2025 Course Focus Amendment: 

Advanced Boat Handling is the course for any sailors looking to improve their boat handling and become more confident in stronger winds. It offers the necessary skills for any aspiring instructors who are considering becoming an Assistant Instructor. It is a Level 4 course and is open to any dinghy sailor who has successfully completed Level 3 Improving skills and has an active sailing log and/or equivalent proof of time spent on the water.

To book your junior sailors place on this course please read the important information below, including some exciting amendments, and then contact Sophie for the Booking Code … 

Sailing is a sport for life and at the core of a successful sailing club, is the promotion of its weekly club sailing and racing. We would love our student sailors to have a part in this and so, this coming season we are enabling students to join our Thursday evening club race night as part of their Level 3 + 4 (Improving Skills and Advanced Skills). 

Racing is a fantastic way to hone sailing skills and improve efficiency, while having great fun! This added time on the water also enables students to clock up the required 20 hours Logbook time with Irish Sailing at the Improvers and Advanced levels. Sailors will have their new SYC logbooks signed on the night by the club Race Officer or Junior Organiser. Their Logbook will also be recorded online on the Checklick platform.

As always, our sailing courses are primarily aimed at your child having fun. However, we also endeavor to assist your child progress their sailing abilities, to become a competent and confident sailor. Sailing skill development happens at different paces for different children and hence children progress through levels at their own pace. Regular participation in club sailing will significantly contribute to your child’s confidence and skill level. In fact this is to be encouraged which is why Thursdays for Level 3 + 4, will start at the later time of 2pm and end at 9pm, to enable the children to come racing with us. Please note Monday-Wednesday and Friday will continue at the regular time of 09.30am - 4.30pm.

It is important to note Advanced Boat Handling will take a minimum of 2 weeks to complete and we strongly advise that all participants who wish to complete the level book the initial 2 weeks.

The objective of this course is to develop advanced boat handling and tuning skills allowing you to sail flat out in strong winds.

We will be following the advanced boat handling syllabus from Irish Sailing.

As part of the course you will learn about:

• Rigging
• Tuning
• Boat Handling in a strong wind.
• Maximising Boat Speed in all conditions and points of sail.
• Sailing Theory
• Rudderless Sailing

Assessment during the course to achieve the ABH certificate will be continuous.

Levels Offered:

The club follow the Irish Sailing course structure

Advanced courses namely Advanced Boat Handling (Level 4) as well as our new course Start Racing (Level 3 + 4)…perfect for getting sailors ready for the racing season at SYC, which they are welcome to join on Thursdays through the Summer.

Please contact the Centre Principal, Sophie Skinner with any questions about eligibility. 

Own Boat: 

Students will progress and improve quickly when sailing their own boat. To this end, we encourage own boat involvement with a €50 discount to sailors who bring their boat down. Once they have completed a week of training, junior sailors can join the club racing Thursday nights in their own boat. You are welcome to leave your boat on the premises for the 6x weeks of sail training.. from 30th June to the 8th August. Of course, sailors must learn helming as well as crewing skills and so an alternating of boats will take place throughout the week to facilitate this.

Course Times: 2025 Amendment

This course now runs from 9.30am – 4.30pm Monday to Friday, with the exception of Thursday where the students will join in our SYC club racing. Thursday times are 2pm-9pm comprising of training time as well as joining our social club racing. Students will have an hour break from 5 - 6pm to eat and rest before heading back out onto the water.
SYC is not responsible for any course participant outside these above times. (This is a full day and provides great value for money!)

Conditions for acceptance to Advanced Boat Handling:

1. Applicants must be at least 11 yrs old.
2. Applicants must have successfully passed level 3, possess an active dinghy sailing log or equivalent proof of time spent sailing.
3. Applicants must have their own dinghy suitable to the course they are applying for or a place in such a dinghy. A very limited number of boats are available to rent from SYC to facilitate participation for a rental fee. Please contact the Centre Principal, Sophie Skinner for more information on this option.

