This site uses cookies to provide you with a more responsive and personalised service. By agreeinging to this statement you consent for us to use cookies that ensure the marketing we do is relevant to you. Please read our cookie notice for more information on the cookies we use and how to delete or block them.

Junior Sailing School

< Back
  •    2024 JUNIOR SAILING SCHOOL BOOKING OPEN   

    2024 Junior Sailing School

    The IBRSC Junior Sailing School at IBRSC is a very popular and successful way for Juniors, typically aged 7 - 17, to learn how to sail and go on to become a successful racer. We regularly have over 50 Junior sailors out on the water on Summer Sunday afternoons. 

    junior sailing schoolThe Junior Sailing School courses are designed to suit abilities ranging from beginners, sailing in Oppies or Toppers  to more experienced sailors with several years experience sailing; these will sail Toppers, Fevas and Lasers (4.7, Radial or Full Rig). 

    Juniors do not need to have their own boat in the beginners courses. Priority for use of Club boats is given to first time sailors or for those moving class on a first come first served basis.  Once all the club boats have been assigned further applicants can still join if they own a boat. To rejoin in the same class for a second year we expect juniors to have their own boat, although if Club boats are spare then second year sailors may be able to use them.    



    Number of places available for each course / boat type
    TypeBoat OwnershipCourse Cost
    (April - July)
    Number of Places
    Oppie BeginnersClub Boats£22012
    Oppie IntermediateSelf Owned£14712

    Topper Beginners

    Club Boats
    Self Owned

    £220
    £147

    12
    Topper Intermediate
    Self Owned£14712
    Topper Racing SkillsSelf Owned£14718
    Double Handed

    Club Boats
    Self Owned

    £220
    £147

    8 (4 boats)




    * 2024 dates:

    Fevas
    Toppers
    Double Handed
    Oppies - Intermediate

    Sunday April 21st - 1.45pm then every Sunday until Sunday July 14th

    Oppies - Beginners

    We run 2 Oppie beginner courses: one group starting at 9.30am and another at 11:15am
    Sunday April 21st - 9.30am or 11:15am  then every Sunday until Sunday July 14th

     BOOK NOW  

    School starts with juniors ready and changed at 1.45pm (or 9:30am/11:15am for Oppie beginners)and juniors are released at 5pm.

    Junior Sailing School is for IBRSC Members only. Participants can be either individual Cadet members or part of a Family membership. Details of IBRSC membership can be found here.

    The booking and payment system for Junior Sailing School is all done online. The process of enrollment to join a course through the links below will take you through the steps that ensure that applicants have the correct type of Club membership. Please note that this is now the only way to join the Junior Sailing School. 

    OPPIE BEGINNERS (7 to 9 yrs)
    jumping in the water at sailing schoolBeginners or near beginners, ages ranging from  7 (by April 2024) to 9, are taught to sail in Oppies. Generally, they will have not have gained their RYA Stages 1 and 2 certificates yet, but it is not an issue if they have and need more time in a smaller boat before applying to join Intermediate classes.

    The Club provides a number of Oppies for those taking up sailing but in order to keep opportunities open for new beginners each season we do require that all returning junior sailors for a second year must possess their own Oppie or Optimist. Exception can be made if there are spare Club boats available after the application process has been completed, but priority for a Club boat goes to first year beginners.

     BOOK NOW  

    OPPIE INTERMEDIATE (9+ yrs) AND OPPIE RACING SKILLS
    Intermediate sailors will typically have spent a year or two in Oppies in the beginners group or gained equivalent experience elsewhere.
    Oppie Intermediates will have their own Oppie / Optimist boat.  In this class the junior sailors are taught to improve their skills in the essentials of sailing,  seamanship and they are introduced to racing.


