Welcome to the Junior Section of Skerries Sailing Club

The Junior club is busy and vibrant with approximately 80 sailing members. Most of our sailors start in Optimists and then move on to Mirrors as teenagers. Children join the club as cadet members. They can then participate in training, regattas and use of the club facilities.

The Notice of Race and Entry Form for the Mirror easterns are now available in the downloads section.

The results for the Junior Regatta are now available in the club racing results section. This year, the regatta will be run on Sunday 24^th May.

Children of 8 -12 years usually begin by doing our 'Taste of Sailing' course, run each year in May over four evenings. The course aims to introduce the basic ideas of sailing to the children and to give them at least two experiences of being out on the water in a boat with a more experienced sailor.

ISA courses

Skerries offers the full range of ISA (Irish Sailing Association, which awards internationally recognised certificates) courses during the month of July. Children who have done the 'Taste of Sailing' often then do the Level 1 course. More experienced sailors do Levels 2, 3 and 4. We have also offered a 'Fun' sailing course at two different levels and age groups. All instructors are fully qualified. For 2009 we plan to run the ISA course from 22^nd June to 31^st July commencing with Advanced Boat Handling and Go Racing 1 (previously Level 4) from the 22^nd June followed by weekly Start Sailing (Level 1) courses commencing 6^th July as well as Basic Skills (level 2), Improving Skills (levels 3) and Fun 2+ courses.  More details and an application form, click here.  (Note the form must be printed out and filled in - you cannot apply on line).

Training

Once a child has completed a Level 1 course they can join in the training programme. 6 - 8 week sessions of training are planned in the spring and early summer and also in the autumn (the 'Frostbite' training). Training takes place on Sunday mornings and is very popular. Groups are organised for different levels of experience. We have a number of Qualified ISA Instructors. In addition, most of our coaches are parents, who are very experienced dinghy sailors, and many of whom have raced at national and international level and have a good understanding of teaching children. Training also includes racing skills for children as they become more experienced.

Racing

Children are also encouraged and supported to get involved in racing. Those with level 3+ certification, race on Wednesday evenings during the summer months in the main bay. For those less experienced junior sailors, we provide two weekly racing opportunities, one Midweek plus Weekend. We also support our children who go to racing events Nationwide and around Europe.

Club Boats

We have a small number of club optimists and training boats. We hire them out on a short term basis to cadet members to see if they want to get more seriously involved in sailing before buying their own boat. There is plenty of informal 'buy and sell' going on in the club and the club website and getting hold of a beginner boat is not difficult.

Parents

Sailing is not a 'drop and go' activity for parents. We are completely dependent on a high level of parent participation in terms of launching and recovering RIBs (safety boats) , helping to crew them, helping the children rig and launch their boats and making soup for them in the winter.

Getting involved in helping is a key way to get to know other people in the club.

You can contact us by emailing juniors@skerriessailingclub.com
The Junior Committee is a sub-committee of the Senior Committee.