The First Mate Program is open to AASP graduates by invitation. The program offers the sophomores:

• extra academic credit, community service hours, and more opportunities to get out on the water
• more science, math, and technology education relating to sailing
• an opportunity to serve as year-round mentors in the after school program
• mentoring from professionals in areas of interest
• individualized weekly tutoring in all academic subjects, including test preparation for the Regent’s exams and the standardized PSAT and SAT
• assistance in job placement for the summer months

The First Mates will continue studying sailing-related science topics to build on skills learned at HRCS and in school. The first unit covers weather. The First Mates will cover safety in dangerous weather, using clouds to help form short-term forecasts, along with some of the basic information about hurricanes. First Mates will be making their own barometers to go along with the anemometers they made in the spring. 

The winter boat design curriculum will move students through the stages of engineering design. They will start by learning about the evolution in sail boat design, from square-rigged ships to the cutting edge multi-hulled boats being used for the 34th America's Cup. As we move through the changes, students begin to identify a challenge, perhaps they want a racing yacht, others are designing square-rigged ships from the Golden Age of Sail. The next step is a set of prototype models using clay, then foam. Once they have a shape they are satisfied with, they will render their design in a boat-building CAD (Computer-Aided Design) program, which will allow them to run tests on stability and drag.  Finally, students will create their final design from wood, shaping it to their exact specifications. Sails and spars will be added and then the process will culminate in pool tests to see how their designs work.

We will follow this up with a unit on using geometry in course plotting in the spring.

Mentoring is a two-sided coin for the First Mates. The First Mates work with the first year students on the boats each day. They will also have opportunities to interact with professionals in their career interests, to help them gain a clearer picture of what the job is like.

The relationships they build with first year students will extend past HRCS, first year students will be able to  interact with older students in school, too.  They will be building teamwork and teaching skills by working with the First Mate Director to set goals each week. The skills built working with other students will help them find jobs and internships in the future.

First Mates with an interest in racing are being offered opportunities to get out on HRCS boats, along with boats from other facilities. With the First Mate Director as their coach the First Mates are given specific, individualized tips to help them improve. 

Six First Mates came down and raced in the Sailing For Scholars Regatta, they raced on boats that ended up in second and third place!