Welcome to the Royal Akarana Yacht Club Sailing Academy
Our Courses
Whether you’re brand new to the sport or training for an international regatta, we have
courses & coaches for all ages, stages and abilities!
For more information on courses keep reading, and if our FAQs don’t answer your
questions don’t hesitate to get in touch.
School Term Coaching
Optimist Level 1
Our Optimist Level 1 course is for beginners or for sailors who have done a bit with mum or dad and want to start off building skills and technique from the beginning. The Optimist is used across NZ and the world as a beginner boat for sailors aged 8-12.
Term: 1 - 2 - 4
Optimist Level 2
Our Optimist Level 2 course is for our improver sailors who have completed our Level 1 or similar at another club. In this course sailors will continue to build on their skills from Level 1 and introduce some new and more complex concepts. With the aim to be sailing our boats as efficiently and fast as possible!
Term: 1 - 2 - 4
Optimist Level 3
Our Optimist Level 3 course is for our intermediate sailors who are ready to start preparing for Green Fleet! They will continue to introduce some new and more complex concepts. With the aim to be sailing our boats as efficiently and fast as possible! And making sure sailors can appropriately handle and care for their boats as after this course they will be sailing far more delicate race boats!
Term: 1 - 2 - 4
Optimist Green Fleet
Our Optimist Green Fleet is for sailors who are confident and possess all the skills needed to move into a Race Group. This group is where sailors will begin racing in a fun and friendly environment! In Green Fleet sailors will be introduced to racing concepts, like tactics, strategy and boat handling.
Term: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4
Optimist Open
Our Optimist Open Fleet is when things start ramping up. Optimist Open is a competitive race fleet and we provide high level race coaching to enable our sailors to improve their performance and achieve on water goals. Please get in touch with Maria ([email protected]) if it's your first time in the group.
Term: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4
O’Pen Skiff Development
Our Open Skiff Development course is for those fresh into the Open Skiffs and covers the technical elements of sailing an Open Skiff with the goal of getting sailors ready to progress into the Race Group. This is comprehensive course that will focus on the techniques needed to sail the boat and maximise its performance.
Term: 1 - 2 - 4
O’Pen Skiff Race
Our Open Skiff Race course is for those seasoned Open Skiffs sailors who are ready to start heading to National Regattas. Open Skiff Race is a competitive race fleet and we provide high level race coaching to enable our sailors to improve their performance and achieve on water goals. This is comprehensive course that will focus on the techniques needed to sail the boat and maximise its performance especially in the context of racing them.
Term: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4
Feva Development
The Feva Development course is ideal for those young sailors who are just slightly too tall to be sailing Optimist, or if they simply want to tackle a new challenge of sailing a two-person boat rather than sailing alone. In the development course the focus is still around building up sailors’ core sailing skills and boat handling, as well as adding new skills to their quiver such as learning how to use a jib, spinnaker and working as a team
Term: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4
Feva Race
The Feva Race course is a perfect transition from either the Feva Development course, or one of our Optimist Green/Open courses. This group is really race focused and sailors in this group will be working towards competing at their first regattas, or adding more regattas to their experience! This group will go sailing in winds up to 25 knots and will sail in most conditions both in and out of the bay, so sailors need to be highly competent sailing a Feva in that kind of wind to move into a ‘race’ group.
Term: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4
Starling Development & Race
Starling Race is the traditional progression from Optimist Open as it continues to develop single handed race skills in a large and competitive fleet. We provide high level race coaching to enable our sailors to improve their performance and achieve on water goals. We do not provide boats for this course.
Term: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4
ILCA (Laser) Development & Race
Our ILCA (Laser) course is for our advanced race sailors. This course is fully race-focused and all sailors who are in the ILCA course should be focusing on competing at regattas throughout the season and building on their race skills. Please seek approval from Maria ([email protected]) before signing up for this course if this is your first time sailing ILCA with us.
Term: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4
School Holiday Programs
Optimist Fast Tracks
Our Optimist Fast Tracks range from Level 1 to Level 3. These are a 4-day course over the school holidays for those who want to keep up their sailing through the holidays or don't have time during the term. Fast Tracks are available to all children over the age of 8. Click on Join Now to find more information about each fast track course.
October - April
Race Groups
We have a range of race groups each school holidays from Optimist Green to Starlings to Fevas. These are two day courses but you can pick and choose your days to suit your availability.
All Year Round
Quest Development
This is a course for sailors ages 12-16 who are new to sailing or want to go sailing with a friend who hasn’t before! Designed to give sailors the opportunity to learn to sail in a fun and encouraging environment.
