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Greetings! 
Despite the cold and snow of winter, there is a lot happening down here at HRCS. The Winter Boat Building Program is in full swing, complete with "Career Day" presentations from volunteer members and tutoring help from Columbia University Sailing Team volunteers. Check out what one student has to say about it. We are also hard at work getting the fleet ready and repaired for the 2011 sailing season. Interested in helping out with the fleet or the programs? Check out the "Get Involved" section below. We have also rolled out the 2011 Adult Membership Offerings and the Summer Sailing Camp information. You can find those in this months newsletter too. From all of us at HRCS, thank you for your continued support. Enjoy!
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Students Learn the Ins and Outs of Wooden Boat Building
Since the beginning of November, the students who completed the Fall Sail Training portion of the Accredited After School Program have been hard at work building a wooden optimist dinghy as part of the Winter Boat Building Program. Upon completion of the program, students can earn a science credit towards their high school graduation. The students spent the first month learning the fundamentals of tool safety, proper sawing method, and about the different types of wood. This was quite exciting for the students because most of them had never worked with hand tools before.
Following this introduction, the students constructed the mold for the boat, completing it in early January. Building the mold served as an excellent introduction to the process of wooden boat building and really prepared the students to build the boat itself. While building the mold, students learned how to convert metric to imperial, how to read a 1/16 scale ruler, how to read a technical diagram, and about different types of wood.
The students then measured out and cut the boat bottom, sides, bow, and stern and are currently putting them together to make the shell of the boat. At this stage, students tested to see which type of wood is stronger, plywood or hardwood, in an experiment entitled "Man vs. Nature". A bucket was suspended from the pieces of wood and was gradually filled with water until the pieces snapped - it was quite exciting when the bucket went crashing down. Nature won out over man as hardwood was able to withstand almost one hundred pounds of weight versus the plywoods fifty. The students will next be learning about buoyancy and how a metal boat can float. Looking ahead, the students hope to finish the boat by the end of March and sail it once the weather is warmer.
Check out the Photo of the Day feature and the most recent album on our Facebook page to see pictures from the program. HRCS would like to thank our partner Brooklyn Boatworks that has supplied its extensive boat building experience as well as boat plans to make this program possible.
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Student Profile: Jordan Knox
 We sat down with Jordan Knox, one of the students in the Winter Boat Building Program, and asked him some questions about the program.
HRCS: Jordan, where do you live and what school do you attend?
Jordan Knox: I live in Manhattan and attend the Manhattan Business Academy.
HRCS: What do you want to be when you grow up?
JK: Right now I am undecided.
HRCS: You are currently participating in the Winter Boat Building Program. What is your favorite part of the program?
JK: I am looking forward to sailing the boat when we finish building it.
HRCS: What skills have you gained from the boat building program?
JK: Measuring using a 1/16" ruler and finding tricks to fixing the parts that were not cut out correctly.
HRCS: Would you like to continue being part of HRCS? If so, which programs would you like to be a part of?
JK: I would like to continue with HRCS and finish out the Winter Boat Building Program as well as complete the Spring Math and Science through Sailing program.
HRCS: Would you recommend this program to a friend? If so, what would you say to convince them to join?
JK: I would recommend it to a friend. I would tell them that it is fun and looks really good on a college application.
HRCS: Recently a lot of people have been coming in to the program to speak about their careers. Have you learned anything from these presentations?
JK: Yes, I learned that if you really want a job you have to work hard and sometimes be creative about how you get in front of the right people.
HRCS: Which career speaker interested you the most?
JK: The salesman, Rupert Murray.
HRCS: Did any of the career presentations change your mind about what you would like to be when you grow up?
JK: Yes, many of them showed me that a successful job isn't always behind a desk.
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What do you want to be when you grow up?
 | | Florence Laufer, an HRCS member-volunteer, discussed with the students her career at the United Nations and then helped out with the boat-building. |
The Accredited After School Program (AASP) is about more than just teaching underserved youth how to sail and build boats - it is about using sailing as a hook to help students improve their academics, school attendance, job skills, and college preparedness. It is about showing them that through hard work and determination, they can do whatever they want with their lives. That was the main inspiration for the beginning of "Career Days", in which volunteer HRCS members and others associated with HRCS took off time from work to come and speak to the students in the AASP about their careers. During these brief but insightful presentations, the volunteers speak about how they got into their line of work, what it took to get there, and the pleasures and challenges of the job. At the end of the presentations, the students' hands shoot up with questions like "What are the hours like?" and "Can I get a job there?" After the Q&A, the presenters frequently stay and help the students with the boat building.
