Junior Sailing
Salterns & KYC Juniors
KYC Salterns Group
Aimed at introducing new and young sailors to the basics and building water confidence using the facilities of Salterns Sailing Club.
Available for novice primary school age sailors.
1) Absolute beginners and the very young - water familiarisation (correct position in boat and grip on tiller and sheet) reaching between adults.
2) Beginner - Introduce sailing upwind, tacking and safety skills
Our associate membership at Salterns is £65 per year per child. Please complete the Salterns booking form and pay before your first session. A parental consent form (found at the bottom of this page) will also need to be completed, and returned to the KYC office. For further information on the Salterns Associate Membership please click here.
Junior River Sailing
Boats, water, support and enthusiasm make for these fun sailing sessions which give the children the opportunity to sail with friends, explore afloat, and realise new challenges!
Junior Sailing is aimed at those children in the years of at least Key Stage 2 who are ready for the next step on from Salterns Sailing, or for those children in this age group who already know the basics of sailing and progressing upwind, and who are now able to broaden their horizons out on the river.
The reaches of the Keyhaven River, the destination of Hurst Spit, and the immediate waters of the Solent all offer a perfect location for the children to build their confidence and develop their skills in a safe and relaxed environment.
Junior Sailing takes place from April through to September on fortnightly Saturday mornings, making best use of the high tides, the weather on the day, and the capacity of the group.
We have a great range of club dinghies for the Juniors to sail and crew depending on their experience and capability, including Optimists, RS Teras, RS Qubas, RS Zests and an RS Feva. Alternatively, you can sail your own dinghy provided it is insured and fitted with a 2m towline secured to a strong point on the boat.
Junior Sailing is a parent led group for which the help and commitment of the parents each week is essential there is no shortage of assistance required! From helping rig and launch dinghies, to checking children on and off the water and assisting ashore. Furthermore, each session afloat is accompanied by up to four support boats, crewed by parents with suitable qualifications, to provide essential support and assistance on the water. On this basis, Junior Sailing simply couldn't operate successfully as a drop-and-go activity.
Further river sailing opportunities are available through KYC Training where RYA dinghy sailing courses and qualifications are available to be ready for the river. KYC Training also offers training and qualification opportunities for supporting parents.
The Junior Sailing group also hold an annual Recycled Regatta where homemade craft built from items of rubbish are raced in a winner takes all race from the slipway or the harbour shoreline!
To wrap up the year, an end of season supper is held for all the participants of Junior Sailing, usually in November, to recognise the achievements of the children, share the memories, and thank all those who have volunteered their time to the group.
