What is Junior Saturday Club?

Junior Saturday Clubs are informal sailing sessions for juniors and cadets from 6 to 19 years of age. It is about having fun in boats and learning skills in a safe and controlled environment.
Although not a formal course, instruction is given and beginners are welcome.

According to last year’s signing on sheets 100+ young sailors took advantage of Saturday Club sessions during the year. With the increase in numbers we now run Saturday Club for the whole day split in to morning and afternoon sessions. The club has 10 Toppers; 7 Oppies; 4 RS Fevas and 4 Lasers, and quite a number of children have their own boats, so this format enables us to manage the numbers more easily and ensure everyone has more time to learn.

For those aged 6 to 10 we use Oppies, from 10 onwards we use mainly Toppers. As they grow in experience older sailors may progress to using the RS Fevas, Laser 4.7 and Radials. Very experienced sailors can even learn how to use a trapeze on our Topper Mangos under the watchful eye of one of our Advanced Instructors.

Any child under 10 years old attending a Club event, including Junior events must be accompanied by a parent or guardian or an adult nominated by them, who will be responsible for the safety and welfare of the child throughout the whole time the child is on Club premises.

What time and do I need to book?

Here are the proposed times for the coming season, registration details are further down:

OPPIES – ages 6 to 10

Oppies 1: 09.00 to 11.00 (this group get the boats out).
Beginners: For those just starting or who are starting their second year.

Oppies 2: 11.00 to 12.45 (this group may need to put a few boats away)
Improvers: Those who have sailed for several seasons.

N.B. Proficient sailors may wish to do Start Racing from 13.00 to 13.30

Oppies 3: 13.30 to 15.30 (this group put the boats away).
Beginners: For those starting or who are starting their second year.

TOPPERS – aged 10 and over

1st Session 09.00 to 11.45
Group A: Complete beginners, those with Stage 1 and ex Oppie sailors moving up.
Group B: Improvers – anyone with Stage 2. (This group are encouraged to stay and for Start Racing 13.00 - details below).

2nd Session 13.00 to 16.00
Group A: Beginner - Stage 1 and Oppie sailors moving up (13.00 to 13.30 Theory Session on shore, then the water session from 13.30 to 16.00)
Group B: Improvers - anyone with Stage 2 (Start Racing at 13.00 to 13.30 is part of this session - see details below).

FEVAS/LASERS/ADVANCED TOPPERS

1st Session 09.00 to 11.45
Stage 2 plus, advancing to Stage 3 and double-handed sailing

2nd Session 13.15 to 16.00
Advanced sailors with or progressing to Stage 4 or those moving their racing up a gear.

N.B. Advanced sailors will learn how to assist with the running of Start Racing from 13.00 to 13.30

We realise parents have many constraints on their times, as we also have on ours and it is not our intention to exclude anyone due to timing difficulties. So if your child is unable to come to the session relative to their ability due to other commitments, please contact us and we will try to fit them in somewhere and somehow.

Registration is mandatory, using the online booking system NO LATER than the Tuesday prior to a Saturday Club, and earlier if possible. This enables us to organise the activities, boats and sufficient power boat cover. Although quite a number of our young sailors have their own Toppers and Lasers, club boats are always available at these sessions, subject to demand, for those who haven’t.

NOT WELL ENOUGH TO ATTEND: please email juniors11@cmyc.co.uk - as soon as possible.

If you have your OWN BOAT – please bring it with you as we only have a limited number of club boats. Do ensure that you have all the bits with you. If you need assistance with rigging it just let us know beforehand, we can then arrange for someone to help you when you arrive. By doing this it enables more young sailors to helm a boat on their own, they learn so much more. Obviously those with no experience will have tuition and someone with them, if necessary, for the first few sessions.

Adult Volunteers: All of the instructors and coaches are volunteers and it is they who have kindly decided to give up their time for a whole day but they do need adult volunteers in a number of areas to enable them to spend their time teaching and coaching on and off the water. For this reason we do require helpers and would ask parents/guardians to indicate where they can help when booking in on line. The volunteers session need not be too onerous and quite a few only require help at the beginning or end of the sessions, others would mean staying for the whole session so perhaps you could do a long one several times a year.

Oppies may finish earlier if it is too cold. Suitable wet weather, or warm clothing is advisable and a change of clothing is sensible. Don’t forget sun cream and peak caps for those lovely hot sunny days!

START RACING - series of 9 races

OPEN TO SAILORS INEXPERIENCED AT RACING (adults or juniors)

These will still be held on Saturday Club days and will commence as close to 13:00 as possible, and last for 30 minutes. During the race there will be help and encouragement from club coaches in support boats.

This timing should enable those doing the morning sessions to have lunch and a short rest before doing the race. It also forms part of the Topper Group B afternoon session. Experienced helms are encouraged to crew for inexperienced RS Feva helms, if deemed appropriate by the RO.

If you intend to race you will need to be rigged and ready at least 30 minutes prior to the start for a briefing from the Race Officer/Instructor and when the race has finished there will be a debrief to go through any points that might help you next time. It is also hoped to cover any racing infringements that might happen during the race and assist you through putting the rules into practice.