"Career Days" has so far featured HRCS members from Lexis-Nexis, Google, Columbia University, the United Nations, Doctors without Borders, Milberg LLP, The Metropolitan Opera, Brookhaven Labs, Del Posto, and LiRo Engineers. Upcoming presentations include HSBC, Reuters, and the New York DA office. HRCS would like to thank all the presenters for volunteering their time. Interested in giving a brief presentation about your career to our AASP students? Please email Program Director Alex Baum at abaum@hudsonsailing.org.
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Columbia Sailing Team Members Volunteer as Tutors, Boat Builders
 | | Columbia volunteer Marie helps Kevin with some measurements. |
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Another important element of the Accredited After School Program is the time at the beginning of each program session when students receive individual academic assistance from HRCS staff and, most recently, volunteer tutors from Columbia University's Sailing Team. Despite heavy class loads and a range of other activities, these volunteers spend up to six hours every week being part of the program. They return each week and are willing to give up this time because they enjoy working with and helping the students not only with their studies but also with building the boat. The Columbia volunteers also serve as powerful positive mentors to the students as they represent the next step for the AASP students - college. HRCS would like to thank Marie, Jack, David and Irene for their time and devotion to the students. We look forward to working with other members of the Columbia Sailing Team and other local collegiate sailing teams in the future.
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How to Get Involved with HRCS
Looking for ways to get involved with HRCS? During the winter there are two main ways you can help out.
1) Become involved with the Winter Boat Building Program. Either volunteer to come and speak about your career one afternoon or come by the program once a week to assist the students in building the boat. The students love meeting new, enthusiastic adults and will welcome you with open arms. This is a great way to give back in a direct way.
2) Help out repairing the HRCS fleet. Each week and one weekend day a month, the HRCS staff and a few volunteers head up to SUNY Maritime to work on HRCS' nine J24 sailboats. None of the work requires any sailing or boat maintenance background and anyone can do it. It is very fulfilling work and a nice break from staring at a computer screen all day.
For more information or to sign up for either of these opportunities, please email Program Director Alex Baum at abaum@hudsonsailing.org.
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Have the Best Job of Your Life: Come Work for HRCS!
 Want to teach sailing, math, science, and life skills to some of the most appreciative, deserving students in the greatest city of the world? You are in luck - HRCS is hiring for its 2011 season. More details on our Employment Opportunities page.
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Join the HRCS Membership Now and Receive Large Discounts
Join the HRCS adult membership and make 2011 the year you get out on the water, learn to sail, and show off your skills to friends and family. The membership is a vibrant community made up of people who love to sail and be with others who share their maritime passion. Mentor sails, lesson discounts, and going sailing as often as you want will ensure that you learn the art and science of sailing in no time. Weekly racing opportunities and organized member sailing trips will allow you to practice and show off your skills and be involved in exciting and competitive sailing. To top it all off, if you join now you can get up to 10% off your membership. So what are you waiting for? Check it out and join!
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Don't miss out on our summer sailing camp - City Sail
The ticket to your son or daughter having the greatest summer of his/her life is here. Without even having to physically leave the city, your child can transport him/herself to a land of adventure, excitement, and camaraderie out on the water. Within just a week, your child can learn all the basics of sailing in the beginner class or improve their sailing and racing skills in the intermediate or advanced classes. Give them the opportunity to make new friends, become better leaders, team players, and communicators. Open their eyes to the treasures that lie right in their own city. Sign up now!
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An Anchor 
John Krevey literally put HRCS into business.
When I was preparing for our first fundraiser, the Dark 'n Stormy, in the spring of 2008, a woman on our social committee asked for some history on the Frying Pan for a PR piece. As I began to research, my memory of seeing this vessel, sunk on the shore of the Wicomico River, just north of Whitehaven, came flooding back. I was raised playing on this river, about a half mile away, skiing and fishing around. I can vividly remember seeing this vessel listing off hard to it's port side with the white lettering of "Frying Pan" just barely visible. I immediately jumped up and ran next door to find John and tell him about this outrageous coincidence - that a sailor from Salisbury, Maryland had grown up on the same waters from which this vessel was raised, and that my first fundraiser, the one that would make or break HRCS, was to be hosted on the SAME boat. John was floored and our bond was further solidified. Our world lost a great mentor and friend when John Krevey passed in January of this year. I really cared about him and respected him beyond measure. This pain will not pass but the inspiration of this man will strengthen our resolve. We miss you so much John!
-Bill Bahen
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Want to stay up on the latest HRCS news?
Check the daily "Photo of the Day" and the albums from each program that we regularly post. Join our Meetup Group
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Stay tuned for more updates on the progress of the wooden boat, the HRCS fleet, and other programs we are rolling out during the rest of the winter and into the spring and summer.
Sincerely,
-The HRCS Team
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