Sailing & Sail Training

Lerwick is at the heart of Shetland sailing with multiple events occuring throughout the summer. Whether its yachts, dinghies, maids or juniors there will always be some sailing based activity occuring in Lerwick harbour on weeknights.

Dingies

Dinghy racing takes place on Friday evenings. For more information contact fleet captain John Manson or check out the lksailing group on yahoo http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/lksailing/

Maids

The Maid sailing normally starts mid to late June on Wednesday evenings.

Mirrors

Mirror racing and training is on Monday and Wednesday evenings.

Ramp Fees

The club has a ramp at the small boat harbour for storing member’s boats. Anyone wishing to keep their boat on the ramp pays an annual fee. They are issued with a sticker that should be displayed on their boat.

Junior Sail Training

Our training activities are a big commitment for the club, involving a lot of volunteers and helpers besides the RYA approved instructors themselves. This is because training can help to encourage and develop the enthusiasm people have for sailing, especially the young. Training is carried out by the club’s recognised trainers, under the umbrella of the RYA recognised body, Shetland Sailing Centre. Qualifications can go all the way up to Ocean Yacht-master, creating real career opportunities for a young person. It’s nice to see the results of the training, and our young sailors are some of the keenest in the club.

Junior Sail Training sessions are normally held during the July and August. Courses follow the RYA National Sailing Scheme and cover the Start Sailing (Stage 1) and Basic Skills (Stage 2). The scheme offers a simple and flexible means for people of all ages to learn to sail in a safe learning environment. Youngsters from primary 7 and up are eligible to join the courses.

Training is carried out in the Laser Pico, which is a light, easily handled dinghy that can be sailed single handed or rigged with a jib and sailed by two persons. No previous sailing experience is required and the emphasis is on fun and enjoyment. The courses include practical sessions afloat with short periods of instruction ashore, which covers basic sailing theory and background. Beginners will sail initially with an instructor in the boat and gradually progress to sailing on their own as experience and confidence is gained. At the end of the course you should be able to confidently sail a dinghy in light winds. The more experienced sailors are encouraged to progress to the club race training nights.

Contact the club for details of future courses.

Senior Sail Training

Adult sail training sessions are held during the summer months usually on an ‘as-required’ basis. Courses follow a similar format to the junior sessions. Evening or week-end sessions can be organised. The emphasis is on learning enough of the basic skills to enable people to get into crewing on other boats or racing their own boats.

Contact the club for details of future courses.

Powerboat Training

RYA Powerboat Level 2 Courses are carried out at regular intervals throughout the year.

Contact the club for further details of dates.