Adult Sailing Courses 2010
RYA Start Sailing (Level 1)
The introductory course for adults, aimed at getting you started and giving you a basic understanding of how to make the boat go where you want it to. It covers how to sail in all directions, an awareness of launching and recovering, safety afloat and, rigging and use of equipment.
Dates – 20/21 March, 24/25 April, 15/16 May, 19/20 June, 21/22 August, 2/3 October
Cost -
RYA Basic Skills (Level 2)
The follow up to level one, this course is slightly more advanced, looking at improving basic skills such as rigging, launching, sailing in all directions, capsize recovery and essential safety knowledge. By the end of the course you should be ready to take the boat out by yourself on the lake in moderate conditions.
This course is ideal for those who have recently completed Level 1 or have some previous helming and crewing experience.
Dates – 17/18 April, 12/13 June, 24/25 July, 4/5 September, 30/31 October
Cost -
RYA Better Sailing (Level 3)
This all new RYA Better Sailing course is on pilot at Spinnaker. A direct stepping stone from Level 2, here we develop use of the five essentials and introduce new more advanced skills. We give you a practical taste of seamanship skills, spinnaker sailing and racing while covering small chunks of essential background theory.
An ideal course for those who have completed level 2 but want a little more confidence before venturing onto the race course or out to sea.
Dates – 29/30 May, 7/8 August, 13/14 November
Cost -
RYA Level 1 and Level 2 Combined
Combine the Start Sailing and Basic Skills courses and complete them both in 4 or 5 days. An ideal way of getting to grips with the key aspects of sailing a dinghy competently and confidently. See your skill grow throughout the week as you master the basics and get the chance to sail a variety of different dinghies in varying conditions.
Dates – 12-
Cost – 5 day £260, 4 day £205
Evening Level 1 and Level 2 Courses
Make the most of the long summer evenings and cover the Level 1 or Level 2 course over 5 sessions.
Dates – Level 1 -
Level 2 – 10, 17, 24 June, 1, 8 July
Cost -
Ladies Sailing Evening
What better way to enjoy a Tuesday evening in the summer than with drink and nibbles, getting away from the kids enjoying the warm summer evenings with gentle breezes out on the water! Tuesday evenings will revolve around having fun, relaxing and learning to sail with instructors in each boat if you wish to help you along the way. Sunday morning will be more about just going for a leisurely sail if the urge takes you with an instructor on hand to help you get going and see you are safe out on the water from the safety boat. For more details or encouragement contact the Club or Katie Taylor on andrewsfarm5(@)aol.com. Baby sitting may be available depending on demand.
New for this year we will be running a Ladies Sailing session on Thursday mornings in addition to the Tuesday evening session for those with spare time while the kids are at school and everybody else is at work.
Dates – Tuesday evenings and Sunday mornings May – August (6.30-
Cost -
Dates – Thursday mornings and Sunday mornings May – August (10.00-
Cost -
RYA Start Racing
Learn all the skills required to enjoy club racing, including how to maximize boat speed and outwit your opponents on the start line, and around the course. Sessions will look at start procedures, mark rounding and applying the racing rules.
Dates – 3/4 April, 11/12 September
Cost -
RYA Sailing With Spinnakers
Now that you’ve mastered sailing with two sails, learn how to step up a gear and use the Spinnaker to improve the grin factor. Learn how to rig, launch, trim, gybe and recover the spinnaker as well as how to use it to best effect around a race course and sail the best course downwind. This course can cover either symmetric (traditional) or asymmetric spinnakers.
Dates – 24/25 April, 16/17 October
Cost -
RYA Seamanship Skills
Improve your helming skills and boat positioning by focusing on manoeuvres from picking up a mooring, anchoring, man overboard and reefing afloat to sailing backwards and sailing without a rudder. The ideal course to get you prepared for sailing in stronger winds or on larger stretches of water where help is a little further away.
Dates – 8/9 May
Cost -
RYA Performance sailing
This course builds on early skills learned and solidified over a seasons sailing. You will fine tune and refine skills such as tacking and gybing and also add light wind techniques such as roll tacking and gybing. The main focus is to sail faster which requires you to sail more efficiently in all conditions. This course predominantly uses two crew spinnaker dinghies. Once the course is complete you will be able to sail faster and more efficiently in light, moderate and strong winds.
Dates – 5/6 June
Cost -
Saturday Morning Race Coaching
This is an ideal way to learn the skills of racing in a less intensive course than the RYA Start Racing Course. Each session will look at a different aspect of racing such as starting, boat handling, rules, flags and sound signals, mark rounding and finishing. An ideal way to gradually get to grips with the complexities of racing and see you results improve throughout the course of the season as a result.
This non certificated course is available only to Club Members.
Dates -
Cost -
Supervised Sailing
What better way to continue your sailing than at our club sailing nights? One evening a week we offer sessions open to all members and training members, with no formal teaching, just a chance to sail with instructors in attendance and available to give pointers and provide safety cover where required. This is an ideal opportunity to build your confidence following a course or if you are new to sailing, safe in the knowledge that there is an expert there to lend a hand should it all go wrong, or if you want a little help with something you are struggling with and then be left to practice in a safe environment. The emphasis will be on recreation, relaxation and fun rather than instruction.
Dates – Every Monday evening from May to September (6.30 – 9.00)
Cost -
RYA Assistant Dinghy Instructor
The assistant instructor (AI) award provides recognition for the 'in-
Working under the supervision of a qualified Instructor this course would be ideal for people thinking of becoming a Dinghy Instructor at a later date or those who wish to help out with training at the club but don’t want the responsibility that goes with full instructor status.
Dates – 27/28 March
Cost – £10
RYA Dinghy Instructor Course (Coastal)
A five day training course and assessment for the RYA Dinghy Instructor qualification. This course will train experienced dinghy sailors to teach within the RYA National Sailing Scheme. Training will look at teaching techniques afloat and ashore in order to prepare candidates to instruct the National Sailing Scheme and Youth Sailing Scheme.
Dates – 12-
Cost – Coastal £320. Inland £150
RYA Senior Dinghy Instructor Course (Coastal)
This course marks the transition from managing your own boat to that of being a 'fleet
manager'. The senior instructor course concentrates primarily on on-
The course includes supervising instructors under your control, practical teaching
afloat, fleet management, running shore-
Dates – 2-
Costs -
If you would like more information about any of the courses or are looking for something slightly different please contact the Club on 01425 483692 or email theoffice@spinnakerclub.co.uk.
Training is available to Members and non Members. Non Club Members are required to take out annual Training Membership which allows them access to unlimited training within that year. Membership rates for 2010 are £33 for adults and £21 for children under 18. The Training Membership fee is deducted from the cost of full Membership if you join the Club within 6 months of Training Membership expiry.