Booking Conditions

• Sligo Yacht Club reserve the right to cancel a course if there are insufficient bookings. Fees will be refunded if we cancel a course.
• All trainees agree to abide by Sligo Yacht Club - Code of Conduct.
• Trainees or their legal guardians (in the case of trainees under 18yrs of age) agree that SYC may take their photograph or videos during the course and may use such material for training or on our website or other publicity material.
• Sailing is a weather dependent sport and every effort will be made to make the best use of the prevailing and forecast conditions at the time of the course. However safety is paramount and sailing may be curtailed due to adverse weather conditions. Unfavorable weather conditions will not be grounds for refunds.
• Trainees will be allocated a place in groups based on their sailing skillset. Our courses offer an ideal opportunity for children to make new friends and mix with others. Sligo Yacht Club cannot accommodate children being placed with friends/family unless there are pressing extenuating circumstances. If you feel that this applies to your child please contact the Centre Principal, Sophie Skinner, prior to making your booking. Refunds will not be issued based on group allocation.
• Where a place is cancelled with less than 72hrs notice prior to the start of the course, a refund will only be issued where SYC is able to fill the cancelled slot. All cancellations must be done by email to the Centre Principal, Sophie Skinner on training@sligoyachtclub.ie .
• Trainees become temporary members of Sligo Yacht Club for the duration of the course.

Sailing Gear:

• Wetsuit: half or full, full helps against knocks and bruises climbing in and out of boats.
• Cag: A weather/wind protector jacket.
• Buoyancy Aid: snug, secure fit (can be rented from the club for a €10 fee per week).
• Wetsuit booties are ideal, but an old pair of trainers will do. These protect the feet when launching the boats and aid warmth.
• Swimwear for under the wetsuit.
• Rash Vest: helps prevent friction with the salt water and neoprene.
• Towel.
• Any medication taken, such as inhalers.
• Sun Cream.
• Sun Glasses (secure fit - likely to get dropped in water, not essential)
• Warm, woolly hat and/or cap for sunny weather. Helps protect against knocks (from boom mostly!)
• Sailing Gloves: fingerless gloves are useful.
• Suitable warm change of clothing for after sailing. e.g. hoodie/fleece.
• Wet Bag/Tub/Box for wet gear
• Long hair: please tie-up.

There will be days when weather conditions will prevent some or all course participants going on the water. This cannot be avoided and shore-based activities (a trip to the RNLI Station or sailing related activities on the beach) will be organised in lieu. For this reason, course participants are required to bring dry clothes with them to change into during the day when necessary.

All possessions should be taken home every evening and sailing gear should be rinsed.

Additional Conditions pertaining to SYC sailing courses due to Covid-19

SYC will be operating its summer sailing courses based on the guidelines of the Irish Sailing Association and Government Public Health recommendations. We expect to operate on a pod-based system but will adjust according to guidelines closer to the time. We would like to draw specific attention to the fact that social distancing within those pods will not be able to be maintained, in particular while trainees are on the water and while launching/recovering. By signing your child up to the course the parent/guardian accepts that the trainee will be in breach of social distancing requirements at different stages throughout the day.

By attending each day, parents/guardians undertake that the answers given in the pre-sailing course questionnaire are still No on a daily basis.

Access to the club house will be restricted and as such there will be no shower facilities or routine access to changing rooms at the club house. Trainees should arrive in their sailing gear and depart in their sailing gear. Should the need to change arise during the day trainees will be given temporary and supervised access to the changing rooms. Trainees will not normally be given access to the changing rooms at the start or at the end of the day. The toilets will be accessible.

Trainees must adhere to good personal hygiene and behaviour, including no coughing, spitting or sneezing into other people’s personal space. Non-compliance. will result in immediate suspension from the course.

If trainees feel unwell while at the course they should immediately report to their instructor and if the symptoms are Covid-19 related they will be placed in an isolated area and will be asked to wear a disposable face mask and their parent/guardian will be contacted.

If a trainee feels unwell at home they should not be brought to the club and the club should be informed.

In the event of a trainee not attending the course due to illness or if we have to request a group of trainees to remain at home because of a possible suspected case of Covid-19 SYC will not be providing a refund or rescheduling missed days.

Unlike previous years on days when we have alot of rain or extremely windy conditions and therefor an unsafe environment, we are unable to accommodate a large group indoors. It may be necessary to cancel that day’s activities and trainees may be asked to stay away from the club. The decision to cancel will not be taken lightly and parents/guardians/trainees will be advised as soon as is reasonably possible. As per booking conditions there will be no refunds for days lost to bad weather.

All parents/guardians should ensure compliance with current government and HSE Covid-19 guidelines.