We follow an in-house training program for potential instructors for them to take an RYA Instructor Course. We are pleased to say that the vast majority of candidates who have taken this training programme and gone on to undertake an Instructor Course have been successful.

There is no real secret to the high level of success - consistency and preparation over a long period will equip the candidate with the necessary wherewithal to pass the Course.
 

The training program is broken into three steps and it generally takes about 12 months to complete the program. Firstly sailors from our 15+ Section of our Junior Club and Summer Courses are invited to help out as Assistant Instructors on our Summer Programmes. Here these keen and enthusiastic participants will shaddow instructors on groups learning the skills and techniques to teach sailing to children.

 

During the following Autumn and Winter Season our Assistant Instructors join the Junior Club for specialised training composing of two elements:

- the pre-entry training, fine honing sailing skills, practising advanced manouvers, learnign the skills necessary to communicate information and developing presentation skills.

- Coaching training, the candidate takes an active role in delivering sailing courses under the supervision of a senior instructor.

 

The third componant is the Pre-entry Course, typically run in February. This is an examination of the candidates sailing ability by an external RYA coach assessor. Upon successful completion of the Pre-entry candidates are invited to attend a RYA Dinghy Instructor Course which typically runs over the Easter Holidays in Plas Menai, the National Watersports Centre based in North Wales.

This gives the Instructors a chance to see another centre and how it works.

 

Please see below for more information on each of the three componants to the Instructor training.

 

Assistant Instructors

We welcome sailors from the 15+ years section of the Junior Club and Summer Courses to become assistant instructors. This is the next step up the sailing ladder and the first on the road to becoming a fully qualified instructor. We look for hard working and enthusiastic candidates who will relish the challenge of becoming an instructor and who will not be put off by the hard work that is required to succeed.

If you are interested in becoming an assistant instructor with us please talk to your group's head instructor. Assistant instructors work under the supervision of a Senior Instructor who provides guidance and training. Dont be put off - we teach you all you need to know!

Autumn and Winter Training

The Autumn and Winter Training is conducted within the Junior Club. It focuses on two elements, the first of which is preparation for the Pre-Entry examination. Sail coaching is conducted by one of our very experienced coaches. The second componant is the Instructor course preparation. Being a good sailor does not make you a good instructor. We teach you all the techniques you need both on and off the water to not only pass the instructor course but to be competant and proficent in group control, water safety and teaching techniques to work with us as Dinghy Instructors.

For more information on the training program please click here.

RYA Dinghy Instructor Pre-Entry and Instructor Course

The Pre-entry and Instructor Course are conducted by external RYA Coach Assessors who travel from the UK to assess the candiates abilities. The pre-entry assesment is conducted typically over a full day in February from which successful candidates will be selected to go on to the Dinghy Instructor Training Course. This is a five day program that evaluates the candidates abilities to teach, coaching is provided through out the course with assessment by another RYA coach assessor on the final day.

More information on the RYA pre-entry and RYA dinghy instructor course can be found here.

Instructor Navigation Course

Our instructor navigation course run over two days will teach all potential instructors all they need to know for the navigation part of their instructor course.

For more information click here.