Simon G/Simon B/Noel Bala Cat Club - Dart 16 Youth Development

Introduction We have on loan from UKCRA 3 Dart 16s for the purpose of Youth training and development. It would be fair to say the boats were not in the best of condition but with the help of members, donations and a very small amount of club funds these boats are now fit for purpose. So far we have had a three sessions, one on land and two on water where some of the fundamentals of catamaran sailing have been passed over...

Our Goal.... We want to develop youth Dart 16 sailing for all youth sailors at a certain age or level of experience. We want to be able to create 2+ teams of regular youth dart 16 racers with a view to providing a youth race each club weekend We want to be able to put Bala youth entries into other club events. We want to be able to take a minimum of 2 entries to the Dart 16 nationals in September.

Our challenge You might not think it but you are all very good already... Our challenge is to develop your skills and capabilities so that you can be confident you have all the knowledge you need to do your best and come away from a club race.. a race against your mates or the nationals with your own personal triumph. We have to overcome the fact that we as parents and youth alike have other things we do.. We need to work around this. We have to put Safety first followed closely by fun..

How..? From this point onwards there will be a dedicated 2 hour slot immediately after club racing on a Saturday. As the Weather is unpredictable, each Saturday we will have the option for a water or shore based exercise. If we have more people than boats then we may split the session half and half. Lake Week will have a 2 hour session each day with a end of week Youth regatta. We will aim to invite other club youth teams for some friendly competition. We may visit other clubs to give them the opportunity for some friendly competition.

The deal (enjoyment is mandatory) Our deal with you is: Commencing from 30th June our Saturday Training will take place immediately after club racing. Each week a designated adult will lead the training and it is requested that this is supported by other members and parents. Regardless of the weather training will go ahead on or off the water.. Our priority will be water based. The Boats will be fit for purpose and the safety boat will be on the water. Your deal with us is: There is much to do and we expect that the boats be rigged and on the shore and de-rigged back in their berths for the training session We expect you to respect the boats and that not everyone may be at the same level. We understand that onshore training can be dull but it is important.. If we could get out of it ourselves we would but we have to do it so you must also..

How it will work So we can make the best use of the time we have the session coordinator Noel has to be notified no less than the weekend before. This is so the trainer and equipment can be arranged. You can Noel at: You can also let him or your trainer know at the end of your previous session. It would help greatly if you let us know when you cannot make it.

How it will work There is no real difference between the boats but the session coordinator will assign a boat to a crew. The boat and its sails, rudders etc. are numbered 1-3. You have to make sure the right bits go with the right boat. All the equipment is on a dedicated shelf right at the front of the equipment store and it must be returned after use. If something breaks we need to know so it can be fixed for the next session, again contact Noel or let your trainer know.

Session 1 – Essentials (30/6) Water Based Launching and recovery from windward and leeward shores Capsize Recovery/Man overboard/Towing Shore Based Knots Wind and apparent wind Basic Rules 5 Essentials 9

Session 2 – Skills (14/7) Water Based Tacking and Gybing Upwind and Downwind (apparent wind) Shore Based Sail trimming and controls Tacking and Gybing (land drill) 5 Essentials

Session 3 – Intro to Racing (21/7 – Catapult w/e) Water Based Arriving to race Getting the start right Shore Based Start Sequence (Don to assist) Start line tips 5 Essentials

Session 4 – None (28/7) No training this weekend as its the enduro/F18TT and hopefully some of you and us will be taking part. The boats will be made available for established and competent crews for this event.

Session 5 – Going Faster (11/8) Water Based 5 Essentials in practice Shore Based Tactics Start line tips

Session 6 – Race week...(18/8) Water Based 2 hours of training/racing per day with a regatta at the end of the week Shore Based Hopefully none! but we have some ideas...

Finished.. At the end of Session 6 there will be a refresher session for those who have missed something. If there is enough interest then we will run a Saturday youth race/series for those who have completed the course. Also, once you have completed the course you will be able to use the club darts whenever they are available. With just one condition: As there is potential safety risk a member of the committee must give their permission for you to use a boat. It is your responsibility to make sure the boat and you are ok to go out..