Two children sailing in a small yellow boat in Cornwall

RYA Youth Stage 1 Children’s Beginner Sailing Course

The Youth Stage 1 involves getting to know parts of the boat, how to sit in the boat and turn the boat through the wind, tacking. Read more…

More course information

The Stage 1 course runs EVERY WEEK in the school holidays. Normally done over 5 x half days but can be done in 2 full days. This course goes from ages 8 – 15 years. For ages 8 – 10 though we would recommend the 5 x half days due to attention span and tiredness. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you cannot see your desired dates on the electronic calendar.

Pay with Klana at the checkout and spread the payments for an interest free option – please get in touch if you have any questions

The beautiful Fal Estuary here in Cornwall is a brilliant place for learning to sail a dinghy.

This course will start on the shore with a simulated land drill to show children how to sit in the boat, how to turn the boat, how to communicate with their crew etc. The training will probably take place in a Laser Pico which are fantastic training boats. The children are then taken to the sailing area and a course is laid out across the wind.

The instructor will be coaching from close by in a powerboat. Children will sail across the wind between 2 points. There is also some background theory, including some safety aspects, knots etc. Also covered on this course is launching and recovery, steering, parts of the boat, understanding the basic principles of sailing.

PRICES

Group Size	Price
5 x half days - group	£195pp + RYA Logbook £6
2 full days - group	£185pp + RYA Logbook £6
2 full days - 2:1	£240pp + RYA Logbook £6
2 full days - 1:1	£425 + RYA Logbook £6

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My eleven year old son absolutely LOVED Mylor Sailing School, both Tracey and instructor Charlie were great, thorough, organised and inspiring!! We would totally recommend both the school and courses to anyone....and will be heading back for the next stage very soon.
Thanks again!!

Frequently asked questions

When do we run these courses?

Every week in all of the school holidays. You can do 5 x half days or 2 full days but we do recommend the 5 x half days for the younger ones (ages 8-10). You also get to see a better variety of wind conditions if you spread this over the 5 days. We do a morning or an afternoon session. If you do not see the course on our bookings calendar then please get in touch as we can create the course for you and book you in!

What is the best age for children to start lessons?

The RYA recommend to start their syllabus at this age due to confidence, attention span and the technical aspect. We do have our fun sessions on a Sunday for ages 6 and upwards. This is for building water confidence and safety awareness. Please get in touch if you have a query.

I have never done it before is this ok?

This is a very frequently asked question! Yes of course, this is what we are here for! Around 60% of our customers are absolute beginners. If you have any apprehensions at all then please contact us and we will endeavour to put your mind at rest.

Can I just pay a deposit to secure my booking?

At the checkout you have the option to either pay in full or click on 'Klana' which is a free payment instalment platform where you can spread the payments.

I have a disability/learning difficulty/health condition can I learn to sail or powerboat?

Yes yes yes!! Of course you can. Depending on the nature of your need we have a variety of boats, well trained staff and lots of great equipment to make this all possible. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any specific questions. Please read our Accessibility Guide at the top of every page for further info on site.
All staff have specialist training to be able to aid all of our customers.

What do I need to bring?

We provide all the clothing and equipment you will need. If you are going in a smaller boat then you will get wet. Here at Mylor Sailing School we have plenty of wetsuits for all ages and sizes. If you are going in a dryer boat then we will provide waterproof jackets and trousers to go over your clothing. The only thing we do not provide is footwear so you will need to bring something that you don’t mind getting wet, like wetsuit shoes or trainers. If you are wearing a wetsuit you will also need to bring your bathing suit for underneath this and a towel. This will all be explained in your booking confirmation once you have confirmed your booking.

Do I have to wear a helmet?

It is the policy of Mylor Sailing School for all beginners to wear helmets. Once children have completed their Stage 3 and their skills are current we start to take the helmets off.

Do I have to capsize?

Here at Mylor Sailing School we will never make anybody do anything that they would not like to do. For the more elementary stages of sailing you need to understand what to do in the event of a capsize and this will be talked through/demonstrated when you are booking onto the RYA courses. Normally once you have had a practical experience of a capsize in a controlled environment then any fears are normally alleviated.

If it rains will it still be on?

Yes, we still go sailing in the rain. Most of the time you are going to get wet anyway! We provide all wetsuits for the smaller wet boats and waterproofs for the larger, drier boats to keep you as comfortable as possible. We also provide all the safety equipment.

I cannot swim is this ok?

Yes this is absolutely fine. You will always be wearing either a buoyancy aid or a life jacket that will keep you floating if you do enter the water. We normally ask this question on the booking form but it is just for our instructors information.

How many people in a group?

For Sailing, depending on the level of experience of the sailor will determine how many we are able to have in a group due to the Royal Yachting Associations strict regulations. We are generally allowed to have 6 people to 1 instructor for the first few levels of the RYA courses. Here at Mylor Sailing School, once we get a beginner group of more than 4 we prefer to also put an assistant instructor with the instructor so that we do not dilute the tuition too much. Depending on the experience of the sailors it may vary between 6:1 or 9:1. Tuition also available on a 1:1 basis. These ratios are slightly different for our fun sessions though.