Derbyshire Youth Sailing Winter Training Events

Derbyshire Youth Sailing Winter Training © Ellie Haynes

Derbyshire Youth Sailing Winter Training © Ellie Haynes

Getting ready for the racing season ahead

While right now it might not seem to most to be the weather for dinghy sailing, the enthusiasm that the young sailors of Derbyshire have for their chosen sport, finds them getting ready to enjoy themselves with a bit of winter training. They know that time spent in their dinghies on the water, working hard to develop and perfect their skills, at all levels and ages, is time well spent towards achieving their competition goals in the coming racing s

eason. There are three planned training sessions for them to attend and all three sessions will be led by Dinghy Racing Coach, Richard Rawson of Peak Dinghy Spares Ltd., the DYS series sponsors for 2014. Richard will be helping the sailors to work on key aspects of their boat handling and race skills and leading them through a series of activities that will be challenging their fitness and capabilities. Richard, a former competitor in the DYS series, is a qualified RYA instructor, so he is well suited to help teach today's competitors. Each training session is just £10 per sailor. Pre-registration is requested to help plan the resources needed.

The training session dates and venues are:

• Saturday 18th January Burton Sailing Club
• Saturday 8th February Carsington Sailing Club
• Saturday 8th March Combs Sailing Club

Should the weather conditions turn even colder, then the sailors are all well protected with insulating clothes under specialist sailing dry suits that keep them very cosy. Their hands and heads are protected by winter sailing gloves and a variety of headgear. Everyone on the water must wear a buoyancy aid at all times. When the sailors return to shore after hours in their boats, they can be heard to complain about being too hot as they had to work so hard, but their smiling faces show how much fun they still had.

DYS Training Co-ordinator, volunteer Des Luxton, commented "It is great to see the sailors, especially the Junior age group, having so much fun in the training sessions. The techniques and processes that the coaches are taught to make the learning process enjoyable, certainly help the sailors to learn quickly and not even perhaps realise that they are developing their skills."

The Derbyshire Youth Sailing Peak Dinghy Spares 2014 Series consists of ten events held at the Derbyshire sailing clubs and there will also be DYS teams going to national events organised by the National Schools Sailing Association and the Royal Yachting Association. This year's national events include team racing in Oxford and a week long national regatta at Downs SC, in Deal, Kent, (quite near Dover).

Chair of DYS, Melissa Wellbourn noted "Our training sessions are popular with the sailors as opportunities to learn and practice both basic and some advanced, racing sailing techniques. Quite a few of the older sailors sail at events around the UK, and abroad, and have received class specific training in the various regional and national squads. So, often there is the chance for the sailors to help each other, which builds friendships."

DYS training and events are open to all school age sailors who are members of a Derbyshire Sailing Club or attend a Derbyshire School. (The youngest competitors have started racing at the age of six / seven). The volunteers at DYS events will also provide some guidance before and during the racing for those attending their first few events to help them achieve their best.

If young sailors want to attend any or all of the training sessions, then they should visit the DYS website at www.dysailing.co.uk to check the details and pre-register. If they need any information before they attend, then use the website and the contact details to get in touch.

To train and compete in DYS, sailors need to have completed their Level 2 training course and be able to complete a simple triangular racing course. They do need access to their own boat, or one leased or borrowed from a club. DYS has two lease boats as well, which are very popular. Learning to sail training is available at the sailing clubs in Derbyshire, which each provide Royal Yachting Association (RYA) approved training to teach all ages how to sail.