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The West Vancouver Yacht Club offers Introductory Dinghy Sailing Classes to schools for Grades K through 12. The goal of the program is to promote safe boating while exposing as many kids as possible to a recreational water-sport like sailing. Living on the west coast, it's important that students learn how to act safely and responsibly around the water. Sailing is the perfect medium to learn about safe boating, and, of course, an exciting and memorable way to begin or end the school year. Classes of up to 30 students can enroll in courses tailored for your needs, with special attention paid to the age of the students and time available for learning.

The following are examples of several class structures to choose from:

• One-day Introduction to Sailing

All classes are taught by Canadian Yachting Association certified instructors who are trained to make sailing both fun and safe. The boats used for training are small Optimist Prams for Grades K to 5 (bottom picture), and Pirates for Grades 6 to 12 (top picture). All equipment including PFD's (life jackets) is included. Courses are offered from May through June and September through October. A minimum of 15 students are required for each class.

This is a great opportunity to give students a taste of the exciting sport of sailing and water safety. If you are interested in hearing more about WVYC's School Sailing Program, or consult other teachers about their sailing experiences, please contact our Sailing Director.

Teacher resources:

Student registration form (to be completed by a parent/guardian)