Learn to Sail School Holiday Programme
At Kohimarama Yacht Club
Programme Overview
The December School Holiday Programme is scheduled for 5 learning days held as school finishes but before Christmas Day.
The programme is designed to be more of a sailing intensive programme with activity focused on the water rather than in the classroom ! Windy & rough days are rescheduled as inside classroom learning and or fun trips out on the RHIB coaching boats. The sailors are allocated a boat which is kept at KYC for the duration of the course and they are expected to take care of it like it is their own.
A typical Learn to Sail Day looks like this:
8.30 – Parent Drop off & sign in
9:00am – Briefing
The day begins with a briefing from the coaching team, including discussions about the weather conditions and sailing techniques.
Learning typically starts on shore and then sailors head out on the water to put in to practice what they are learning.
Everyone stops for a lunch break, and afternoon sailing is normally completed by 4:00pm.
Sign out & Parent pick up 4.00-4.30
Parental attendance and or support during the course is not required but parents are welcome to stay and watch.
Our Coaches
All our coaches are young women & men who are Yachting NZ LTS qualified. We run one coach to a maximum of five children ratio to ensure that all children are looked after in a supportive and exciting environment.
Sailor Requirements
- Ages 9-12
- Sailors need to be physically able and confident in the water
- Sailors need to be able to swim at least 50 metres in full sailing gear including buoyancy aid (life jacket) in the sea. There is some swimming practice on the course
- As part of the course sailors will need to swim from beneath an up-turned yacht
- Life jacket, wetsuit, spray jacket (warm sailing gear)
- Helmets are available if required
- Dry change of warm clothes
Parental Requirements
- Packed lunch and lots of snacks – thanks Mum and Dad ! (There is no opportunity to buy lunch).
- Drop off and pick up
Sailing & being on the water develops children’s resilience, independence & exposes them to new experiences. They most likely will be challenged at some point and this is a natural part of sailing learning & personal development.
The KYC School Holiday Learn to Sail course provides an enjoyable and supportive introduction to sailing.
The course covers subjects such as:
- sailing
- water safety
- boat handling
- capsizing
- rigging
- knot making
- sailing rules upwind
- downwind and reaching sailing
- launching and retrieving.