Spinnaker Youth Training Block 3!
Published 12:38 on 19 Aug 2021
On Saturday 21st August bookings will open for Spinnaker Youth Training Block 3!
For our newer members who are not sure what Spinnaker Youth Training is, it is our programme of regular, half day training sessions for members which runs in blocks in line with the school half terms. It is a great way for young sailors to get on the water regularly, with people of a similar age, with qualified coaches and instructors leading the training afloat.
We have a great programme lined up for our young sailors through the first half of the Autumn Term, and have also made a few changes based on feedback to the booking system, including a new way to book club boats and more flexibility for our racers!
Which group should I choose?
We will have 3 groups available for this next block - Improvers (Saturday and Sunday mornings), Begin to Race (Sunday morning only) and Improver Racing (Sunday morning only). Please be aware there will be no Spinnaker Youth Training on Saturday 18th September due to the Optimist Open.
The Improvers group is targeted at those who have recently learnt to sail and wish to consolidate their skills. It is ideal for any sailors who have completed their Stage 2 this Summer, and wish to carry on sailing.
The Begin to Race Group is for those with a little more experience, and who can confidently sail up and down wind, tacking and gybing as appropriate. In this group they will be introduced to the basics of racing including starting, boat handling at marks, and the more basic Racing Rules of Sailing. Alongside all of these race specific skills we continue to coach general sailing skills to help our sailors develop a broad range of skills.
The Improver Racing Group is for more advanced racers who have mastered the basics and are looking to take their sailing to the next level, we continue to coach boat handling including skills such as roll tacks and gybes, as well as looking at more advanced application of the Racing Rules of Sailing, and looking at more advanced skills when starting, mark rounding and overtaking!
Do I need my own boat?
Many of our sailors taking part in SYT use their own boat, but there is also an option to hire a club boat for the sessions. When booking your group you can also hire a club boat, this is as a separate "ticket". If using your own boat please ensure it has appropriate insurance cover in placed, as a minimum 3rd Party Liability, although we strongly recommend fully comprehensive!
Do I have to pay for all the weeks in the block?
We encourage everyone to take part in as many sessions as possible. It may be some skills are only covered once in the block. The Improver group must be booked as a block of 6 weeks.
For our Begin to Race and Improver Racing groups this Block we are going to trial a new option. To encourage our young sailors to take part in more events away from Spinnaker Sailing Club (such as the Regional Junior Championships or OnBoard Fun Fleet) sailors in these groups will receive a discount on the block for each week they are at an event! So if for example your child will miss one weekend for the Regional Junior Championships, and a second weekend for the Eric Twiname Team Racing Championships then the cost to attend the block will be £50, instead of £75. To take advantage of this please email me directly on training@spinnakerclub.co.uk, letting me know what events your sailor is taking part in and we will book you onto SYT, applying the discount in the process.
Whatsapp Group
A few months ago Emma Barker kindly stepped forward as our new SYT Co-Ordinator. Her role is to act as a bridge between the Sailing Committee and parents of SYT sailors, and to be a bit of a focal point and help to improve the community aspect of sailing. Emma started a Whatsapp group before the summer holidays which has been a great way for parents to communicate, and keep up to date. Emma is around most Sundays when SYT is running, and any parent can join the group.
Saturday Morning SYT Booking Link
Sunday Morning SYT Booking Link
Last updated 09:41 on 20 December 2023