All Year Round
Sail & Play
Sail and Play is a program that enables kids to explore the Waitemata Harbour in a safe and exciting way. Sail and Play is all about having fun, building on water confidence, and exploring Auckland in ways they might not have before. Whether by sailing boat, powerboat or even in a kayak. This program is strictly for sailors who are 7+. You can select all 5 days in the week or mix and match to suit your availability.
October - April
Adult Courses
Adult Level 1
Our Adult Level 1 course is for those who have never sailed before or for those who need a recap on the basics. We use RS Quests for our adult courses which is a large dinghy that can easily fit four sailors and are super stable for learning. Over the 4 weeks of this course sailors will go over lots of baseline skills like rigging, tacking, points of sail, launching and landing. Which are all essential skills when it comes to building a strong sailing base to progress from. Our Adult Level 1 course runs for four weeks with a three-hour lesson each week. The course is $400. Sailors must attend all four lessons to ensure they are able to progress to the next Level.
September - June
Adult Level 2
Our Adult Level 2 course is for those who have completed our Level 1 course or who have sailed in the past but not recently or who need a recap on their technique/baseline skills. Level 2 is run in our RS Quests. Over the 4 weeks of this course sailors will improve their sailing technique and introduce/build new skills. This may (weather dependent) include the use of the third sail (gennaker). Level 2 sailors will have a large focus around all points of sail and being able to do this more independently. Our Adult Level 2 course runs for four weeks with a three-hour lesson each week. The course is $400. Sailors must attend all four lessons to ensure they are able to progress to the next Level.
September - June
Adult Level 3
Our Adult Level 3 course is for those who have completed their Level 2 course or who have sailed recently in other similar sized dinghies. We use RS Quests for our Level 3 courses. Over the 4 weeks of this course sailors will improve on previously built skills and introduce some new concepts. At Level 3 (if interested) coaches will begin to introduce racing to sailors. This includes skills around tactics, speed and processes. Otherwise, if you’re not that into racing Level 3 is where we knuckle down on boat handling and really starting to push the boats as hard and fast as we can! Our Adult Level 3 course runs for four weeks with a three-hour lesson each week. The course is $400. Sailors must attend all four lessons to ensure they are able to progress to the next Level.
September - June
About the Academy
The RAYC Sailing Academy was established in 2001 and since then has produced local, national and world champions through our comprehensive courses run for all ages and abilities. RAYC has always been a huge supporter of new generations of sailing. We are the largest Sailing Academy in New Zealand and pride ourselves on leading the way in safe, fun and knowledgeable courses for everyone. Sailing is a sport for life!
Our Team
We have an excellent team from all over NZ and the world on board at RAYC. All our coaches are nationally qualified or have an international equivalent to ensure an amazing experience is delivered to every sailor.
Our Sailors
We look after over 1400 sailors every year across our awesome range of programs! Our sailors can start as young as 7 in our introductory programs and our adults courses can cater to all ages. Lots of our enrolments are brand new to the sport of sailing, meaning you don’t need any previous experience to get started.
All Royal Akarana Yacht Club members receive discounts on sailing courses with us. This is done automatically through our online booking portal.
Our Sponsors!
The Royal Akarana Yacht Club is generously sponsored by Doyles Sails, Harken, and Kiwi Yachting and with their support we are able to do what we do best! Check them out!
Maria Ferrario
PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT & PERFORMANCE MANAGER
Qualifications
YNZ Race Coach
Boat Master Skipper
Oceania First Aid
Phone Maria 021 070 5454
Jamie Catchpole
ACADEMY OPERATIONS
Qualifications
RYA Dinghy Instructor
RYA Powerboat Level 2
Oceania First Aid
NZ Team Sailing Developer
Becca Fleet
ACADEMY COORDINATOR
Qualifications
YNZ Head Coach (Learn-to-Sail)
RYA Powerboat Level 2
Oceania First Aid
Matt Metson
MAINTENANCE TECHNICIAN
Qualifications
YNZ Coach
RYA Powerboat Level 2
Oceania First Aid
Additional Information
If you have any questions regarding any of our courses, please don’t hesitate to contact us via the contact form below. Additionally, please check through the frequently asked questions to see if your query has already been answered.
Terms & Conditions
RAYC Academy Terms & Conditions
Indemnity
I/We hereby grant permission for my child or myself to take part in the select RAYC Sailing Academy course/program. I/We understand the risks of sailing.
Imagery/Footage
By participating in the event, a student, member or user automatically grants Royal Akarana Yacht Club and the sponsors, the right in perpetuity, to make, use and show, from time to time and at their discretion, any motion pictures, still pictures and live, taped or film television and other reproductions of them during the period of the course/event in which they participated and shall in all material related without compensation.
Parents/Guardians can choose to opt out of Imagery/Footage through the iClass booking portal when making their account/signing up their children/themselves.
