RYA Training Centre

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Training Opportunities for All

Contents

Overview

Felpham Sailing Club is an RYA Recognised Training Centre primarily offering courses in Dinghy Sailing and Powerboating.

Courses are offered to members from age 10 upwards. There is no upper age limit. Courses are also open to non-members if there are spaces available. Being a dinghy sailing club operating in a challenging environment we have limited facilities for the less able bodied, however we can offer sailing experiences for those who would like to try sailing but are unsure if they have the capacity to take part.

Besides Dinghy Sailing and Powerboat courses we also offer Instructor courses, RYA First Aid, Instructor and RYA Club Race Officer when required.

Specific RYA courses are usually one or two days in duration and are charged to cover course costs and provide a reasonable return to the Club. If the required standard is achieved a certificate will be awarded certifying the achievement.

Opportunities to develop further with both sailing and racing are offered to all at various times and in various ways.

Ad hoc and on-the-job training is also offered for team duties, including race and beach management, radios, and safety boat handling. Refer to Team Duties and the calendar for more details.

Learn to Sail

We welcome everyone who wishes to enjoy the sport of sailing, whether you are completely new to sailing or looking to improve your skills and confidence. RYA Courses are available for young people, and adults. Occasionally we offer mixed courses which are suitable for family participation.

One-to-one tuition and other opportunities are also available to suit individual needs. The following courses/opportunities are provided by Felpham Sailing Club through the RYA Training Centre or with the support of willing volunteers:

RYA Dinghy Sailing Courses

Learning to Sail:

RYA Advanced Sailing Courses open to all:

Other opportunities to further develop your sailing skills at Felpham

Training is provided for youth and adults at Felpham SC through several mechanisms:

  • Skills Development – open to all
  • OnBoard Sessions on Friday nights – open to youth/cadet members
  • Discover Sailing – open to all
  • Felpham Youth Regatta – open to youth/cadet members (charged)
  • Summer School training days – open to all (charged)
  • Bespoke/Adhoc training during school holidays and Saturdays – open to all (charged)
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Skills Development begins after mastering basic techniques like rigging, launching, recovery, and sailing a triangle. The next step is to practice regularly and build new skills, focusing on confidence, and dinghy handling. Training can be completed through another weekend course or during Thursday Social Sailing/Top Tips sessions, Friday Youth Night, or Saturday Development sessions. At these times, experienced sailors or instructors are available for coaching and can sign off logbook items at no extra cost, though dinghy hire charges may apply. This approach suits those with limited time or funds.

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OnBoard – Felpham Sailing Club is recognised by the RYA as an OnBoard Club. This is the RYA’s programme to introduce sailing and windsurfing as a sport for young people aged 8–18. OB gets you out on the water, teaches you new skills and lets you have great fun too! We offer Youth taster dinghy sailing sessions on a Friday night, so that you can decide if sailing is for you.

Discover Sailing – During the year on specific dates, the club is open to existing and potential members to discover the joy of sailing. Taster sessions are provided with the support of experienced helms, and the chance to appreciate the surroundings from the club balcony and meet other members is also available.

Please see the Club Calendar for dates of upcoming events and training.

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Felpham Youth Regatta – We run a very popular Youth Regatta in the summer which includes racing and RYA training.

Bespoke/Adhoc training can occur on Saturdays and during school holidays and is a valuable opportunity for children and families to engage in sailing and powerboat courses within smaller groups. Places can be limited, and specific age restrictions are enforced to maintain safety and suitability for all participants.

Learn to Race

We encourage all sailors to improve their sailing abilities and participate in racing events at the club and beyond. Racing provides a platform to test your skills against others while maintaining a supportive and enjoyable atmosphere. The focus remains on building confidence, sportsmanship, and striving for excellence.

RYA Learn to Race (open to RYA Stage 3 (youth) / Level 2 (adult) or similar experience):

Other opportunities to further extend your racing skills:

Learn how to race a dinghy with us! We have a two day RYA Start to Race course that will teach the basics and then race skills can be practised and honed on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays so that you can join in Club Racing on Wednesdays and Sundays. 

  • Monday Race Training and Sprint Racing – open to all
  • Thursday Social Sailing/Top Tips – open to all
  • Friday Youth Racing – open to youth
  • Saturday Squad – open to youth
  • Development Saturday – open to all

Race coaching is part of our portfolio, with training days on offer for both specific dinghy classes and aspects of race technique.

