Youth Academy
Started in April 2013, the Youth Academy has grown significantly, to include a wide range of youth sailors and windsurfers of varying ages and abilities.
Aims: To encourage - through high-quality instruction/coaching of sailing, windsurfing, and powerboating - the following principles in its junior members:
- Confidence
- Creativity
- Communication
- Independence
- Determination
- Teamwork
These principles are required to produce not only great sailors, but also great club members. They are taken from the RYA’s Onboard initiative upon which BSC's Youth Academy is based.
Sessions are deliverd by RYA-qualified instructors/coaches, with assistance from those with experience and proven track records. RYA logbooks are issued to regular participants who are BSC members, to record progress and qualifications perhaps achieved over the duration of the Youth Academy sessions.
When: The Youth Academy operates on Friday evenings and on the 1st and 3rd Saturday of each month during the Spring/Summer - see the club Calendar for exact dates. Additionally, we run a separate club race start every 2nd Sunday of the month (race start 11am).
Equipment: The Club has changing rooms and can loan wetsuits and buoyancy aids to new juniors. A spare pair of clothes and an old pair of trainers to use when sailing is essential. However, the Club encourages the purchase of own gear as soon as possible for comfort and continuity. Boats & boards can be hired for a small fee (£5 on a Friday night).
Not a BSC Member? You can still come and get involved with the Youth Academy for an introductory fee of £5 per session. If you enjoy it, we recommend taking up membership to take full advantage of everything we can offer, including helping you get formal RYA qualifications. (Additionally, you might like to consider our RYA Training courses that run outside of our Youth Academy. Please see our Training page for details.)
What's next? Beyond the Youth Academy, for those who want to develop their racing skills further, the club actively supports the Derbyshire Youth Racing Circuit (www.dysailing.com) and the National Schools Sailing Association Regatta (www.nssa.com) and Team 15 windsurfing.
For more information