Learn to Sail

1
Learn to Sail

• Yachting New Zealand

(Insert your Club logo here)
2
Meet the Crew (Edit as Necessary)

• The Commodore is the most senior person in the
  Committee that runs this voluntary organisation.
  His/Her name is.
• Learn to Sail is run by His/Her job is to
  deal with all the administration but not the
  stuff on the water. That is done by
• The Instructors, who are You will normally
  see them wearing an Instructor Cap.
• Safety Boats are looked after by..

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Introduction

• This club is affiliated to Yachting New Zealand.
  It is a voluntary organisation like many other
  sports clubs, day to day administration and
  running of training, competition and social
  events run by members with a minimum of employed
  staff.
• While the club is able to access external
  Community Funds and Gaming Trusts for equipment,
  the running is paid for by revenue from hall hire
  (functions), the bar and membership fees.
• We see it as our role to support sailing within a
  National framework, and to introduce as many
  people as we can to the sport we love.

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Overview

• We are here to help you help your children get
  the most out of the sport and to develop general
  life skills. We as individuals can do a lot of
  the work, but to be truly effective, we as
  holders of the knowledge can only do the job of
  teaching your children if we and you operate as a
  team in a Club environment. This talk is about
  how you can help do your part.

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Agenda

• What is Learn to Sail?
• Benefits of sailing for your child
• How parents can help
• Hydration and snacks
• Clothing
• Safety standards

• Club equipment
• When and what boat to buy
• Timetable
• Non Sailing days
• Costs
• Sport for Life

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What is Learn to Sail?

• We use the Learn to Sail Syllabus that has been
  developed by Yachting New Zealand over many years
  to provide a fun and safe learning environment.
• Your children will learn how to sail a boat
  safely and competently in moderate conditions.
  On bad weather days land teaching modules will
  replace sailing on the water.
• 12 Sessions of 2 hours each will be run weekly,
  plus a Summer Camp at the club in January.
  (Edit as necessary)

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Benefits of sailing for your child

• Sailing is a sport like any other. Sport
  promotes a healthy body, provides a break from
  school routines and gives opportunities to make
  new friends.
• Any sport represents a challenge a new thing to
  learn and master. Meeting the challenge helps
  develop brain neural pathways. Success in
  meeting the challenge develops confidence and
  Personal Development.
• Your child will learn organisational and risk
  management skills useful in their day to day life
  now and as an adult.
• Later on they will learn to race. Racing puts
  pressure on knowledge and cements the learning
  process.

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How parents can help

• Help your child
• Set your goals realistically, and for the benefit
  of your child. Dont put pressure on the child
  to win until they have learned how to do
  properly.
• Be organised (snack before leaving home, sailing
  clothing packed and in the car the night before)
  and punctual, so your child is in the right frame
  of mind to learn and enjoy.
• Be knowledgeable - read and ask the Instructors
  questions.
• Help get the Boat out of storage and put away at
  the end of the session, and get it rigged before
  lesson time.
• In summary, set a good example for the life
  skills you want them to learn.

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Help the Group

• Learn how to get the safety boats out of storage
  and launched when it is time to sail, and put
  away at the end of the session.
• Those of you that have boating experience,
  whether in powerboats or sailing have extremely
  valuable skills and can really make a difference.
  Not only can you help the group function better,
  you can help transfer skills to those without
  experience.
• Help tidy up.

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Hydration and Snacks

• Just like in the classroom at school, your child
  will learn quicker and concentrate for longer if
  the body and brain are supplied with the right
  amount of energy (fed, but not stuffed).
• The body can only convert food to energy and
  clear waste products from using muscles if it has
  enough water.
• The best food is a bun, pasta or fruit, not
  chocolate or lollies.
• The best drink is water.
• Snack and drink straight after school, and bring
  a spare snack and a drink for straight after
  sailing.

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Clothing

• The object is to make sure the sailor is warm but
  not too hot. Bring plenty of layers. Dont put
  them on until the boat is rigged and ready to go.
  It is always colder on the water than on land so
  dont make the sailor sweat while getting rigged.
  
• Make up a gear list and pack into a plastic bin
  or gear bag the night before.
• Hot weather Sunblock, hat with a peak sun
  glasses
• Cold Weather warm hat, extra layers
• Buy a personal buoyancy aid now.

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Personal Buoyancy Aid (PBA)

• A Lifejacket is designed to provide a high level
  of buoyancy to a fully clothed person at sea in
  all conditions.
• A Personal Buoyancy Aid is a slimmer version that
  is adequate for small boat sailing and permits
  freedom of movement. A full lifejacket restricts
  movement and can be uncomfortable, thus slowing
  the sailors learning and reducing enjoyment. We
  recommend the use of PBAs.
• No one sails without
• one!

