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For the first time in 52 years, a team from Nelson won the New Zealand Sea Cadet National Skills Regatta competing against the country’s finest. National Skills Regattas are only held once every three years, and was based at the Navy’s Tamaki Leadership Centre at Whangaparaoa 22-24 March, 2013.
TS Talisman has won the South Island sailing trophy every year since 2010, which is when they started training senior cadets as Yachting New Zealand coaches. This was a shift away from using adults as instructors, and has paid off handsomely. Cadet officers and civilian staff now provide encouragement and on the water care after completing the CBE Club Safety Boat Operator Course.
Each January, cadets run a four day sail training camp utilising Yachting New Zealand’s Dinghy Learn to Sail programs including Start Sailing (Level 1), Sailing Fast (Level 2) and Go Racing (Level 3). The weather this year made their jobs challenging, but it was very successful with 22 cadets participating. New sailors were taught in Crowns (including one gratefully loaned by Iron Duke Sea Scouts) and the intermediate course was taught using Fevas and borrowed 420s.
Unit Commander Milo Coldren explains, “Following the example of the Canadian Sea Cadets, we’ve focussed on training cadets as coaches and adults as safety staff. It has paid off, not only raising the level of sailing ability but more importantly in developing the capabilities and confidence of all the youth. Yachting New Zealand’s coaching clinics are one of the best investments we have made.”
Chief Petty Officer Cadet Gabrielle Fisk agrees, “It’s great having cadet coaches because they are able to get the info across better as they’re around the same age and can relate better than the adults. It also helps the students build respect for the cadets who are instructing.”
The cadet sailing coaches completed Yachting New Zealand Coaching Clinics to become a Learn-to-Sail Coach, and progressed to do a Yachting New Zealand Race Coach Course in Nelson late last year. They also completed the RYA Powerboat Level II course recently, so were able to put their new skills to use on the water. Leading Cadet Courtney MacPherson explains, “having completed the Powerboat Course enabled me to drive the coach boat myself this year which made it a lot easier to teach on the water, as it made communicating with the cadets easier.”
Cadet Donald Proctor completed the Go Racing course and used his new skills as a Feva skipper in the regional and National regattas. “Having other cadets as instructors made me feel more relaxed, more laid back and not stress! This may have been one of the key ingredients that made the sail training week so much fun for me.”
“The Yachting New Zealand Learn to Sail Coach Course is designed to provide a structure and template on how to run Learn to Sail Courses” explains Charlie Baillie Strong, Coach Development Manager for Yachting New Zealand. “All Coaches around the country are encouraged to complete the course to make sure that the same basic skills are being taught to all new sailors. By using Yachting New Zealand qualified coaches, the Sea Cadets are guaranteeing that the same quality level of coaching is being provided as all sailing clubs around New Zealand.” Find out more about Yachting New Zealand's Coach Courses here.
Unit Coxswain Grace Winnington summed it up well, “in training cadets as sailing coaches you provide an opportunity for them to further their skills as a sailor, coach and as a leader.”
TS Talisman has also won the Yachting New Zealand Excellence Award for Cruising in recognition of their Sea Cadet voyage from Nelson to Noumea in 2010.
