Atlantic Challenge Team Training
Training on Greens Island: Thursday July 17 - Sunday July 27, 2025
Cook: Coral Breuer
Leaders: Dylan Ladds, Abby Colby, Ethan Tischler, Elsie Gawler, and Mia Bertelli
In preparation for the 2026 Atlantic Challenge International Contest of Seamanship held in Eure, France, we will train this summer on Greens Island, next to Vinalhaven Island, 13 miles east of Rockland, Maine. This expedition is designed for young adults 14 and up who wish to work as a team on and off the water and learn/hone their rowing, sailing, and traditional seamanship skills in a fun, supportive atmosphere!
Every crew member will have many opportunities to lead throughout the program. With guidance from AC USA instructors and our cook, participants will rotate through a range roles each day on and off the water to keep our crew healthy and our boats well tended. For example, you may refill the group's water jugs, stow the sails and oars at the end of the day, create the day's passage plan to our next anchorage, or assist our cook with preparing a group meal. Under sail, your leadership role may rotate from coxing, to being the mast captain, to doing a specific task such as raising and lowering the sail. While rowing, you may cox, navigate, lead the other rowers by keeping the stroke, actively follow the stroke oar, or perhaps be inspired to lead a call-and-response song to help keep the rowers in sync.
We will practice each of the 11 Contest events, and teach skills relevant to each race event, and to the weather presented each day. The Contest events include:
Sailing - A sailing race on a triangle course. The upwind leg is approximately 1/4 mile, and the other two legs are longer closer to 3/4-1 mile each.
Rowing - A straight 2 mile rowing race
Oars & Sails - A race where the upwind leg is rowed, and the two down wind legs of a triangle are sailed
Ropework - Testing the crews knowledge of a series of knots, splices, whippings, and seizings
Navigation - A navigation event where Dead Reckoning, Following a Compass Course and determining Latitude and Longitude are needed.
Jackstay Transfer - transferring a sack/package from ship to shore by way of jackstay line.
Slalom - Rowing through a series of buoys, turning around and rowing through them again without a rudder
Crew Overboard - A crew member from another team jumps overboard within a zone, and the crew retrieves them under oars, then races to the finish
Passage - Longer distance race where crews decide to row or sail
L'Esprit - Mixed International crew sailing/rowing event
Captain's Gig - Docking in style event
Many of the skills likely to be covered, include:
Points of Sail
Sail Theory
Sail Trim
Tides & Currents
Navigation
Reefing
Docking
Knots and splicing
Anchoring
Anchorage Assessment
Handling a dipping lug sail as a team
Steering Forces
Weather
Rowing
Typical Daily Schedule:
6:30am Gather to stretch
7-7:30am Light Morning Row
7:45-8am Morning Dip
8:30am Breakfast and coffee/tea
9:30am Clean up, group chores and personal time.
10:30am Gather to row/sail
12:30pm lunch onshore
1:30pm Clean up/personal time
2:30pm Gather to row/sail
5pm Put the boats to bed for the night (pump out any water, tie them securely to the dock, put sails away).
6pm Dinner
7pm Clean up
7:30pm Evening meeting/group check in, sit by the fire, listen to songs/tunes
9-10pm Folks typically head to their tents.
We'll start in Rockland, transport ourselves via ferry/powerboat to Greens Island and camp in tents, live without electricity for the week, and become a cohesive team on and off the water.
Maximum group size: 26 people total including instructors and cook. Though not required to be part of the US or International team in 2026, those who are interested in being part of the 2026 Contest are especially encouraged to join this summer 2025.
Registration happens on a first come, first serve basis! Sign up early to be part of this unique team training experience!
No prior experience necessary. This program starts and ends in Rockland, Maine.
Detailed logistics to follow.
Have any questions? Please get in touch.
Training on Greens Island: Thursday July 17 - Sunday July 27, 2025
Cook: Coral Breuer
Leaders: Dylan Ladds, Abby Colby, Ethan Tischler, Elsie Gawler, and Mia Bertelli
In preparation for the 2026 Atlantic Challenge International Contest of Seamanship held in Eure, France, we will train this summer on Greens Island, next to Vinalhaven Island, 13 miles east of Rockland, Maine. This expedition is designed for young adults 14 and up who wish to work as a team on and off the water and learn/hone their rowing, sailing, and traditional seamanship skills in a fun, supportive atmosphere!
Every crew member will have many opportunities to lead throughout the program. With guidance from AC USA instructors and our cook, participants will rotate through a range roles each day on and off the water to keep our crew healthy and our boats well tended. For example, you may refill the group's water jugs, stow the sails and oars at the end of the day, create the day's passage plan to our next anchorage, or assist our cook with preparing a group meal. Under sail, your leadership role may rotate from coxing, to being the mast captain, to doing a specific task such as raising and lowering the sail. While rowing, you may cox, navigate, lead the other rowers by keeping the stroke, actively follow the stroke oar, or perhaps be inspired to lead a call-and-response song to help keep the rowers in sync.
We will practice each of the 11 Contest events, and teach skills relevant to each race event, and to the weather presented each day. The Contest events include:
Sailing - A sailing race on a triangle course. The upwind leg is approximately 1/4 mile, and the other two legs are longer closer to 3/4-1 mile each.
