Issue date
Have you ever wondered where most of our sailors start? How they get introduced to sailing? Yachting New Zealand have three trailers that tour the country as part of our Volvo Sailing...Have a Go! program.
Reuben Corbett is one of our north islands Volvo Sailing...Have a Go! instructors, and he has just completed his fourth season. We asked him to provide some feedback on how he runs his session. Maybe you can pick out some ideas to use in your Learn to Sail programmes, or sailing have a go days.
Here are Reubens ideas: (some key words/phrases are highlighted throughout)
1) Demonstrate to students how to rig the Opti then let them do their own boat. Resist from giving them the answers when they struggle and encourage them to look at the example boat so they learn to solve the issue themselves. I find that they remember it all much more if they do it themselves and figure it out. i.e. they should put the rudder on, hoist the Sprit, thread mainsheet, thread vang, attach boat to trailer with tow line, untangle bailer, remove any water, putting bungy cord around center-case. It's really just like a big puzzle for them and they generally love it.
2) Very quick sailing lesson. Have two sit in the boat facing one another to give demonstration on how to sail. Give one the tiller and get them to push it and ask everyone to point which way the boat will turn (then provide answer), then get them to pull the tiller and point to which way the boat will turn. How do we go in a straight line? Put the tiller roughly straight but most importantly look at where the boat is going. Second person controls the mainsheet and I simply provide three positions and show them where the boom would be for each position. Position 3 downwind, position 2 reach, position 1 upwind and I show each position and say where the wind is coming from relative to the hull for each position. A quick test on the students after this.
3) To break up all the instructions I then get them to walk the boats to the waters edge and explain where to hold the boat and about keeping the boat pointing into the wind.
4) Explain how to untie boat from trailer, launch, park trailer, hold front of boat, one person push rudder down / centreboard and hop in while other person remains holding the front of the boat. When everyone is ready, push off and follow me....
5) Within a couple of minutes of launching I like to get them to go to position 1, then when everyone has done that, go to position 2, then 3, so they all have it sorted. Then I'll get them to follow me and simply say "position 2, follow me".
6) Play a few games depending on weather and shelter, don't hesitate to reef if weather is marginal, capsize practice at the end. Encourage them to but I don't force them to. Sometimes I'll capsize ones who say they don't want to do it but you can tell that they fit the category of 'once they have done it they will like it' - just have to read the individual. I like to be right next to them and capsize them one at a time before letting them all do it together.
7) I get them to undo all the rigging they did at the beginning. So really is all I have to do is put the sails, trailers and hulls away.
Some really interesting ideas, and thoughts. Do bear in mind Reuben works with schools of all decils and in some cases only has a morning or afternoon to introduce them to sailing. This highlights the issues of being simple, and easy to understand, such as the position 1, 2 and 3 for sail settings.
Please provide your feedback to where you have used any of these ideas, or might use them, and whether they worked for you or not.
Feedback to Gareth at gareth@yachtingnz.org.nz
COMING SOON: A video clip of Reuben going about his daily summer job working with Volvo Sailing...Have a Go!
