Royal Lymington Wednesday Junior Sailing is back! Learn to sail for just £1 a session
by Tanya Baddeley 28 Mar 2022 15:34 BST
April-September 2022
Royal Lymington Wednesday Junior Sailing © RLymYC
Wednesday Junior Sailing (WJS) is the RYA OnBoard Centre for local children that takes place at Royal Lymington Yacht Club on Wednesday afternoons between April and September.
Sponsored by Lymington Yacht Haven, WJS enables local young people aged between 8 and 18 years old to learn how to sail, plus a multitude of seamanship skills including rowing and power boating, for just £1 per session. As well as the water activities sailors get the use of a buoyancy aid and enjoy a hot drink and doughnut.
In a nurturing environment, sailors work at their own pace following a card scheme which in turn can lead to RYA qualifications, from Stage 1 through to Instructor level.
Recent major studies have shown that challenging sports and physical activity bring additional benefits in social and personal development. In particular, sailing is known to enhance teamwork, determination, communication, independence, confidence and creativity.
Wednesday Junior Sailing is run by volunteers who give up their time to help encourage the next generation of water users. All parents/guardians of children taking part are asked to volunteer some time, either on the water or ashore. The number of young people that can participate in each session depends on the number of volunteers.
Ali Husband, Head of Wednesday Junior Sailing, said: "Now in its 37th year, our community sailing programme, Wednesday Junior Sailing, has trained thousands of children who wouldn't normally have the opportunity to take to the water. This excellent initiative is run by a team of volunteers who enjoy passing on to a new generation the joys of sailing, rowing and seamanship."
Rupert Wagstaff, Lymington Yacht Haven Director said: "The Wednesday Junior Sailing programme has consistently provided local children with the invaluable opportunity to get on the water and discover the joy of sailing. Sailing is at the heart of Lymington as a town, so it is wonderful that local school children have the chance to experience the sport from a young age. As the main supporter of this programme for over 20 years, it has been our privilege to see so many sailors take to water year-after-year, with many becoming talented sailors and, in some cases, even Olympic champions!"
The new WJS season starts on 27th April 2022. To take part this season, register online at rlymyc.org.uk/wjs, where you will also find more information. Once you have registered you will receive an email about attending your first session. Look out for information about Wednesday Junior sailing on the Club's Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages @rlymyc.