SAILING

"Sailing is a fantastic and diverse sport, with activities to suit everyone" says David Ritchie, the RYA's chief dinghy coach. At Cardigan Bay Watersports you can learn the basics and/or develop your skills in wonderful surroundings under the guidance of our expert staff. We have a range of activities and courses to suit a wide range of abilities as described below which allow you to complete modules of the RYA National Sailing Scheme.

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A Taste of Sailing (1.5 Hours)

If you are not sure whether sailing is for you, this is the opportunity to find out. Lasting for an hour and a half our taster session takes you through a short shore based introduction followed by the opportunity to try your hand at the basics afloat under close supervision. An ideal way to get started. Who knows, you might get the bug!

Start Sailing (2 Days)

A short introduction to the sport for novices, covering the minimum knowledge required to get afloat under supervision, leading to the Level 1 Certificate of the RYA's National Sailing Scheme. By the end of the course, participants will have a basic understanding of boat handling techniques and background sailing theory providing a firm base to proceed to Level 2.

Basic Skills (2 Days)

This course covers the RYA Level 2 syllabus and aims to make you a competent sailor in light winds. The course uses a series of sessions afloat to develop your practical boat handling skills, including, launching and recovery, manoeuvring, 'man overboard' and capsize recovery, coupled with on shore teaching about sailing theory, wind, tides, rules of the road etc. On completion the successful sailor will be safety conscious, have a sound basic knowledge and be capable of sailing without an instructor on board. This course assumes that participants have mastered the skills and knowledge required for Start Sailing-Level 1and has had some recent sailing practice. 'Tailored Sessions' If you want to brush up on any particular points of your sailing, we can structure sessions to meet your needs, either individually or in a group. Contact us to discuss your individual requirements.

Having mastered the Basic skills of the Level 2 course you are now ready to develop your sailing further. You can follow the national sailing scheme (for dinghies) as described below, or if bigger boats appeal to you, the yacht-cruising scheme provides a range of progressive courses.

Seamanship Skills (2 Days)

How to handle the boat in all circumstances and solve problems afloat. As with all RYA courses a mixture of practical sessions and on shore teaching are used to ensure that on completion the successful sailor will be capable of manoeuvring a dinghy in a seaman-like manner and make seamanship decisions in moderate conditions. To participate, you will need to have mastered the skills and knowledge of Basic Skills-Level 2. Much of the work will be done without an instructor aboard with the emphasis on increasing the sailor's self-reliance and decision making.

Day Sailing (2 Days)

This RYA course is a must if you want to use your boat to undertake a short cruise in coastal waters. It is assumed that all participants have mastered the skills and knowledge required for Basic Skills-Level 2 as well as being able to carry out the manoeuvres in the Seamanship part of the National Sailing Scheme. The main thrust of the course is to provide you with a safe approach to planning and executing a short cruise including equipping and preparing the boat, navigation and pilotage, dealing with adverse conditions.

Sailing with Spinnakers (2 Days)

Many modern dinghies come equipped with asymmetric spinnakers adding a new dimension and level of excitement to sailing. Learn how to rig and sail with a spinnaker using crew and equipment to good advantage. You will already have mastered the skills and knowledge required by Basic Skills-Level 2.

Start Racing (2 Days)

You have the basic sailing skills (Level 2) and a competitive streak! Why not combine the two in club racing? This course is designed to give you the confidence, skills and knowledge to participate in this exciting branch of the sport through a range of enjoyable exercises. You will learn about race organisation, boat preparation and tuning, starting, race strategy, boat handling, basic rules, and, that all-important finish!One-to-One Sessions If there are any parts of your sailing which you would like to brush up, why not book a 'One-to One' session under the watchful eye of one of our experienced instructors. You can decide the content of the session and we will respond accordingly.

Own Boat Instruction

You have your own boat but there are some features that you are not familiar with such as the spinnaker, trapeze, etc. or you feel that you are not getting the best out of it. Maybe it's some time since you sailed and feel that you need a refresher! We can help. Book a "Own Boat" session with one of our instructors and we'll help you get sorted. It may even be possible for you to sail your own boat on one of our RYA courses, - just ask.

Dinghy Hire

If you have already acquired some sailing skills, you can hire our boats by the hour. This facility is an ideal opportunity for you to practice and consolidate your skills in preparation for moving on to more advanced courses or simply an opportunity to have some fun. Safety boat cover is provided. (It is helpful if you could please bring your RYA logbook so that we can match your experience to the craft).