ON THE WATER -- Boating from the basement

Mathis Winkler

NEWPORT BEACH -- Ask Doug Kent what he likes about his job as director

of youth sailing at Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club and he’ll pause for a

moment. Then, the words come shooting out of his mouth.

“Kids are great,” said the 36-year-old Newport Beach native, who

returned to Orange County from the San Francisco Bay area just a few

months ago.

“They don’t take the world so seriously yet. Kids are easier, [more

fun], they get into it. You can have a much bigger impact on their

sailing career than when they’re 40.”

Not that Kent doesn’t work with older sailing students as well -- he

also teaches classes at Orange Coast College.

But the 120 kids, ranging in age from 6 to 18, that he works with at

the yacht club come first. In that respect, he fits right in with club

members, who decided to reserve the basement of their club house for

young sailors.

“And then they put two feet of concrete above them,” Kent said,

laughing about the think ceiling that separates the basement and the main

floor. When kids make noise downstairs, it doesn’t really matter to folks

up above, he said.

Apart from Kent’s office, there’s a large storage area for boats, room

that’s used for meals and classes and a social area with ping pong tables

and other games. The youth sailing program is open to anyone who fits the

age range. Subsidies from club members keep fees to about $3 to $5 a day,

Kent said.

Starting June 26, Kent will be busy with the club’s six-week summer

program.

“This is way better than soccer,” he said, taking on that other

favorite sport among Newport Beach kids. “You have to think hard. With

soccer, you just run after a ball.”

He’ll also oversee the new spring and fall sailing programs that last

for eight Sundays.

“I just take care of the kids, run all the classes, hire the

instructors and keep the boats up,” said Kent, who started sailing with

his father in Newport Harbor when he was 7 or 8 years old.

“It’s just my sanctuary,” he said when asked to describe his feelings

on sailing. An avid horticulturist as well, Kent added that he’s

interested in “anything outside.”

Anyone interested in the summer sailing program can still sign up by

calling (949) 640-2402.