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| Junior sailing lesson programme 2003-04 | Summer Series 2003 Junior results | Patrol boat training for parents | Successful 2001 Junior Sailing season | Introducing... |
| Coaching information | Your pics... | |
The Club will start its third year of professionally coached Junior Sail Training programmes with membership renewals and registrations on our Sunday 9 November Open Day, from 10am onwards. We intend to provide revision and racing for past students as part of the Open Day, and also give adults a chance to taste sailing on the Manukau Harbour in club boats.
Junior instruction and coaching will be held over a few weekends, with subsequent Junior Racing on Sundays following the normal Club racing calendar. Other junior activities are planned based on the different skill levels achieved by our junior sailors.
Dates for block courses for Level 1 (Beginner; instructors Bill Bradley and Andrew Fell) and Level 2 (Intermediate; instructor Richard Bartlett) are as follows:
Level 1 (provisional dates):
Saturday 15, Sunday 16, Saturday 22 and Sunday 23 November, all starting at 9am.
Saturday 29 November; Saturday 6 and Saturday 13 December, all starting at 10am.
Level 2 (provisional dates):
Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 November; Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 December, all starting at 9am.
Saturday 13 December, starting at 10am.
To build on experience gained, further Saturday coaching sessions for both Levels 1 and 2 will start on Saturday 24 January 2004, followed by Saturday 7, Saturday 14 and Saturday 21 February 2004, all starting at 10am.For further information, please contact Dick Tyson (ph 620-4523). An updated programme can be found here.
Water safety and general boating instruction for parents will be part of the training programme. While not compulsory, we strongly advise parents to participate and assist with their children's learning to sail to make it a fun exercise for the whole family. The coaching programme depends on an ongoing interest by parents in their children's progress, and parents help on sailing days.
Cost is as follows: Junior membership: $20 (can be part of a family membership at $70/year) (download membership form here); Instruction fee: $90 (includes log book at $10). Please enquire about family concession.
Click here to see some photos from last year's coaching.
Levels 1 & 2 Training
| Date | Start | Tide | Height | Event |
| March | ||||
| Sat.6 | 10.00 | 11.24 | 4.0 | Training on the water. |
| Sun.7 | 10.00 | 12.02 | 4.2 | Racing Club Champs. |
| Sat.20 | 09.00 | 11.20 | 4.1 | Training on the water. |
| Sat.20 | 10.30 | 11.20 | 4.1 | Match racing option. |
| END OF DAYLIGHT SAVING | ||||
| Sun.21 | 10.30 | 11.00 | 4.2 | Manukau Regatta Waiuku. |
| April | ||||
| Sat.24 | 12.00 | 13.14 | 3.8 | Training on the water. |
| Sun.25 (Anzac Day) | 12.30 | 13.52 | 3.7 | Racing Club Champs. |
The coaching programme depends on an ongoing interest by parents in their children's progress, and parents commitment to assist on sailing days. This will be further discussed at the introduction.
On sailing days juniors should bring the following:Do not wear jeans or track pants for sailing as these can become heavy and therefore dangerous when wet.
A parent motor boat training will be held on Saturday 2 August 2003, 11am-4pm (high tide at 1:19pm). There is no charge. The Junior Patrol Boat will be used. Children are welcome but must be controlled by an adult, who is not under instruction.
Instruction will include the following subjects:
1. Boat and engine maintenance
a. Fuel mixture.
b. Starting.
c. Wash down on completion of use.
2. Safe boat handling
a. Launching and retrieving.
b. Coming alongside jetty, Kingfisher, and small yacht.
c. Rescue from water.
d. Towing.
3. Rules of the road
a. Speed limits.
b. Giving way to hampered vessels.
c. Basic appreciation of the "Collision Regulations".
4. Basic general knowledge
a. Bends and hitches (knots).
b. Line throwing.
c. Emergency signals.
d. Health and safety.
The senior patrol boat Kingfisher will be on the water as well as safety boat. John Fairburn, our Vice-Commodore, will be the officer of the day. If you wish to take part in the course, please contact John Fairburn (ph. 625-9185), or Richard Tyson (ph. 620-4523).
Things to bring: lifejacket (if you have one), boat shoes, jersey, wind breaker, hat and sunscreen, change of clothes and towel.
Our first season of professional coaching was completed on Sunday 27 April 2002 with a junior regatta, attended by more than half the juniors who participated in the coaching programme. Apart from some squalls, the weather obliged with 10-12 knots. Gary Halton was Officer of the Day, and Richard Bartlett was race organiser. Two races each were run for Beginners, Novices and Intermediates and the results are as follows:
Beginners
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Novices
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| Juniors | |
Race One:
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Race Two:
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So what did the juniors think of this year's coaching. Sean Hawton (racing at the Regatta as a Beginner) has sailed Opties before but this was the first time he had received coaching. His dad suggested he got lessons and Sean has enjoyed it. "…I like the rigging, and the sailing…". He is new to the racing and admits to some pre-race nerves. He liked Richard Bartlett's style of coaching: "…Richard explains things clearly, and he went out on the water in an Optimist to show us how it is done…".
As a Novice, Kurt Marquet is in his second year of lessons at the MYMBC, being taught by Tony Cotton the first year. He says "…My dad suggested I may like to get lessons so I can teach my dad and my sister…". Kurt likes the sailing because it makes him get used to the water for kayaking and other activities. Kurt likes to get on boats and thinks Richard is a good coach.
