A lot of the answer to this depends on what kind of racing you want to do. Sailboat racing can mean spinning small boats through a short course as quickly as possible, or it could mean traveling from Annapolis to Bermuda. If you want to do small boat racing on a controlled course, we can teach you the basics of sailing for that, but you would probably be better served by a different school. On the other hand, if you are thinking of doing the sort of big boat, offshore racing that has been part of recreational sailing from the beginning and has culminated in races like the America's Cup and the Vendee Globe, then we are the school for you.
Most ocean racing is managed by race committees which put a premium on safety. We understand that mentality and do our best to ingrain in our students from the first day of the first class. Although we do not emphasize speed, we do emphasize doing things correctly, in order to manage risk. With that underlying training, you can then start to push yourself, your boat and your crew to see what the wind can really do.
We encourage all of our students to at least consider sleeping aboard during classes. In addition to saving you money, it allows you to get a feel for what the living conditions on a mid-sized cruising boat are really like. Many times, people develop an interest in sailing, particularly sail cruising, that runs up against hard reality when the time comes to actually stay aboard.
As for being small, our Island Packet 32s have an amazing amount of space below and, although they are marketed as being able to "sleep seven," we never put more than four people aboard. The IPs all have headroom over 6 feet and offer air conditioning, heat and refrigeration. They have a pressurized water system, although we have removed the water heaters. In port, you have access to the marina showers, and the slip-holders' lounge, with a Keurig coffee machine and a microwave.
It is true that our boats are over 30 years old (fiberglass keeps going and going, much like the Energizer Bunny) and, during that time, people have occasionally allowed diesel fuel to get loose in the boat. However, we do our best to keep the boat clean and fresh, by cleaning the boats between each class and training people to ensure that the fuel stays where it belongs. Some people do notice an aroma, but very6 few people find it offensive to the point of being able to sleep aboard.
We will never run down another school. Many schools do a very good job of providing a basic education in less time than we do.
However, there are three points that we feel you should consider in comparing our schools to those.
First, By doubling the number of days, we don't double the amount of sailing, we triple it. The first day of any class is going to require you to spend the morning at the dock, learning the basics and getting the safety briefings that are necessary before you leave. The last day of any class is going to require you to spend time wrapping up and reviewing the material, before taking the American Sailing written exam, necessary in order to certify. We have those same issues - but the second and third day of our classes are "on the boat." After answering any questions you may have, we are going to go out sailing. So, we have the same half-day on day one, the same half-day on day four, but two full days in the middle.
Second, while there are some places in the world where this may be less true, in the Chesapeake Bay area - and most places that we have been - the wind doesn't blow the same every day. Some days, there simply isn't enough, other days, there is way too much. By doubling the number of days of the class, we double the chances that you are actually going to have enough wind to sail.
Third, while many people can teach you the basics of sailing in two days, we have twice as much time, which means we can work twice as long and you will get twice as much experience. Many students come to us, after having taken a class at another school, because they simply did not feel they had had enough time at the wheel or on board to master the basics. By the time you are done with us, you will have spent several hours in performing actual sailing operations repeatedly and under the watchful eye of a seasoned instructor.
We admit we are not the cheapest school around, but we feel that we give very good value for what you have invested in yourself.