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Safety Standards 1

• As in any sport there are risks that can be
  mitigated by using the right equipment and
  procedures.
• To participate in the course your child should be
  able to swim 50m in light clothing and a
  PBA/Lifejacket, and feel comfortable in deep
  water. This shows that your child is not afraid
  of the water, although he/she wont actually be
  expected to swim that far.
• No one is allowed to leave the shore in his or
  her yacht until told to do so by the instructor.

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Capsizing is Normal

• The golden rule in a capsize is to stay with the
  boat. Your child will be made to capsize during
  the course and learn to right the boat, and have
  fun doing it. 

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Safety Standards 2

• Club Instructors have all passed a course in
  yacht instructing.
• There will be a maximum of 6 skippers to each
  Instructor who will be out on the water in an
  inflatable safety boat.
• PBAs/Lifejackets will be worn at all times on the
  water.
• Sailors (and parents) will obey Instructors
  without discussion until after the event in
  question has been resolved. Safety is achieved
  through Instructors experience and training and
  not through parental or student negotiations.

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Club Equipment

• The Club (Your Club) owns equipment (Your
  Equipment) which is there for the safety of your
  child. Treat it as your own.
• Learn to Sail boats lift them onto trollies
  carefully, give yourself plenty of space to rig
  up so you dont hit other boats or people, help
  your child launch and retrieve. If an accident
  happens, notify an Instructor so the damage can
  be fixed.
• Rescue Boats help launch and retrieve them.
  Offer to go out in them so you learn how to
  operate them. Do the training course the club
  runs.

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When and What Boat to buy

• Opinions vary from club to club, but here are
  some guidelines
• Learn to Sail Level 1 use a club supplied boat
  if available, if not, buy a cheap wooden boat
  that you dont mind if it gets bumped by other
  boats
• Learn to Sail Level 2 buy wooden boat if not
  already bought at Level 1.
• Learn to race buy an old second hand fibreglass
  boat that is faster than LTS boats, but you dont
  mind the occasional mild bump or scrape. Bumps
  will happen so dont go wild with your money and
  then get upset when it gets damaged.
• Replace any really tired kit once racing gets
  serious.
• Top level competition buy new or nearly new

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Timetable (Edit as necessary)

• Here is a sample timetable. Refer to your
  joining instructions from the Learn to Sail
  Coordinator for actual times and adapt for your
  distance to the club
• 3.30 back from school. Snack, drink. Change out
  of school uniform. Check all gear in in the car
• 3.45 Homework/reading/TV rest time, no running
  around.
• 4.30 Leave home
• 4.40 Get to club rig boat.
• 4.50 Get dressed.
• 5.00 Ready to take instruction
• 6.45 Boats off the water. Pack up own boat. Help
  put rescue boats away. Put on dry clothes.
• 7.00 Leave for home

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Non Sailing Days

• When the weather is beyond the sailors
  capabilities, or there is no wind at all, please
  still turn up. There is essential land based
  tuition that needs to be covered in order to pass
  up to the next grade.

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Costs

• For your first year you should budget on a Learn
  to Sail fee (varies club to club), PBA/lifejacket
  50-100, sailing clothes 200, and if your
  sailor shows commitment and wants to progress
  from Level 1 to Level 2, 500-1,000 for a wooden
  Optimist.

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Sport for Life

• Sailing is a sport that carries many
• people through to retirement age.
• This is just the first step.
• And if you are not a sailor yourself,
• it is never to late to start.
• Many parents learned to sail after their
  children.
• Sailing is universal, and you will have something
  in common with sailors from all around the world.

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Where does this lead to?

• Single Handed
• Immediate Progression
• Level 2 Learn to Sail,
• Learn to Race,
• Green Fleet then
• Open Fleet in Optimists.
• Sailors either move on from the Optimist when
  they get too heavy (about 50kg) or when they are
  too old (15 years). The Opti has a sail area of
  2.5 square metres.

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Club Racing
24
Regatta Racing
(Source Andrew Brown)
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Time to Move on

• Sailors have to move on from the Optimist when
  they get too heavy (about 50kg) or when they are
  too old (15 years).
• It is a good idea to run an overlap period
  sailing a P Class in the first part of the last
  season you expect to be in the Opti. The track
  record of many of todays top youth sailors shows
  this is a real headstart to youth class success.
• There is debate over the value of the P Class,
  but evidence seems to show that those who skip
  the P are at a disadvantage in the youth classes.