As an RYA Recognised Junior Pathway Club we are committed to developing our Youth Racers. Over many years the Club has participated in and won the West Sussex Schools & Youth Sailing Association Annual Regatta. On a regular basis we have had young sailors successfully participating in the RYA Regional Development Squads and also National Squads.

We regularly host Open Meetings and National events for a variety of dinghy classes. Both adult and young sailors compete as part of Team Felpham in numerous Opens and Championships at National, European, and World level. Several members have achieved success at the highest levels beyond club racing.

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RYA Powerboat Training

The main objective of our powerboat training programme is to strengthen the skills of club members, supporting a robust safety culture during racing, especially when conditions are demanding. This ensures that participants can rely on experienced assistance whenever required, fostering confidence throughout the club.

Our RYA Powerboat Courses have been designed to achieve the following outcomes:

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The club is equipped with a. number of powerboats.  See Boat Selection and use.

Other opportunities to develop powerboat handling skills

Additional opportunities to develop your powerboat handling skills in a range of conditions are provided on Development Saturday sessions (see Calendar) where you will have a chance to go out with an experienced helm. Friday Nights and Thursday evening sessions also provide opportunities (if the weather is appropriate) to partner with a more experienced powerboat helm.

Duty Teams also provide you with an opportunity to develop your powerboat handling skills if the conditions are conducive and the Team Leader feels it appropriate.

 

RYA Instructor Mentor programme

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Our Instructor Mentor Programme is designed to guide passionate sailors towards becoming enthusiastic instructors qualified to RYA standards.

Each year, we organise Dinghy Assistant Instructor courses for those ready to take their first step into instructing.  Further development opportunities, including Dinghy Instructor, Powerboat Instructor and Senior Instructor courses are signposted.

There is no minimum age limit for becoming a Dinghy Assistant Instructor. The essential requirements are confidence and competence in dinghy sailing at Felpham, coupled with genuine desire to share ones skills with others.

The Club Race Coach Qualification is also available for those interested.

Felpham Sailing Club currently has over 40 qualified instructors, ensuring a strong and supportive training environment.

For certain specialist courses, such as First Aid, we occasionally bring in external instructors to deliver expert training.

Safety

Sailing on the sea can be hazardous, and accidents do happen. We perform Risk Assessments and employ mitigation strategies to minimise exposure to hazardous situations.

Whenever there is Training, a Senior Instructor is responsible for the activity and ensures that it is Safe and Fun. Sometimes the Senior Instructor will make a decision that an individual feels limits their enjoyment; the Senior Instructor’s decision is final – they have the responsibility to assure safety.

To help training activities run safely we require some assistance from all participants irrespective of age. Parents and guardians are encouraged to support their youngsters partaking in training:

  • Participants must be able to swim at least 50m
  • Participants must wear a buoyancy aid
  • Participants must respect guidance and direction from Instructors
  • Participants are required to sign in at the start of training, declaring relevant health conditions and providing home contacts.
  • Participants are expected to sign out at the end of training. Young Sailors are expected to be collected, unless other arrangements have been agreed.
  • Young Sailors unfamiliar with the sea must be accompanied by a Parent who can look after their child on the shore should the child become cold, seasick, frightened etc.
  • Young Sailors are trained and encouraged to develop their own judgements about reefing, launching, sailing, racing and recovery. Their decisions may be questioned and overridden by the Senior Instructor (or the Officer of the Day) in the interests of their own safety.
  • Young Sailors must remain within the boundaries (both on the sea and on shore) defined by the Senior Instructor. No Young Sailor may go outside those defined boundaries without permission from the Senior Instructor.

The Training Team’s desire is to ensure that our activities are Safe and Fun. If any participant or parent feels that the activity falls short of this goal, then the first recourse is to the Senior Instructor in charge of the activity. The Training Principal may be contacted if the complaint is not addressed satisfactorily.

Organisation, Pricing and Grants

Felpham Sailing Club is an RYA Recognised Training Centre (RTC). Annual inspection by the RYA assures that the RTC performs in accordance with the declared Operating Procedures in accordance with the requirements set down by the RYA.

The Training Centre is managed by the Principal who leads a team of over 40 instructors. Reporting directly to the Principal is the Chief Instructor Sailing and the Chief Instructor Power. These two roles oversee the delivery of training and ensure that the required standards are maintained.

We aim to keep our costs down and course prices low to encourage participation across all age ranges and enable families to take part at reasonable cost. From time to time Bursaries and Grants are available through the RYA, Active Sussex, WSSYSA and other agencies. If you wish to find out more information contact the Principal.

Contact for enquiries, bookings, feedback