Rowing - A straight 2 mile rowing race
Oars & Sails - A race where the upwind leg is rowed, and the two down wind legs of a triangle are sailed
Ropework - Testing the crews knowledge of a series of knots, splices, whippings, and seizings
Navigation - A navigation event where Dead Reckoning, Following a Compass Course and determining Latitude and Longitude are needed.
Jackstay Transfer - transferring a sack/package from ship to shore by way of jackstay line.
Slalom - Rowing through a series of buoys, turning around and rowing through them again without a rudder
Crew Overboard - A crew member from another team jumps overboard within a zone, and the crew retrieves them under oars, then races to the finish
Passage - Longer distance race where crews decide to row or sail
L'Esprit - Mixed International crew sailing/rowing event
Captain's Gig - Docking in style event
Many of the skills likely to be covered, include:
Points of Sail
Sail Theory
Sail Trim
Tides & Currents
Navigation
Reefing
Docking
Knots and splicing
Anchoring
Anchorage Assessment
Handling a dipping lug sail as a team
Steering Forces
Weather
Rowing
Typical Daily Schedule:
6:30am Gather to stretch
7-7:30am Light Morning Row
7:45-8am Morning Dip
8:30am Breakfast and coffee/tea
9:30am Clean up, group chores and personal time.
10:30am Gather to row/sail
12:30pm lunch onshore
1:30pm Clean up/personal time
2:30pm Gather to row/sail
5pm Put the boats to bed for the night (pump out any water, tie them securely to the dock, put sails away).
6pm Dinner
7pm Clean up
7:30pm Evening meeting/group check in, sit by the fire, listen to songs/tunes
9-10pm Folks typically head to their tents.
We'll start in Rockland, transport ourselves via ferry/powerboat to Greens Island and camp in tents, live without electricity for the week, and become a cohesive team on and off the water.
Maximum group size: 26 people total including instructors and cook. Though not required to be part of the US or International team in 2026, those who are interested in being part of the 2026 Contest are especially encouraged to join this summer 2025.
Registration happens on a first come, first serve basis! Sign up early to be part of this unique team training experience!
No prior experience necessary. This program starts and ends in Rockland, Maine.
Detailed logistics to follow.
Have any questions? Please get in touch.
Sign Up and Payment Information
Atlantic Challenge USA Sliding Scale:
The sliding scale represents the idea that financial resources, including income, are not and should not be the only determining factor in whether or not someone can access our program. If you have greater financial means and are able to contribute more, you will be allowing greater accessibility to other participants to join our program.
If you need financial assistance beyond what is reflected in our sliding scale, please fill out the Financial Aid Form as part of your registration packet.
Atlantic Challenge USA Sliding Scale:
The sliding scale represents the idea that financial resources, including income, are not and should not be the only determining factor in whether or not someone can access our program. If you have greater financial means and are able to contribute more, you will be allowing greater accessibility to other participants to join our program.
If you need financial assistance beyond what is reflected in our sliding scale, please fill out the Financial Aid Form as part of your registration packet.
Total Annual Household Income(s) |
Program Cost |
Up to $49,000 |
$900 |
$50,000 - $69,000 |
$1125 |
$70,000 - $89,000 |
$1500 |
$90,000 - $119,000 |
$1725 |
$120,000 - $184,000 |
$1875 |
$185,000 or more |
$2100 |
To Sign Up:
Payment questions: Please email Erin Ferree to discuss payment plans or financial aid questions.
Cancellation:
In the event that you must cancel, please do so by sending an email no later than 1 month before your program starts. Cancellations received on or before 1 month prior to your start date will be refunded the cost of tuition minus the $100 deposit. Cancellations received within 1 month of the start date will be refunded 50% of tuition minus the $100 deposit.
Atlantic Challenge USA reserves the right to cancel programs in cases of emergency, insufficient number of registrations, or other situations. In the event of program cancellation, all tuition and deposits will be refunded.
All program participants are responsible for finding their way to the Rockland Ferry Terminal at noon of the program start date and home again from the Rockland Ferry Terminal at 2:15pm at the end of the program.
- Select the appropriate tuition on the Sliding Scale table above.
- Sign up here. Fill out the Registration Packet and make a $100 deposit (or complete the Financial Aid Form) to hold your place in the program.
- You will be notified by email once your application and deposit have been received and to confirm your place in the program. If a program is already full, you will be put on the waiting list and subsequently notified when there is an opening.
- Final payments must be received 1 month before your program start date, example: If your program starts on June 23rd, you need to have paid in full by May 23rd, 2025.
Payment questions: Please email Erin Ferree to discuss payment plans or financial aid questions.
Cancellation:
In the event that you must cancel, please do so by sending an email no later than 1 month before your program starts. Cancellations received on or before 1 month prior to your start date will be refunded the cost of tuition minus the $100 deposit. Cancellations received within 1 month of the start date will be refunded 50% of tuition minus the $100 deposit.
Atlantic Challenge USA reserves the right to cancel programs in cases of emergency, insufficient number of registrations, or other situations. In the event of program cancellation, all tuition and deposits will be refunded.
All program participants are responsible for finding their way to the Rockland Ferry Terminal at noon of the program start date and home again from the Rockland Ferry Terminal at 2:15pm at the end of the program.
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