Juniors

Junior Sailing at WOBYC

At WOBYC we are very keen to help bring more people into sailing, with a particular focus on juniors, teaching them how to sail and watching them grow to love the sport. Our aim is to always have fun and we know everything else will follow. If you have any questions relating to junior sailing please get in touch with our Junior Chairperson: 

JASON THOMAS

Tel: 07920067834

jnt1998@hotmail.com

 

Junior training sessions:

• Junior Training in Whitsun Week Tuesday May 30th to Friday June 2nd. We have a group of qualified RYA instructors who will be teaching RYA stage 1, 2 & 3 courses for beginners and intermediates. Sessions are made to be both fun and informative, introducing children to the joy of sailing whilst teaching them how to handle their boat safely. We are also lucky enough to have former UK Youth ILCA/Laser Champion Joe Drake coaching our Racing group. Joe is now part of the RYA Youth Coaching Team and has a vast amount of experience in Youth Sailing which he hopes to pass onto our racing juniors. The full Information Pack and Booking Form will be available from the club website www.wobyc.com by May 1st.
• Saturday Training From April onwards we have informal training sessions on Saturday mornings from 11am to 12.30pm. These are run by club volunteers with support from parents of the Junior fleet. We look to tailor short training sessions based on the juniors taking part, possibly splitting into two groups if we have a wide range of experience. The focus of these sessions is always having fun and building confidence in boat handling.

 Junior Racing:

Juniors can take part in all club racing. They can sail in dinghies and keelboats. Some classes (e.g. the Optimist) are specifically for young sailors but juniors can sail in any class that is suitable for their size, strength and level of experience. Parents/guardians of sailors under the age of 18 are responsible for ensuring that juniors can safely manage the boat in the conditions on the day.

The Summer Racing Season starts in April and goes through to the end of October. Racing is on Saturday afternoons and Sunday mornings and occasionally at other times. For full details see the Events Calendar and Racing Programmes elsewhere in this book.

Communication:

Our main method of communication with the Junior Fleet is through a WhatsApp group, if you would like to join, please message Jason Thomas with your phone number and he will look to add you. We also try to share information through other means such as on our Facebook page and our club notice board, do keep an eye on these to find out more about the latest events and activities planned for the juniors.

Social Events:

Throughout the year we look to organise a wide range of social events to help the juniors and their families form stronger bonds with one another. These include BBQs, group trips to local sailing events, fun and games on the park among other activities. Please keep an eye on our social channels to find out more about whats coming up.

Please note:

• This year, boats with PY numbers lower than 1250 (e.g. Laser 4.7s, Wanderers and Splashes) can sail in the Fast Handicap, leaving Toppers, Mirrors, Teras and Optimists to fight it out in the Slow Handicap. This applies to normal club racing but not to Oulton Week.
• The club has a range of boats which can be borrowed by confident sailors, including Optimists, Toppers, ILCAs/Lasers and Wanderers, if you would like more information, please email our Sailing Secretary at sailing@wobyc.com
• The club is open on Wednesday evenings (May 1^st to Sep 4^th) for racing and general sailing.

• It is a club rule that no child under 10 years of age shall be allowed on the club premises unless accompanied by an adult who is responsible for the childs safety and behaviour. It is strongly advised that all children wear suitable life-jackets/buoyancy aids while in the club grounds.

Last updated 17:53 on 3 March 2024