Junior Courses

RYA Junior Stage 1
This 2 day course provides an opportunity for youngsters, usually aged 7-15 years, to get a first taste of sailing. As well as gaining confidence and learning to sail under carefully controlled and safe conditions, they make many new friends. Most first time participants will achieve an RYA Stage 1 certificate. The course is taught in Optimist, Tera and Topper single handed dinghies that are supplied by the club, or in your child's own boat (has to be one of these classes).

RYA Junior Stage 2
This 2 day course is for children who have completed RYA Stage 1 or children who are already sailing to St 1 standard. The usual age range is 7 - 15. This course builds and develops the sailing skills taught at Stage 1. Juniors who have achieved St1 are encouraged to attend a St 2 course in the same sailing season to continue their sailing skill development.

RYA Junior Stage 3

This 2 or 3 day course is for children who have completed RYA Stage 2 or children who are already sailing to St 2 standard. The usual age range is 7 - 15. Juniors who have achieved St2 should have had further sailing experience and have developed their sailing confidence before signing up for a St3 course. Pre-requisites for this course are that sailors should be able to set off from and return to the jetties and be able to sail a shallow triangle confidently. This course is similar in standard to the RYA Adult Level 2 but the teaching style is aimed more towards youngsters. At the end of the course the youngsters should be able to rig and launch a dinghy and sail to any point of the lake and return to the jetties independently.

Youth Start Racing
This 2 day course is for children who have completed RYA Stage 3, or for teenagers who have gained Level 2 or equivalent. It offers a practical introduction to racing including how to make the boat go faster, how to start and finish a race, how to get around the course (tactics and avoiding collisions). With 2 days of sailing, we normally see a huge improvement in skills and confidence. After this course, youngsters are encouraged to start joining in with the regular club racing.

Youth Sailing with Spinnakers

For competent teenage sailors who fancy the thrill of speed? This course will give you what you need to know about sailing with an asymmetric spinnaker in our RS Visions, Feva or Comet dinghies. It includes how to rig, hoist and drop, gybe and sailing the best course downwind. Great fun. It's a 3 day course and suitable for ages 13+ (no upper limit so you can bring Mum, Dad, Grandma or Grandpa along). If we have enough wind be prepared to get wet!

The Junior courses often run alongside our adult courses as we appreciate that this fits in with family logistics.

For further information and enquiries about Junior sailing courses contact training@ripon-sc.org.uk

Please note that it is club policy that when Juniors under 16 are attending any Ripon SC courses they are required to have a responsible adult on site for the duration of the course.