    Topper Beginnlearn to sail at junior sailing schoolers and Intermediate (9 to 17 yrs)
    The Topper Beginners & Intermediates courses are ideal for those who have never sailed before, had some lessons but want more practice before moving to racing skills or who are making the move up from an Oppie.  The Topper is a versatile dinghy and Ideal for juniors aged 9 to 17 of all skills.  It has a smaller 4.2m sail for the younger sailors.  For those older and more advanced in their sailing skills it has a larger 5.8m sail. 


    Topper / Double Handed - Racing Skills
    The Racing Skills course is designed to coach sailors that are confident in a dinghy and can comfortably maneuver around a predefined sailing course.  In these classes sailors will learn how to improve their starts, upwind and downwind speed as well as learn racing tactics.  The group is divided into Toppers (must have your own boat), and Double Handed (2 persons asymmetric spinnaker dinghy from our club RS Visions, RS Fevas and RS200s.  You may use your own boat too).   Each of the boats used are on the 'RYA Pathway' and in previous years the club has been very successful in advancing sailors from the Racing Skills course to join the RYA RTG and National squads.

     BOOK NOW  


    The Club provides a number of Toppers and double handed boats for those without their own boat but in order to keep opportunities open for newcomers each season we do require that all Intermediate Sailors returning for a second year in the same class must possess their own boat. Exception may be made if there are spare Club boats available after the application process has been completed, but priority for a Club boat goes to first year sailors per class.



    PARENTAL ASSISTANCE
    Club byelaws require all children under 16 to be accompanied by a responsible adult who must remain at Club premises. All parents of Junior Sailing School participants will be expected to give assistance of some sort, according to their experience and qualifications. This could be to assist with instruction, take beginners out on the water, operate power boats, prepare and put away power boats, rig and de-rig dinghies, help on jetties, help in the kitchen.

    CLOTHING
    At the start of the season in April the water is cold and participants WILL get wet. The essential kit is a full wet suit, dinghy boots or old trainers with wetsocks or thick socks and a spray top over the wet suit to reduce the wind chill. A hat and sailing gloves are useful to have and will get very well used. A suitable buoyancy aid for the size of the child is ESSENTIAL. The Club has a number of buoyancy aids for use by members, but it helps to have your own. 

    IBRSC junior sailing school

    As the weather warms up there is a temptation for shorts and t-shirts to be worn, but even in summer it can be cold on the water, especially if its windy so we still require wetsuits. Suncream and caps become essential even on cloudy days because of the reflection off the water.

    Everyone must bring waterbottles complete change of clothing as you will probably become completely soaked. Bring a towel. There are hot showers.

    BOATS - SINGLE HANDERS
    Do buy a (second hand) Oppie / Optimist, Topper, Laser 4.7, Laser Radial.

    You will learn maintenance skills, boat tuning skills, can get in practice at any time, and take it on holiday. One per child. An Oppie / Optimist is fine for younger, lighter, children. Upgrade to a Topper 4.2, then a Topper, when you start racing regularly. When you become too large for a Topper, you can consider a Laser 4.7 and / or Laser Radial.

    The Optimist, Topper and Laser lead to RYA coaching.

    BOAT - DOUBLE HANDERS
    If you want to sail a 2 hander, with a friend, the RS Feva is perfect for 10 -15 year olds. The Feva is also RYA supported.

    NOTE BOOK
    Bring an exercise book and pen for taking notes.

    BOOKS TO READ


    PUNCTUALITY AND REGULARITY
    pirates at the sailing schoolDo come on time. Aim to arrive at 1.30pm for a 2pm start and please attend regularly. Miss as few sessions throughout the summer as possible. Persistently irregular attendance leads to loss of confidence in the young sailor and may result in a request from us for the youngster to cease attendance for his / her own sake and so that those on the waiting list can have a place.

    FUN
    While we all strive to give you the very best tuition we can, our overall aim is for you all to have fun. We think most participants had a lot of fun in the past and we strive to maintain this standard.


    close

    JUNIOR SAILING SCHOOL

    image for add

    BOOK NOW right