If you remember only two things from his class, Roger Bailey hopes it's how to tack and gybe. The sailing class, offered by the University and River House, an outdoor pursuits program run by the City of Eugene, is filled to capacity each term it is offered. This term is no different. According to the Office of the Registrar, all three classes were at capacity by March 3. Bailey, who started sailing as a teenager on Lake Michigan, has been teaching classes in Eugene for the past 12 years and was the South Eugene High School crew coach from 1986 to 1991.
People are pretty successful in sailing.
This is where tacking and gybing comes in. Tacking, Bailey explained, is sailing upwind, while gybing is sailing downwind. But it's not just the technical side of sailing that Bailey thinks attracts people to the sport. It's part of history and literature. I think sailing is really fun.