Sail & Play encourages sailing and playing

by Suellen Hurling on 13 Nov 2009 The Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron is again hosting its popular Sail & Play program during the summer holiday break which caters for primary school aged children.

The five day program is increasingly popular with a high repeat of students. Sail & Play is the first step to introducing children to the RQYS Junior Sailing Program.

The unique program teaches children to not only love the water and outdoors, but to respect nature and her elements.

Through a variety of activities including raft building, fishing, science, powerboat adventures, island treks, knots and splicing, the new young sailors emerge from the program more confident and with the ability to tackle other outdoor challenges.

Of course the program also focuses on sailing with the basic concepts being a major component of the program.

'Sail & Play is a great launch pad into developing new skills and encouraging the new sailors to increase their sailing knowledge,' said RQYS Sailing School Coordinator Tom Johns.

'During the September Sail & Play we had 60 enrollments with the highlight of the program being the sail to King Island. We sailed from Manly Harbour to King Island in the Squadron owned Vagabonds, Pacers, Optimists, Precision 185’s, Yngling and Etchells. The boats are anchored just off the shore, the kids are taken to the island, and that’s where we explore the nature, enjoy a picnic lunch and conduct the sandcastle making competition. Then we sail home,' continued Johns.

The natural progression from the school holiday is to the Junior Sailing Program of which 70% of the students began as Sail & Play beginners. After the Junior Sailing Program, the sailors move into the Optimist Green Fleet training where they begin racing on a Saturday afternoon.

RQYS currently has nine training Optimists and is awaiting the arrival of five new boats before the end of the November to expand the Green Fleet training.

For more information on Sail & Play log onto www.sailandplay.com.

For more information on the Junior Sailing Program log onto www.rqys.com.au