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P Class (45kg to 60kg, sail area 3.5 sq.m.)
(overlaps with the end of time in the Opti),
(Source oceanphotography.co.nz)
27
2 Handed Learn to Sail
Mistral
Sunburst
28
Starling (55kg to 70 kg, sail area 4.5 sq.m)
(Source John van der Kaay)
(Source Murray de Lues)
29
Splash (60kg to 75kg sail area 5.5 sq.m)
(Source Murray deLues)
30
Laser (75kg to 85 kg, sail area 5.7 sq.m.)
(source John Van der Kaay)
31
Single Handed Skiff or Foil boat
(Source subzero images)
(Source Murray deLues)
32
Finn 90kg Mens heavy singlehanded Olympic Class
(Source Dan Slater)
33
Windsurfing
(Source Andrew Brown)
34
Barbara Kendall
(Source Barbara Kendall MBE)
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Teams Racing in 2 handed boats

• Great fun for the kids and they learn to operate
  as a team, not just
  as individuals.

(Source David Pierce)
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Further down the line

• Multi Handed
• 2 handed fleet racing in traditional spinnaker
  boats , starting with the 420, international
  youth 2 handed class

(Source Andrew Brown)
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progressing to high performance boats such as
the 470 - Mens 2 handed Olympic class
(Source Andrew Brown)
38
Modern high performance skiffs with Gennaker
(29er, Javelin)
29er
Javelin
39
49er Mens 2 handed High Performance Olympic Class
(Source Dan Slater)
40
18ft Skiff
(Source Murray deLues)
41
Catamarans such as Paper Tiger, Hobie and Tornado
(Source Jill Nickerson)
(Source David Pierce)
42
Crewing in keelboats.
(Source Murray deLues)
43
Americas Cup

• Appreciation of an outdoor sport in which New
  Zealand leads the world

(Source Chris Cameron/ ETNZ)
44
Even sailing for another team.Most of the crew
here are Kiwis!
(Source BMWOracle Racing/Gilles Martin-Raget)
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Sailing Seascape
ISAF
Olympics
Americas Cup
Volvo Ocean Race
Round the World
Racing Rules of Sailing
Olympic Team
Cape Horn
Louis Vuitton Cup
Vendee Globe
YNZ
World Championships
Trans Atlantic
Atlantic Rally for Cruisers
World Match Racing Tour
ISAF Sailing World Cup
Judges
Sydney Hobart
Umpires
ISAF World Teams Racing Champs
Olympic Squad
South Pacific Cruising
Congressional Cup
Race Officers
Sail Auckland
Coaches
NZ Match Racing Champs
Overseas Deliveries
South Pacific Cup
National Championships
Sailing Committees
Overseas Charters
Auckland Fiji Race
Governor's Cup
YNZ HP Academy
Regional Yachting Ass.
Hauraki Gulf
RNZYS RPNYC Youth Programmes
Coastal Classic
ISAF Youth Worlds
Harbour Racing
Clubs
Club Regattas
YNZ Youth Squad
Youth Sail
Club Racing
Secondary Schools/Open Teams Racing
Day Sailing
Classes
Junior Class Worlds
Starling Nationals Match Racing
Tanner Tauranga Cups
Mucking about In boats
Members
Optimist
Sail for Life
Windsurfer
Sailing Schools
Two Handed Classes
Optimist Greens
Learn to Sail
NCEA
Families
Sailing...Have a Go!
NZ Schools Waterwise
SailSafe
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In the Long Term

• Career opportunities as coaches or in the boat
  construction industry
• Most importantly the development of individual
  decision making capability, learning team skills,
  personal confidence, social contacts around the
  country and organisational skills

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Further Reading

• The companion text to this module is How to be a
  Succesful Optiparent by David Pierce. This will
  guide you from starting sailing through to the
  time to move to the next class.
• Dinghy Sailing The Essential guide to
  equipment and techniques by Sarah Ell. Good
  introduction for non sailing parents.
• Optimist Racing Guide by Roger Kitchen. Easy
  to follow no nonsense guide to learning to race.
  Well illustrated.

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Summary

• Sailing has a wide range of benefits for
  children.
• The success and enjoyment your child gets out of
  the sport depends directly on your effort both as
  a supporter of your sailor and as a club member
  helping each other.
• Sailing is fun and safe while carried out in a
  controlled environment with experienced sailors
  who are only too willing to share their sport.

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Any Questions?

• Please feel free to ask there are no dumb
  questions!

(Source David Pierce)
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Thank You for Coming!

• Thank you for your time. Please remember to put
  those time entries in your diaries and go
  shopping for a lifejacket and a few extra layers
  of warm clothing.

(Source Murray de Lues)