Youth (13ish - 18 yrs)
Our teenagers are a massively important part of the ROTTERS with Lasers structure and can access some additional activities not available to our younger sailors. Novice youth sailors normally learn to sail using the same pathway as the junior sailors, however some of our teens are offered places on an adult Learn to Sail course instead of a junior course. This is always done in discussion with the sailor and parents and usually happens when we have a big spread of ages in the junior group as some teenagers find an adult paced course a better fit than one aimed at 8yr olds.
During main season ROTTERS sessions sailors are grouped in different ways for different activities, sometimes by age, sometimes by boat type and sometimes by experience level. This means we can often run a separate group for intermediate Topper and Tera sailors. From around 14yrs old sailors often start to move into Laser (ILCA) dinghies, which have a range of rig sizes to suit different sizes of sailor, and we run occasional Laser/ILCA specific training sessions for this group which are sometimes also open to adult novices who are learning to race.
We realise that our older ROTTERS are a bit less motivated by certificates and awards than the juniors, however they may also be working towards some slightly more complex qualifications, like GSCEs and the Duke of Edinburgh's Awards. Depending on the activities undertaken attendance at ROTTERS sessions can be used to fulfil Skill and Service sections of the DoE awards scheme, as well as Scout and Guide awards, and session coaches are always happy to help get video evidence for GCSE PE submissions. It's best if you let us know early in the process what you are trying to complete and what evidence you will need though!
Between 12 and 14yrs old sailors can also complete their RYA Powerboat Level 2 (PB2) qualification, which is one of the pre-requisites for eventually becoming an RYA Dinghy Instructor. The powerboat courses normally run over the winter. Under 16s who successfully complete the PB2 course must have an adult on board when driving a club powerboat, but several of our teenagers have enjoyed driving the powerboats for club events, earning plenty of volunteer credits in the process.
From 14yrs old, sailors who are interested in supporting the training team can begin working towards accreditation first as an Assistant Instructor and then from 16yrs old as an RYA Dinghy Instructor. There is no requirement to race at a high level in order to become an instructor, although competency criteria do apply. The training team run an annual Aspiring Instructor day, which gives interested candidates a clear idea of what requirements apply and we work closely with the training team to provide opportunities for our teenagers to fill any knowledge gaps during ROTTERS.
We also provide plenty of opportunities for our older ROTTERS to try leading groups in onshore activities and on the water games, giving them a taste of the skills needed to work with the training team. We are always both happy and proud to see our older teens coming back to ROTTERS to lead groups as instructors and coaches, and our juniors always have a great time learning from them.
Last updated 17:03 on 9 March 2026