Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Hawks sail.
Lessons for beginners. Regattas for experts. Fun on the water for everyone.
No experience necessary. IUP students learn on the water every Sunday and can earn a US Sailing certification for the cost of semester dues.
About the club
A club that can get you on the water.
The IUP Sailing Club was re-established by students in 2012. It sails on Yellow Creek Lake in club FJs, teaches beginners from the ground up, and sends experienced sailors to intercollegiate regattas.
- Involve the IUP community in recreational sailing.
- Help beginners master basic skills leading to US Sailing certification.
- Give experienced sailors the chance to develop racing tactics and compete in collegiate regattas.
Club leadership
Maize Legge is the 2026–27 club president.
Club advisor Prof. Ken Sherwood worked with students to re-establish the club in 2012. An avid small-boat sailor, he instructs beginners and coaches more advanced sailors through their first intercollegiate racing.
He has trained extensively with US Sailing — Safety and Rescue, Small Boat Level 1 and Level 2, and Level 3 Racing certifications — which is why IUP students can certify for the price of club dues.
In 2023 he led a group of students to Florida for a week-long cruise. He builds sailing partnerships through Camp Seph Mack, Sylvan Sailing, and Moraine Sailing Club, where he races in Flying Scot Fleet 80.
Learn to sail
Shore school on Tuesday. Water on Sunday.
You can join with no prior experience. Classmates and Prof. Sherwood teach on the water each Sunday, and Tuesday club meetings include a brief shore school. These are the materials we use, from first day afloat through your first regatta.
Learn to Sail slides
The full shore-school deck — points of sail, right of way, safety, and the vocabulary you will hear on the water. Preview it before your first session or review it after.
Open the slidesKnow your knots
A short slideshow covering the handful of knots that do almost all the work on a small boat. Animatedknots.com is an excellent companion for practising them.
See the knotsRigging a sailboat
Uncover the boat, attach the main, hank on the jib, hang the rudder, attach a painter, raise the sails. Every boat differs slightly — here is a step-by-step guide for FJs like ours.
Rigging guide (PDF)Learn to race
Once you can sail the boat, racing is where the skills sharpen fastest. Starts, marks, right of way on the course, and the tactics our sailors use at collegiate regattas.
Open the slidesYears ago the park would rent a sailboat to anyone who could properly rig one — on the reasoning that plenty of people say they can sail, but someone who can rig the boat probably can. Now IUP Sailing is sponsored by the non-profit Sylvan Sailing, Inc., which operates a sailing base at Yellow Creek Lake.
Certification
Earn a US Sailing Small Boat Level 1.
We teach the US Sailing Small Boat Level 1 curriculum, with certified volunteer instructors. Attend shore school, sail with us on Sundays, and when you can demonstrate the skills we sign off your Little Red Book.
At that point you are qualified to take out club boats without an instructor aboard. If you want the official card, you can join US Sailing and have your certification recognised nationally. Club copies of the text Learn Sailing Right are available to borrow.
Some sailors progress quickly, others spend a semester or two. There is no schedule to keep up with.
What it costs
$40 per semester
New members pay a reduced rate for their first semester. Dues cover instruction, boat use, and the certification process — a fraction of what a sailing school charges for the same curriculum.
Watch
Two minutes on the water.
The club promo video — students rigging, launching, and sailing at Yellow Creek. If you are trying to picture what a Sunday actually looks like, start here.
Connect
Where the club actually talks.
GroupMe is the main channel — sail times, schedule changes, and weather calls all go there. Everything else is for slower news.
- GroupMeJoin the group chatSunday sails, weather reports, last-minute changes. Our main channel.
- Emailiupsailingclub@gmail.comQuestions about joining, dues, or lessons.
- Mailing listSign up for general newsOccasional reminders. You can also join the club through Crimson Connect.
- Instagram@iupsailingPhotos from the lake and from regattas.
- FacebookIUP Sailing groupAlumni, friends of the club, and longer posts.
Scan to join the GroupMe, or use the link above. Screenshot it for the activities fair.
Fall 2026 meetings: Tuesdays at 7:00 pm, Jane Leonard. Sailing is on Sundays — times go out over GroupMe.
Support the club
Ahoy, friends of IUP Sailing.
The club introduces a dozen new sailors to the water each fall, with many making progress on their US Sailing Red Books, and sends sailors to compete at two or three MAISA regattas each year.
Club dues and student activity funds help. But collaboration with Sylvan Sailing, Inc., a lot of volunteers, and donations are what make it possible. Your support lets students explore the park, find a lifetime hobby, build friendships, and practise leadership.
Wish list
- Foul weather gear
- New sails
Gifts are tax-deductible. IUP Sailing is an extracurricular activity and club sport at IUP. Questions? Write iupsailingclub@gmail.com or sherwood@iup.edu.
