SBSC Sailing Course Week 8

During this final Friday club session the girls were hard at working practising their racing techniques. Senior Instructor David marked out a triangular course for the young sailors to navigate themselves around then challenged them (in groups of 6) to race out to the course start in their dinghies and complete 3 laps of the course before returning to the shore. At this point the next group of girls took over and repeated the task.

All the instructors were very impressed with how confidently the girls took to the racing spirit and some close competitions were enjoyed during the practise races.

Everyone left the final club session full of high hopes about the regatta day races that lie ahead. Let us hope that we are blessed with fair winds (and no rain!!)

SBSC Sailing Course Week 6

After a few weeks of extremely breezy weather during club sessions today was our first 'no wind' day. The girls invented novel new methods of moving their dinghies across the water, including paddling with arms and legs. Being a hot and sultry June day it was also an ideal time to practise our capsize drills for the first time.

The majority of the novice sailors were looking forward to the ideas of getting themselves fully wet at last, with the promise of a dip to cool down inside their wet suits. After some inital coaching by senior instructor David, the girls set to the task of falling in with gusto! Infact Ciara and Rosa couldn't stop capsizing and inverting their boats in the process! Much fun was had by all!

SBSC Sailing Course Week 5

A good blowy sailing day today, even though we feared a repeat of last week's gales when we first arrived at the clubhouse. The westerly wind was coming acorss us at between 8 to 12 knots so Chief Instructor David decided that today we would experience the skills involved in crewing two person boats (using two Trio Comets and the Radar from the previous week's session).

The girls all took turns at working the main and jib sheets. In addition they had the opportunity at times to helm the larger dinghies which they found great fun. As the pictures below show the girls really did let their hair down today, quite literally!

SBSC Sailing Course Week 4

Well our good luck with the weather couldn't last! A very large, damp, grey rain cloud was sitting directly over Sutton Bingham to greet us as we arrived and refused to move until we left. This did little to dampen our spirits however and the girls all very bravely took the option, in two separate groups, of journeying up the water in a large 'Radar' club boat.

At times this proved a little hairy even for the hardiest of sailors as we were beating up the water against a headwind of 22 knots , gusting to 28 knots in some patches!! The large Radar did keel over quite considerably and as the rain lashed into our faces everyone felt the feeling that Dame Ellen must have felt at times in the Southern oceans. (Well maybe a little less extreme!)

To compensate for their big adventure on the 'high seas' the girls also enjoyed a fun sailing quiz and a knot tying session back in the club house from Chief Instructor David Thomson. Everyone enjoyed the experience of high wind sailing but we are also looking forward to calmer conditions in the weeks ahead.

SBSC Sailing Course Week 3

Another beautiful afternoon greeted our arrival at the sailing club for a session where many girls made great progress. The instructors divided the group up into two, with one set taking the Optimists out and the other group trying out the club's brand new RS Teras. During the land based introduction session the children focused on points of sailing theory and rigging the boats. Out on the water everyone had time to practise their tacking and beating up wind moves. All the girls thoroughly enjoyed the club session this week and there were no capsizes!!!

SBSC Sailing Course Week 2

We have been very lucky with the conditions so far during this summer term. Another sunny Friday afternoon awaited with just enough breeze about the water to make beginner sailing possible. We were pleased to welcome the four girls who missed the first week (due to the rotation scheme) onto the water. All four settled in remarkably well, possibly due to the previous days' sailing instruction they had received at Portland Sailing Academy!

Chief instructor David Thomson and his assistant instructors had already rigged up a number of Toppers with the addition of several Optimists for the girls to try out as single handed sailors for the first time. All girls thoroughly impressed David with their skills and progress since the first week. A special mention must go to Boo who experienced the delights of a capsize as she sailed single handed in a Topper (in which she had been doing very well). After the initial shock of having received a cold bath had subsided, she was determined to take control of her dinghy again and transferred back into it from the RIB that had rescued her to finish the session off in fine form. Well done Boo and well done everyone!!

Year 5 Sailing Taster Day

The Y5 girls enjoyed their own taster day at Weymouth and Portland Sailing Academy today. Unlike the previous Y6 taster day on Monday, the winds were a lot stronger today which meant that one or two of our pupils did indeed experience the fine art of capsize drill for themselves(some sooner rather than later!).

But to their credit all the girls braved the winds and gave the Laser Pico dinghies a good run up and down the course set by the Sail Laser school instructors. It was amazing to witness the transformation the girls went through from school pupils into fully fledged (and kitted up) dinghy sailors. Again, everyone had a wonderful time and many exciting stories were created to feed back to family and friends at Leweston later in the day.

Year 6 Sailing Taster Day

All the Year Six girls enjoyed fair winds at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy today, learning how to rig and sail Laser Picos. A grey day did nothing to dampen the pupils enthusiasm as the RYA Laser School instructors guided us through the set up and sail procedures. Teaching points were plentiful as were the opportunities for practising sailing techniques on dry land before we got onto the water. The instructors ensured that everyone understood the ideas of turning the dinghy using the tiller and powering up the sails through pulling in the main sheet.
When the time came to experience the Portland harbour water at first hand, Leweston girls were the first down the slipway to launch their Lasers. A great time was spent racing against each other on a broad reach in between two markers, whilst listening to the instructions that the instructors gave from the water based support RIBS. Nobody capsized their boats today but some were intent on collision course tactics (!) which did end up in a couple of bumps, but nothing serious.
At the end of the session everyone was left with happy memories of their time at the Sailing Academy.

SBSC Sailing Course Week 1

A super sunny start to the course at Sutton Bingham was enjoyed by pupils, staff, instructors and parent spectators alike. The girls were very surprised to be set free onto the water within 30 minutes of arriving at the sailing club. But after some specific coaching points on steering and sail control, the instructors had planned in week 1 for the 12 young sailors to experience at first hand the joy of sailing, some for the first time.



The girls paired up for this first outing and spent an enjoyable hour sailing the Toppers up and down the water in view of the spectators watching from the the club house. Thankfully, there were no first day capsizes, (although one or two came quite close at times). All the girls came off the water having enjoyed this first outing and looking forward to the next one.

Sail into Summer!

We are all looking forward to fine weather and fair winds this summer as Year 5 & 6 Leweston girls get the opportunity to try out dinghy sailing. They will all be attending day long taster sessions at Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy at the end of April. During these sessions the girls will be sailing Laser Pico dinghys unders the tutelage of senior RYA instructors.

Half of the girls will then go forward to attending a nine session dinghy sailing course at Sutton Bingham Sailing Club, again under the instruction of Senior RYA instructors. The girls will be experiencing a range of dinghys during this course, including Optimists and Toppers.

At the end of the course we will be holding an unofficial regatta day (following prize giving) for all course participants to try out their racing skills! Everyone is welcome to come along on the day and support the racers, aswell as enjoying a relaxing waterside afternoon.

See you on the water!