Training Update - September 2020 Onwards
Published 10:00 on 19 Aug 2020
July and August have been great months for training at the Club, with lots of activity at all levels of sailing going on. 2020 has been a year with lots of changes for us all, however, Spinnaker Sailing Club is yet again in a fortunate position to bring some good news about changes taking place and further steps towards the new normal being taken.
All of the planned training at the club through the Autumn is of course dependent upon no new restrictions being brought in, but we are hopeful we can continue to build on the success of the last few months and end the Summer season with 2 great months.
Please read below for further information on Double Handed Sailing, Powerboat Training (including Safetyboat), Spinnaker Youth Training and Youth Racing.
Return of Double Handed Training
One notable absence from our training programme since we reopened the club in May has been the use of double handed dinghies. Following the recent release of guidance from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Royal Yachting Association we will be able to offer some double handed dinghy training again from 1st September. This training will initially be limited to advanced groups, with all beginner tuition remaining in single handed dinghies for the foreseeable future.
Powerboat Training
September will see the restart of RYA Powerboat Training at the club. Powerboat training is made available to members at a heavily subsidised rate to enable members to support wider club activities by performing safetyboat duties.
Currently there are 2 x Powerboat Level 2 courses programmed in September and October, and 2 x Safetyboat courses. Due to current social distancing guidance all powerboat training will be conducted in the tiller steer Rigiflexs operated by the club.
At present only 1 Safetyboat course is available for booking, with the earlier one running as a trial of the new control measures with a small group.
Spinnaker Youth Training Block 3 2020
Block 3 of Spinnaker Youth Training will run from the weekend 12/13th September to 17th/18th October. As I posted on Facebook a few days ago unfortunately due to the ongoing considerations of social distancing and Covid-19 this training will need to be spread over the whole weekend to control the total number of members at the club at any one time.
A new group is being introduced for SYT Block 3 - Advanced Skills. This group will be run using the Club's RS Fevas and will focus on double handed skills such as the use of asymmetric spinnakers and rudderless sailing. The aim is to broaden the skills of our young sailors in a different craft. For this training sailors will be sharing a boat with another person, and sat approximately 50cm apart at times, although not face to face. This is within current DCMS and RYA guidelines, and parents should be happy with this close proximity to another child if booking this training for their children.
The groups available for SYT Block 3 are as below:
- Lower Improver Oppis (Ideal for those who have completed RYA Stage 2 this summer), Saturday Afternoons only
- Upper Improver Oppis, Saturday Morning and Afternoon sessions available
- Improver Toppers, Saturday Morning only
- Begin to Race, Sunday Morning only
- Improver Racing, Sunday Morning only
- Advanced Skills, Sunday Morning only
If you are unsure which group is appropriate for your child please speak to one of the instructors who can provide you with further advice.
Bookings will open for Block 3 on Monday 24th August. I am sure that this training will be popular and book up fast, so please book early to avoid disappointment. To book for all 6 weeks, please book for just week 1, this will then book you onto all 6 sessions.
The total number of students per instructor has been increased slightly as government restrictions on gatherings ease. All groups will run at a ratio of 1 instructor to 6 students, with the exception of "Advanced Skills" which will run at a ratio of 1 instructor to 8 students.
Youth Racing
Following the success of Youth Racing so far this year we will continue to run Youth Racing in its current format each Sunday until Sunday 18th October, which is the final SYT date for 2020.
The exceptions to this will be Sunday 30th August, where instead of Youth Racing we will be encouraging as many members as possible to take part in the Blashford Barrel Regatta, and Sunday 6th September when there is no SYT, and so we will not be running Youth Racing.
The Blashford Barrel Regatta will include a variety of alternative events such as Paddleboard Racing at lunchtime on Sunday 30th August, followed by 3 short handicap dinghy races in the afternoon. To support and encourage our young racers James and Jacob will be afloat in safetyboats during the afternoon's racing to provide on water encouragement and support such as carrying water bottles, assisting with any equipment issues and will provide quick tips and advice in between races.
November Onwards
Currently the training programme runs until the end of October. A number of members have enquired about plans for training over the winter. What we are able to run over the winter period (November to March) will require careful consideration around areas such as the availability of showers/changing rooms and indoor social distancing requirements.
The club would like to run some training this winter, but what can be delivered will need to be carefully assessed and planned. I hope to be able to release winter training dates in October, as we gain a better picture of what the winter will look like for us.
Should you have any questions please get in touch.
Last updated 09:41 on 20 December 2023
