Secondary Schools

Overview

Available Programmes: Transition Year, Watersports, Regattas and Yacht Adventures

Duration: One 3 Hour Sailing Lesson over a course of between 6 to 10 Weeks

The Irish National Sailing & Powerboat School has delivered secondary school sailing programmes for in excess of 25 years. The sport of sailing fosters the ethic of teamwork, promotes leadership abilities and enhances communication among participants. It’s a sport where success comes from both physical ability and as well as mental application and has proven to be very complimentary to many schools’ Transition Year programmes.

Get in touch with our Schools’ Programme Co-ordinator Dave to discuss what we can do for you on 01 2844195, or by email to sailing@inss.ie.

Second Level / TY Programmes

How it works

A typical programme would see a school integrate one 3 hour sailing lesson into their timetable per week over a course of between 6 to 10 weeks. The programme follows the structure of the Irish Sailing/Royal Yachting Associations’ Level 1 syllabus and is taught by our experienced instructors, who in addition to being qualified sailing instructors also hold first aid qualifications and are Garda vetted. A student’s performance is monitored each lesson they attend, with the results of which are forwarded on to teachers on completion of the course. The continuous assessment element gives both us and the school an insight into the student’s application over the duration of their time with us.

The Students undertake the Level 1 syllabus of The Irish Sailing Association and Royal Yachting Association. The programme would typically run in our fleet of two-man dinghies, which are capsizable and students will need to work together to stay upright and sailing. Intense but fun, the course combines all the basics into one package. By the end of the course students will be proficient in:

  • Rigging the boat
  • Launching and Return to Shore
  • Tacking and gybing (turning the boat around)
  • Sailing upwind, downwind and 90° to the wind.
  • Students will also learn how to ‘right’ the boat from the capsized position
  • How to summon assistance at sea, basic navigation and theory

For students how have sailed before, more advanced modules can be run alongside their classmates ensuring that every student progresses.

Students are monitored each lesson by the groups lead instructor who records their progress on a continuous basis. Over the course of a typical series of 6-10 lessons all students are likely to meet the standard to be awarded the Irish Sailing Association/Royal Yachting Association Level 1 Certificate. This can either be completed at an awards ceremony on the final day of the programme or can be sent to the school for presentation later. In addition, the progress, application, and attendance of each student is forwarded to the teacher after the programme.

We provide all necessary sailing gear including Buoyancy Aids and Wetsuits, but it is necessary for students to bring along the following:

  • Old runners to wear in the boat
  • Spare change of clothes
  • Shower gear – towel, shampoo etc
  • Swimming togs / Swimsuit
  • Rain Jacket

We have full modern changing room facilities at our clubhouse on the West Pier in Dun Laoghaire Harbour.

September to November and March to May are particularly popular times of the year for this programme, however, there are a number of schools that have lessons integrated into their timetable all year round. During the colder months, we would move from our fleet of capsizable dinghies to our keelboat fleet where students would not get wet. Contrary to popular belief, it really is possible to sail all year round with the correct gear and choice of boats.

Prices start at €30 per student for each 3 hour lesson. We can cater for large groups of up to 120 students at a time. Dave, our Schools’ Programme Co-ordinator would be delighted to chat about what we can offer to your school on 01 2844195, or by email to sailing@inss.ie. Our Frequently Asked Questions and Teacher’s Information may offer some additional information.

Watersports Tours

School Tours for second level students are an excellent way to introduce your students to water sports such as sailing or kayaking in a challenging and entertaining manner. You can be confident that your students will have a great time, all while learning a new skill in a safe controlled environment.

We conform to all safety requirements as prescribed by the Irish Sailing Association and the Royal Yachting Association as well as all regulatory standards. We are full insured, have an excellent safety record and are always striving to ensure safe enjoyment whilst participating in any of our activities.

Each Tour is tailor made to suit the needs of the school and we can accommodate groups of any size. Some of our suggested activities for school tours include:

  • Sailing
  • Kayaking and Stand Up Paddleboarding
  • Raft Building

We can offer a combination of these or focus on one activity. Please note that some activities, in particular Sailing, are weather dependent. We will always liaise with groups about the weather and the effect, if any, on activities prior to the tour.

Tours can be as short as 3 hours or a full day. We have a couple of sample schedules for both 3 hour as well as longer options available here.

We provide all necessary sailing gear including Buoyancy Aids and Wetsuits, but it is necessary for students to bring along the following:

  • Old runners to wear in the boat
  • Spare change of clothes
  • Shower gear – towel, shampoo etc
  • Swimming togs / Swimsuit
  • Rain Jacket
  • Packed Lunch (if required)

We have full modern changing room facilities at our clubhouse on the West Pier in Dun Laoghaire.

We can accommodate large groups on our school tours of up to 150 students at one time. Our three-hour tours start from €25 per student for kayaking and from €30 per student for sailing. Full day (5 hour) packages start at €45 per student for a mixture of sailing and kayaking.

Our season is all year round, however, for the full day options we would recommend a tour in September, October, April or May when the weather is warmer. Our Frequently Asked Questions and Teacher’s Information may offer some additional information.

Extracurricular Lessons

Extracurricular lessons can be organised for after school or at weekends are ideal for introducing your students to sailing in a safe and relaxed manner. We provide all safety equipment and specialist gear. The programmes follow the syllabus laid down by the ISA and RYA with each student obtaining a certificate for their efforts at the conclusion of the programme.

These programmes are the perfect addition to a school’s extra-curricular offering and attract students both with and without previous experience, something which our team of instructors can cater for. Students are taught on board our fleet of dinghies and yachts as well as learning basic navigation skills.

Dave, our Schools’ Programme Co-ordinator would be delighted to chat about what we can offer to your school on 01 2844195, or by email to sailing@inss.ie.

School Regattas

Many school’s choose to celebrate their student’s sailing ability in a day long regatta event. We’ve currently a number of yearly events that allow students with sailing experience the chance to exhibit their abilities. What’s special about these events is that students of all ages can compete on a level playing field.

Our event divides students by ability and constructs teams of equal ability. Typically an older student will take on the mantle as team captain. Students race as teams in a series of short races culminating in the teams with the most victories competing for the overall winners. Please get in touch with us to chat about your school’s event.

Yacht Adventures

Students not only gain in-valuable experience at sea but also undertake more complex navigation and pilotage exercises planning their trip, all under the watchful eye of our chief instructor. These trips are perfect for Gaisce Awards but also develop student’s teamwork and communication skills as they develop passage plans, and interpret weather forecasts. Student’s leadership skills will be developed as they take charge of the yacht under the expert supervision of our chief instructor.

Get in Touch…

We would be delighted to help you with an enquiry or indeed to discuss a booking. Please contact Dave our Schools’ Programme Co-ordinator on 01 2844195, or by email to sailing@inss.ie.

Reviews

    star rating  We did once off rock pooling and kayaking and it was great fun. The kids had great fun and they allowed me to go ith them too. In the end... read more

    Shyamis
    April 1, 2018

    star rating  Really lovely staff, super friendly. Would highly recommend the kayak and paddle board rentals! Great with a small group or big group.

    megancV1820DD
    June 25, 2020

    star rating  Came here with my mom for a stand up paddle board rental, the staff went above and beyond to be super friendly and the experience was great and good value!

    lizzy
    July 1, 2020