STUDENTS WHO STARTED TRAINING IN 2023
MARCH AND APRIL 2024
From the start of the new sailing season the RYA instructors (Anthony, Neil and Barbara) will be helping last years adult and youth students improve their race techniques to improve their confidence in racing so that they can join in regular club racing on Saturday Afternoon, Sunday morning/afternoon and Thursday evening.
Saturday morning training will encourage students to rig and launch their own boats whilst helping others in the group. There will be many short single lap races so that students get plenty of practice starting races and try out different race strategies.
Students who were sailing in RS Tera boats last year will be encouraged to sail Laser pico or ILCA4. There will be opportunity to sail ILCA6 as well.
MAY TO OCTOBER
As the RYA instructors will be instructing new pupils on Saturday mornings last years adult and youth students will be coached on the water during club racing and feedback will be given after racing.
If there is club race coaching on a Saturday morning then students will be able to join in this as long as boats areavailable.
Last years youth students will be encouraged to regularly join in club racing on Saturday, Sunday and Thursday evening. They will be encouraged to sail ILCA4 or ILCA6 in a wider range of wind conditions. Their short term aims are to compete in the 2 day North west Junior Traveller Open meeting at Bassenthwaite Sc in June. In July they will be encouraged to participate in the 5 day National schools Regatta held at Bassenthwaite Sailing Club.In August they will be encouraged to join the 9 day event BassenthwaiteRegatta. In October they will be encouraged to travel to Rutland Water to race in the ILCA Inland Championships.
Adult students should draft up a similar programme to the above, sailing at club level and travelling to other sailing clubs to race against others with the same kind of boat and to gain experience of lake, estuary and sea sailing.
NEW STUDENTS STARTING IN MAY 2024
New students will be shown what to wear when sailing and what to do if your boat should capsize.
Students will be shown how to rig, move around and launch a sailing boat.
They will be given control of a sailing boat under direct supervision of an instructor and will be shown how we use the rudder to steer the boat and how we use the ropes to control the angle of the sail to the wind to determine how fast we go. They will be shown how lowering the centreboard stops the boat drifting sideways and makes it go forwards instead.
Students will then be shown how to move the rudder and sails to make to boat turn around. This will require a bit of practice in the boat on land.
Students will then have plenty of practice sailing across the wind and turning around in different ways.
The next stage will be that students are shown how to make their way towards the wind by doing zig-zags.
They will then be shown how to set their sails for going away from the wind to return to the start position. By following these steps students will have learnt how to sail a triangle which allows them to practice sailing in any direction.
Students will also be shown how to return to shore on pontoon in a safe controlled manner.
Students will be given guidance on how to refine their sailing practical skills and also taught seamanship skills.
During September and October it is likely that students will be sufficiently experienced to be able to start racing. They will start by having lots of very short races and occasional longer ones.
New students will start their training in the clubs double handed boats with an instructor. Once the student is fairly confident with this they will get to sail a boat by themselves or perhaps with a friend. The club has RS Tera boats for inexperienced students, then Laser Pico and Laser/ILCA racing boats.