Sisters Victoria (Beginner) and Charlotte (Novice) Forster were taught last year by Tony Cotton and are back for more lessons. Victoria thinks going out on a boat, sailing is fun and feels she needed more coaching. "…I needed to learn how to jibe. I am better than I was but it still sometimes is scary…". She also would like more lessons on capsizing since she missed the last one. And about Richard's coaching: "…I like his teaching because he is calm…".
Charlotte was motivated to come back by her grand-dad, ex commodore Bill Sutcliffe. She thinks it is fun being on the water. And about the coaching: "…I learned to sail upwind! Richard let's you do lots of things. He may be serious but he keeps people focussed…". Charlotte especially liked sailing to a beach in Ambury Park.
Richard was very busy when I tried to catch up with him during the Regatta but I managed to get a few quiet moments with him. Richard started with the MYMBC as an 11 year old, and was taught to sail by Tony Cotton. He has enjoyed his stint as coach this season. "…I enjoy the teaching, passing on knowledge and putting something back into the Club…". Richard also appreciates the more social aspects of being part of the MYMBC. "…At other clubs where I have sailed, people go straight home after the races. Here they also socialise after they have finished…". He also likes the MYMBC because it is his home club, living in Mangere Bridge. And off he was in the patrol boat, keeping an eye on the races and helping sailors in distress. Richard has made a coaching commitment to the MYMBC for the next season.
Brendan, Richard's dad, helps me to fill in some of the gaps. Brendan himself has been an enthusiastic sailor for most of his life, working his way through the different dinghy classes. Undoubtedly, Brendan's enthusiasm for sailing has rubbed off on his kids. Richard started sailing in 1996 in Kerikeri, and Richard and sister Joanne both joined the MYMBC for the 1996-1997 season, being taught sailing by Tony Cotton. In 1998 Richard moved to the Kohimarama Club to sail in bigger fleets and to get more competition. At age 12 he won the Torbay Regatta in his age group and over the next 3 years finished in the top 10 in the Auckland Optimist Champs, and in the top 30 in the Nationals. Add to that for fun sailing at midnight in the Millennium Regatta in Auckland, the first Regatta held in the new millennium anywhere in the world.
Richard has interests beyond sailing and would like to become a fixed-wing pilot. He has joined the Air Training Corp which meets after hours at Mt Albert Grammar, and looks forward to doing a structural engineering degree at Auckland university, specialising in aerodynamics.
This season Richard has been assisted from time to time by sister Joanne who demonstrated activities sailing in an Optie, and by helping in the patrol boat.
Let's take a look back at how it all started. The 2001 MYMBC Committee made a strong commitment to promote junior sailing when it was elected in August last year. John Fairburn volunteered to co-ordinate this year's junior learning-to-sail programme, and has had the support during the year of several Club members, in particular Gary Halton, Dick Tyson, Les Boulton and Keith Vazey.
John approached Yachting New Zealand for accredited coaches. Holly Innes was appointed by the Club and initiated the programme set-up. Due to other commitments, Holly withdrew and brother Stuart temporarily stepped in with some solid theory, and practice on the water until we appointed Richard Bartlett. Not only did John organise the teaching schedules and parent rosters, he also reminded parents, organised boats and ran the patrol boat when required. So what were the highlight? "…Seeing it all come together, in spite of some knock-backs. It was a steep learning curve…". But watching the kids progress made it all worthwhile, according to John.
Assisting John on several occasions, Dick Tyson is happy to drive the patrol boat. "… I did it with Tony Cotton and was happy to continue with it…". Dick sees the presence of 3 coaches over this season as a bonus rather than a draw-back: "… They all contributed something useful…". Any highlights? "…Having Janet Watkins pass all participants who completed the course. Why Janet and not Richard? "…Richard is very capable but has not reached the legal age of 18 which is a requirement by YNZ to sign off certificates. Janet instructs YNZ approved instructors. While Richard had already checked junior progress on the water, Janet judged them on 14 April on rigging, general knowledge and racing rules, and took them for a 50 m swimming test at the Onehunga pools…". And as we know, they all passed, had their log books signed off and received a certificate. Well done! To cap it off, it was Dick's idea to finish the learning-to-sail programme with a Junior Regatta which had full support of the Committee. And by the numbers attending, it definitely was a success!
While MYMBC members have been very generous with their time, this programme would not have been possible without continued support from parents and family members. Thank you all!
While successful, season long lessons are prone to cancellations due to weather or other circumstances. The MYMBC is therefore looking at condensed courses over a few weekends. Watch this space for more information.
Johan has been sailing Opties for a few years now, and recently was the worthy recipient of one of the junior cups. He likes coming to the Club. "It has a nice family atmosphere and I like catching up with people socially after the sailing. I would like to see more juniors my age though." Johan is in the 5th form at Mt Roskill and will work at increasing the number of juniors by inviting some of his friends to come along to the Club.
One of Johan's interests at school is taking care of "sound" when sound and lighting assistance is required for the weekly assembly, and the talent quests and yearly school production. "I especially enjoy the hands-on" he says. When he is not busy managing the stage, Johan plays left midfielder in his soccer team, and trains for or races 16 km cycle time trials. And in addition to that he still sails….
His ultimate goal after high school is to join the navy or airforce and to get training in (digital) electronics.
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