with that comes the responsibility of keeping your crew safe and ensuring the safety of the vessel you are sailing.
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