Adult Training & Participation
2016 saw a record number of new members join Greystones Sailing Club and many enjoyed our one day Trysail or our basic skills training week.
“Where to next ?“ and “How can I try?“ are the two most frequently asked questions. We want to see you on the water, and hopefully in your own boat and if not, then crewing in one of the many classes we race every week.
To help you get there we have developed a number of skills programmes to ensure you enjoy this exciting sport .
The club will host an “On the water“ information evening on April 13th at 8pm where we will outline all the supports and programmes to get you “On the water “ – including:
Re-Boot Training
Whether you did a Starter course, Basic skills or just a Trysail the next step is a training course generously spread over 7 weeks that delivers the confidence to take a boat out yourself. We will run two courses, one starting May 13th and one on July 8th. The format will be refresher weekend followed by 4 Thursday evenings and 2 Sat afternoon race days . If you are interested in either of these courses please email training@GSC.ie The cost for the 8 days training will be € 280.
Boat Loan
The club have 4 adult boats that they will lend adult beginners once you have developed the skills to take a boat out yourself. Pick a partner and we will match you with a boat plus a once off training session in that boat.
Buddy Sailing.
You are never on your own. You will be matched with an experienced “Sailing Buddy”. This person will help you rig and de-rig the boat, advise on launch and recovering the boat plus watch you on the race course and provide tips and advice back in the bar.
On Water Tuition
An instructor will support you on the water in a rib for your first few races and will advise both In-race and post race.
Crewing
You don’t have to complete the full course before participating in racing. We would expect that after the 4th or 5th session you should be able to join the crew roster. You can be added to the crew Whats App and you can list your availability plus respond to crew requests. Again your assigned “Sailing Buddy” can guide you on this process.
Observation
One of the best ways to get a feel for racing is to join the rescue or committee boat crews.
This is an on-course observation of starts, finishes and mark roundings. The race officer or rescue helm will explain what’s going on during the various phases of the race.
We will automatically include you in the “Duty Roster” which will electronically notify you of rostered positions on the rescue boat or committee boat.
Transitioning to Ownership
The ultimate goal is to own your boat and compete for the club championship. We know this is a big step and advice is very important. Some obvious pointers would be to pick a boat that is in an existing club class , start with a boat that is more easily handled , don’t buy a new boat until you are satisfied it is the right class for you.
The club can discuss a lease/buy option which would allow you rent a boat for the year and offset that rent against its purchase at the end of the season.