The Students undertake the Level 1 syllabus of The Irish Sailing Association and Royal Yachting Association. The programme would typically run in our fleet of two-man dinghies, which are capsizable and students will need to work together to stay upright and sailing. Intense but fun, the course combines all the basics into one package. By the end of the course students will be proficient in:
- Rigging the boat
- Launching and Return to Shore
- Tacking and gybing (turning the boat around)
- Sailing upwind, downwind and 90° to the wind.
- Students will also learn how to ‘right’ the boat from the capsized position
- How to summon assistance at sea, basic navigation and theory
For students how have sailed before, more advanced modules can be run alongside their classmates ensuring that every student progresses.
Students are monitored each lesson by the groups lead instructor who records their progress on a continuous basis. Over the course of a typical series of 6-10 lessons all students are likely to meet the standard to be awarded the Irish Sailing Association/Royal Yachting Association Level 1 Certificate. This can either be completed at an awards ceremony on the final day of the programme or can be sent to the school for presentation later. In addition, the progress, application, and attendance of each student is forwarded to the teacher after the programme.
We provide all necessary sailing gear including Buoyancy Aids and Wetsuits, but it is necessary for students to bring along the following:
- Old runners to wear in the boat
- Spare change of clothes
- Shower gear – towel, shampoo etc
- Swimming togs / Swimsuit
- Rain Jacket
We have full modern changing room facilities at our clubhouse on the West Pier in Dun Laoghaire Harbour.
September to November and March to May are particularly popular times of the year for this programme, however, there are a number of schools that have lessons integrated into their timetable all year round. During the colder months, we would move from our fleet of capsizable dinghies to our keelboat fleet where students would not get wet. Contrary to popular belief, it really is possible to sail all year round with the correct gear and choice of boats.
Prices start at €30 per student for each 3 hour lesson. We can cater for large groups of up to 120 students at a time. Vonnie, our Schools’ Programme Co-ordinator would be delighted to chat about what we can offer to your school on 01 2844195, or by email to sailing@inss.ie. Our Frequently Asked Questions and Teacher’s Information may offer some additional information.