Young local sailors will take to the waters of the St. Mary’s River again this year to practice sailing, navigation, team building and self-care during the Brendan Sail Training Program for youth with dyslexia and other learning disabilities, from Wednesday, July 23 to Friday, August 1. Hosted by St. Mary’s College of Maryland (SMCM), the program features a day camp for children ages 11 to 18, and an overnight camp for children ages 14 to 18. Both take place along the SMCM waterfront. The campers come from St. Mary’s and Anne Arundel counties.

The day campers will be onsite from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day, except Sunday. As all participants this year are returning from previous sailing sessions, students will sail most of the day, with breaks for lunch and swimming or rock wall climbing. Graduation will be Friday, August 1, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Those children who are more advanced sailors will show off their skills on a team boat navigating a challenging course. Newer sailors will take their parents on a solo sail. Brunch, awards presentations and a slide show follow the sailing.

The Brendan Sail Training Program, now in its 25th year, teaches sailing to young people with learning disabilities. Brendan instructors conduct the week-long sailing camps in Annapolis and Southern Maryland every summer. Founder James P. Muldoon of Washington, D.C., chairman of the SMCM Board of Trustees, started the program at the Annapolis Sailing School’s facilities. The Brendan camp began at SMCM three summers ago with enthusiastic support from the college and the Southern Maryland sailing community.