The Basic Traineeship is designed to allow maximum time for personal skills development on the water. It is suitable for beginners and early intermediates who are happy to accept a steep learning curve. See also our Dinghy Sailing Instructor Pro Traineeship which matches the Basic course and follows it with four weeks of post-qualification professional development. We also offer dinghy training combined with windsurfing in Sail/Windsurf Basic and Pro Traineeships.
The first two weeks provide intensive foundation training. We teach you how to sail effectively, and we provide essential courses in first aid and rescue boat driving. The middle two weeks are the core of the skill-building programme. You sail under the guidance of expert coaches who guarantee to improve your performance on the water. You are working towards passing the RYA's 'pre-entry' assessment, a test of your sailing skills.
The final two weeks are devoted to instructor training and assessment, focusing on the coaching skills needed to train beginners and improvers in single and two-handed sailing dinghies. You will develop an imaginative approach to teaching safe and efficient sailing, as well as the theory that underlies it. We make sure you have time to learn and practise the necessary teaching techniques before being examined.
To gain the instructor qualification you need to demonstrate good communication skills, an understanding of the training scheme, in-depth theory knowledge, group management ability, safety awareness and an effective coaching style. The course is based at at Club Vass and Wildwind, twin high-performance centres at Vassiliki, Lefkas, Greece. Training follows the Royal Yachting Association's well established scheme and there is the opportunity to race high performance Hobies, Lasers and RS dinghies. For more information on the training locations use the Destinations link above left.
