EGYC Sailing

The Eau Gallie Yacht Club Youth Sailing Program is a competitive dinghy-racing program designed for members and guests ages eight through eighteen. Kids are not required to have prior racing experience to join our racing program, however they must possess basic sailing knowledge and competency. Our program is divided into four teams based on skill level, size, and age. We sail Optimists (minimum age 8 maximum age 15) and Club 420s (age 12-18).

For potential new members of our program who do not have prior sailing experience, participation in the summer camp or private lessons will be necessary before being admitted to the racing program. Just like any sport, our kids are expected to attend practices on time, prepared with the necessary gear and attitude to learn and improve their skills. We travel to multiple regattas each season, so parents should be prepared for some road travel when their kids are at a level ready to compete.

Why sail? Any parent from our program will tell you the following: Sailing will change your kids’ life. The sport of sailing helps children develop critical thinking skills, responsibility, confidence, and even a better understanding of weather and physics. Sailors who commit to our program should expect a greater opportunity to land themselves at any of the more than 200 universities around the country with competitive sailing teams—including nearly all of the top academic schools in the nation.

We are excited to announce that brothers Fernando Monllor and Alejandro Monllor are taking over the 2023 sailing program!

Fernando Monllor, 29, born and raised in Ponce, Puerto Rico, has been sailing competitively since the age of 8 and hopes to continue sailing for many years. He has been a Puerto Rico National Sailing Team member since 2005, representing Puerto Rico in numerous international championships in Optimist, Sunfish, I420, and Snipe fleets. His most memorable sailing accomplishments include Gold Medal in Panamerican Games Toronto 2015, Gold Medal CAC Games Veracruz 2014, Snipe’s Western Hemisphere and Oriental Championship 2014 champion, US Sunfish Midwinter Champion 2010, Sunfish Top Junior 2009, 2010, and 2011, Optimist Worlds Team Race champions 2008, Optimist Team Racing North American and South American champions 2007 and 2008, and Scotiabank Optimist International Regatta champion 2007. He graduated from the University of South Florida in St. Petersburg and was a skipper of the USF Sailing Team, racing actively in the ICSA circuit.    With his lifelong dedication to competitive sailing, accomplishments, work experiences, academic preparation, expertise, and personal traits, he continues teaching youth sailors from across the globe to become better sailors and athletes.     

Alejandro Monllor, 28, born and raised in the rough waters of Ponce, Puerto Rico has been sailing since the age of 6. He has been part of the PUR national sailing team since 2005 and has represented his country in multiple disciplines, including Optimist, Snipe and Windsurfing at a professional level. In 2008 he was part of the PUR team that won North and South American Team Racing and the triple crown in the Optimist Worlds in Turkey. After this feat, he continued his snipe and windsurfing career competing in multiple world championships and Olympic games, placing 3rd in Windsurfing Worlds (T 293 Open Class) in 2010. He began coaching in high school sharing his passion for windsurfing with others, and has been coaching Optimist, windsurfing, and 420 race teams in Maine and Martha’s Vineyard for the past 10 years. After living in Hawaii for the past year building surfboards with the world’s best, Alejandro moves back to Florida to continue his career as a coach and build his craft closer to home and his family.

Please feel free to contact them anytime at 787-601-8570 for more details on our JR and Adult Sailing options.