The vast majority of the sailors at the UCLA MAC are students who have learned to sail here. The addition of experienced sailors to the MAC’s sailing community is something we encourage and we thank you for considering our facility.
Experienced sailors who wish to use sailing vessels at the UCLA MAC are required to either demonstrate their competency by completing a Skills Evaluation and Orientation (SEO) or by attending and passing our regular beginner class for that vessel. No sailor will be allowed to rent a vessel before he or she has completed a SEO or sailing class. Before undertaking a SEO the candidate MUST:
- Complete a written Pre-Evaluation questionnaire certifying his or her level of experience in a dinghy.
- Depending upon your answers to the Pre-Evaluation, you may then be eligible to take the comprehensive multiple choice “pre-test” (50 questions) on General Sailing topics and safety. If you score 90% or better on this “pre-test” you qualify to participate in the SEO process. (You may ONLY take the test once. Subsequent submissions of the test will not be scored.)
Once the above two criteria are met an e-mail will be sent to you within 5 working days that will provide details on how to schedule a SEO. Please do NOT attempt to schedule a SEO until you have received confirmation that you have completed the pre-requisites described above. Your SEO will take place during the first eight hours of a regularly scheduled class and you must be present and participate with our non-SEO students for the entire eight hours. During that day the candidate will be required to:
- Attend a short lecture on MAC policies and other sailing related topics.
- Demonstrate his or her seamanship and on-the-water sailing abilities (e.g. rig and derig, tack and gybe, launch and dock, execute a safety position, etc).
- Demonstrate a proper capsize recovery using the Scoop Method.
- Take a written exam (multiple choice) on general sailing topics as well as information that is specific to sailing at the MAC contained on our website and Sailing Manual (80% or better to pass).
If you have previously earned a dinghy certification from US Sailing and/or ASA, please bring a copy of the certification forms to the SEO. Please note, such certifications will not exempt a candidate from fulfilling the requirements of the SEO, and are only intended to assist the instructor(s) conducting the evaluation.
SEOs are ONLY available for Sailing I and II classes. All candidates shall take the Sailing I SEO before the Sailing II SEO. If the candidate demonstrates good seamanship and passes both the on-the-water practical evaluation and the written exam at the end of his first day he or she will be given a qualification card to rent the vessel he or she tested out in. If the candidate fails any portion of the SEO, he or she will be required to take the full class at another time. Payment for the SEO will not be applied to the cost of the class.
All test-outs should read the MAC’s current rental policy document, which can be found under “Information” on the menu above. Any violation of the rental policies will result in forfeiture of sailing privileges. Please note that ALL sailors are responsible for equipment care. If a sailor breaks or loses equipment he or she may be required to pay for the damages.