News
Summer 2020 Update
May 28, 2020
Dear NCS Families,
We hope that you are safe and well and enjoying the warmer weather.
Last week, the Massachusetts Governor released a four-phase plan to reopen the State (see attached). For NCS, summer sailing lessons are scheduled for reopening in Phase 2, which will not start until at least June 8th, depending on the status of public-health indicators. Therefore, in keeping with the Governor's guidelines and in order to implement safety protocols for our instructors and students, we have decided to defer the opening of NCS 2020 sailing lessons until at least July 13th. This means we are cancelling the first three weeks of classes (weeks of June 22, June 29 and July 6).
When we can reopen, we will follow all local, state and federal guidelines for the health and safety of our sailors and staff, which will likely include face coverings, social distancing and extra cleaning. We will also operate our programs exclusively out of the Jetties Sailing Center with smaller class sizes and staggered start times. Please note that there will be no van service offered.
In light of this situation, and recognizing that you may be changing your summer plans, we have updated our cancellation policy, effective immediately:
First, we are happy to help you transfer your registration fees to other classes or private/family lessons later in Summer 2020 or to Summer 2021. If you roll your registration fees over to 2021, you will receive priority registration when we open enrollment next year. There will be no cancellation or change fees.
Second, you can use your registration fees to rent watersports equipment from NCS this summer by the week or the month (to take to your home), or purchase NCS/NRW merchandise. Details will be available in upcoming weeks as we sort out availability and pricing. Again, we will waive any cancellation fees.
Third, please consider donating your 2020 registration fees to NCS to assist us in the recovery from the financial losses caused by this crisis. We are doing all we can to get through this successfully and ensure we are here to serve you next year.
Finally, if you would prefer a refund, let us know. Refunds, less a 3.5% administrative fee, will be issued starting later in June, as this is a manual process and NCS needs to work with the software company that processes registrations to issue the funds. Please note that any membership or scholarship donations paid at the time of registration are not refundable, nor are the Active Network registration fees refundable. We will not charge the normal $75 cancellation fee for any classes that are cancelled by NCS, although the cancellation fee does apply to parent-initiated cancellations.
*2020 Scholarship Recipients: Please note, 2020 NCS sailing scholarships for island children will not be carried over into 2021. All island-resident youth are encouraged to reapply for scholarships in 2021 prior to the opening of enrollment.*
Please contact Francine Balling, Chief Operating Officer, with how you would like NCS to proceed with your registration fees: registration@nantucketsailing.org.
Please note that there are other ways to continue to support Nantucket Community Sailing this month and beyond:
* Shop via Amazon Smile. Log into smile.amazon.com and select Nantucket Community Sailing as the non-profit you support. Every time you make a purchase using this method, NCS receives 0.05% on eligible purchases and there is no additional cost to you.
* Stay Connected. Like our Facebook and Instagram pages. Please follow NCS on social media for up to date information, videos and upcoming fundraising efforts.
* Purchase NCS and NRW Gear on our website - a great way to support us all year long. http://www.nantucketcommunitysailing.org/page/store
We will continue to update you over the coming weeks and plan to send our next update the week of June 8, upon learning more regarding the MA Phase 2 reopening plans. Please note that no decisions will be made regarding any upcoming sessions (beyond July 13th) until two weeks prior to the start of the individual session. We will also send communication regarding smaller class sizes, safety protocols and start times ahead of each session.
Finally, for those of you who are hopeful to join us this summer, we recommend purchasing a life jacket for your child's personal use. While we will have PFDs to share, and we will rotate and clean them, the safest option seems to be owning your own. We recommend any Type III USCG (US Coast Guard) approved jacket. Here are three options:
*Please note these come in other colors and we did not price compare - just a few options to get you started. We also recommend full-fingered gloves - basic gardening gloves (Showa Atlas Nitrile Garden Gloves, for example) are sufficient and great for sailing.
Please let us know how we can help you, and we look forward to seeing you this summer.
Regards,
The NCS Team
