IYRS will welcome two Open Houses at its Newport and Bristol campuses at the beginning of November. The events represent very important possibilities to speak with IYRS staff and instructors, see student projects, and find out something more about the skills taught at the school’s training programs that get students ready for fruitful careers.
On the afternoon of Tuesday, November 1, IYRS will host an Open House at its waterfront campus in Newport from 4:00 to 7:00 pm. The waterfront campus at 449 Thames Street is home to the school’s Boatbuilding & Restoration program and includes two historic buildings from 1831 and 1903. The Newport campus is also the site of notable restorations, including the restoration of the rare 1885 schooner yacht Coronet.
The Boatbuilding & Restoration Program trains students to master the fundamentals of wooden boatbuilding. In their first year, students work in teams of two to restore a small plank-on-frame sailboat; in their second year, they work in larger teams to restore an historic sail or power boat.
On Thursday, November 3, IYRS will open its doors to the public at its 5,000-square-foot facility at the Franklin Street Marine Corridor, home to the school’s Marine Systems and Composites Technology programs. The event runs from 4:00 to 7:00 pm at 253 Franklin Street in Bristol.
The IYRS Composites Technology Program is targeted to meet the needs of the marine industry, but graduates have a wide choice of career paths since the high strength-to-weight ratio of composite materials pioneered by yacht builders is now in demand by many industries—including wind energy and aerospace. In the Marine Systems program, students learn to install, maintain, and troubleshoot the onboard systems used on classic and modern yachts and are prepared to test for American Boat & Yacht Council (ABYC) certification, a gold-medal standard in the industry.
