Centreboard Division
Learn to Sail
Register Now for our Learn To Sail (LTS) Classes held at the SYC Algies Bay facilities
43 Gordon Craig Place, Algies Bay.
Enrolments for 2026 Term 4 are now Open
Questions: office@sandspityachtclub.nz or 09 425 9008
Courses
We offer 8 week x 3hr courses in Term 1 and Term 4 of the school year for sailors ages 9-16yrs.
Programmes we offer:
- LTS1 – ‘Start sailing’ – For beginners, teaches the basics to get you up and going.
- LTS2 – ‘Sailing fast’ – Builds on the basics increasing confidence and capabilities.
- LTS3 – ‘Go racing’ – Take your sailing to the next level with some racing.
- Casual Racing – Come out and enjoy some run racing, adults and kids welcome
2026 Dates
2026 Term 4 (starting w/c 12th October for 8 weeks)
LTS 1 – classes held Wednesday or Friday afternoons, 4pm-7pm
LTS 2 – classes held Tuesday afternoons, 4pm-7pm
LTS 3 – classes held Thursday afternoons, 4pm-7pm
Casual Racing – Monday afternoons, 4pm-7pm
Race Day – 5th/6th December
Cost
The package includes hire/use of a club sailing dinghy and 8 coaching sessions over the term by a qualified coach. Discounts apply for SYC members, bringing your own dinghy and for second and subsequent children within the same family. The club also offers free boat hire for your first term.
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Commitment
The Centreboard Division is run by volunteers, and parent participation is paramount. We need parents to help with launching sailing boats and patrol boats, retrieving them at the end of the class, washing down and putting them away. Whilst sailors are on the water we prefer that parents stay to keep an eye on the sailors from the beach or assist coaches on the water. As the sailors grow in skill-set and confidence they are able to do more for themselves, less parent help is necessary. You will be able to gauge this as each week goes along.
We’re also always on the lookout for keen parents to help get involved in the running of the club.
Centreboard Sailing Classes
In the classes we aim to deliver 3-hours of tuition. There is some land based learning, but the majority will be out on the water.
Classes will typically start with getting boats and sailors ready to head out on the water. The coach will do a briefing and usually some land based instruction before safety checks and heading out on the water.
Once the on-water coaching session is finished, the coach will bring everyone back in. The boats get rinsed and put away, and then we have a debrief and sausage-sizzle.
We ask that sailors and parents assist with the sausage sizzles, launching and retrieving the sailing and safety boats, washing down all the boats and helping to store all gear before leaving for the day. This helps us to maximise time on the water.
Our Boats
We have fleets of Optimists and Open Skiffs
Kids usually start off in the Optimists and then progress to the Open Skiffs as their skills progress. Some families bring their own dinghies which is great, particularly as they progress through the levels.
A Note On Our Fees
Sailing is not a cheap sport, but we keep our fees at an absolute minimum in order to give as many children as possible the opportunity to join these classes.
The course fees above are for the term and cover:
- access to and use of our facilities in Algies Bay.
- contributions towards the costs of maintenance, administration and general running of the centreboard division assets.
- affiliation fees to YNZ, cost of a handbook, insurance
- coaching fees.
Keeping You Informed
Members are kept regularly informed with emails/texts from the Centreboard Division and receive monthly newsletters from the main Sandspit Yacht Club encouraging the whole family to participate in activities put on by the greater club.
By keeping an eye on the fortnightly/monthly SYC newsletters, you’ll see when the SYC Sailing Division has races on and the opportunity is there to secure a spot on one of the ‘big’ boats and race regularly in the SYC Sailing Division races.