Standard Terms
- The health and safety of our participants is of the utmost importance, and all reasonable precautions are taken to ensure their safety. The very nature of our sailing and on-water programs, means we are operating in an environment which carries associated risk of injury to any person engaging in marine sports activities.
- All sailors/participants must be able to safely and confidently swim 50m meters unaided, even though they will be wearing life jackets at all time when around/on/in the water.
- All participants must wear shoes while sailing at RAYC. These can be sailing boots, beach shoes, old sneakers or shoes with closed toes. Jandals & slides are not appropriate footwear for sailing at our club. This is to prevent slipping on the ramp while launching and retrieving and to eliminate oyster cuts on feet.
- Once we have received confirmation of your booking and payment in full bas been received, an automated response will be sent which confirms your sailing session. If you wish to cancel due to injury or sickness we require 48 hours notice, allowing us time to reschedule staff & resources.
- If due to natural disaster, pandemic, illness or injury and more than 50% of classes have completed within a booking, then credits/refunds will not be provided. We will endeavour to provide on water sessions when able however we reserve the right to replace on water lessons with online sessions in extenuating circumstances.
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Summer Hours:
- Weekday sessions run 4pm-7pm each day. Some race groups may have adjusted session times on a case by case basis.
- Weekend Sessions: Morning sessions are 9am-12pm / Afternoon sessions are 1pm-4pm.
- Sessions generally hit the water approximately 30mins after the start time. If you are not on time there is no guarantee the coach will be able to delay the session or help your sailor rig/brief for the session. Off water sessions/time are part of our courses as there is important theory to cover.
- We do not cancel or postpone our programs due to weather conditions during Terms 1, 2, and 4. If weather is unsuitable, we will conduct a land based session. We have important theory based sessions and content that are part of each course along with other fun learning activities for wet and windy days. We do not offer make up days or transfers due to weather conditions.
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Winter Hours
- We only operate at weekends during Term 2 and Term 3 due to limited daylight after school. These sessions will ran same as in the summer – morning sessions 9am-12pm / afternoon sessions 1pm-4pm.
- Term 3 we will run a 6 week course across an 8 week period. We will aim to finish in 6 weeks but this longer period allows us to make postponements of sessions due to repetitive extreme weather conditions. This decision will be communicated through email the night before or in some extreme cases on the day. This will only occur if RAYC Sailing Academy feels the sailors would benefit from a postponement due to more than two of the previous sessions being land-based consecutively. Land based time/sessions is again part of our courses.
We are dedicated to minimising injuries to our sailors. We require helmets to be worn in Optimist Level 1 and Level 2. The following courses will be have helmets provided and be encouraged to wear helmets in higher risk conditions – Optimist Level 3, Green Fleet, Open Skiff Development, Open Skiff Race, Feva Development. Helmets will always be available to any sailors who choose to wear one.
Race sailors registered for the following courses/programs will be assigned a RAYC club boat for the term – Green Fleet, Open Fleet, Open Skiff Development, Open Skiff Race, Feva Development, Feva Race, ILCA (Laser). It is the sailors responsibility to:
- Ensure the boat is washed throughly after use (to avoid corrosion and damage)
- Advise the coach if something on their boat is not working
- Check bungs, rudders, masts, spars are all attached correctly and securely before leaving the shore. Failure to do this resulting in equipment loss will be the responsibility of the sailor.
- Avoid contact with other boats, the shore and other hazards at all times.
- Never leave the bay through gaps in ‘the sticks’ and only exit through the marked entrances.
A boat user agreement form will sit within your iClass Account and you can view this by logging in and looking at your account details. By registering to any course with us you and the participant are agreeing to the terms set in that document. This is not optional and is a requirement for sailing with the RAYC Academy. In the policy/agreement there will be information around the care agreed to be taken and any damage (beyond wear and tear) will be repaired/replaced at the users cost, up to the value of our insurance excess. If there is any evidence of negligence or damage from avoidable actions the sailor may also be expelled from the remainder of the course without refund/credits.
Our make up sessions/transfers are only available to sailors who miss two or more sailing session in one 8 week block due to extenuating circumstances, illness or injury. To apply for our make up sessions/transfer you must complete the online form located on this page. This form will then be reviewed to determine acceptance. Make ups and transfers are dependant on group sizes and will be available to those who meet criteria whenever possible without putting groups outside of safety ratios. Make ups/transfers must be completed in the term missed and registered through the online form in advance where appropriate.
School Holiday Program – Terms & Conditions
Our sail & play program is a combination of sailing and other on water activities. Each day we work with our coaches to assess weather conditions and the ability of the group before finalising our plan for the day. We cannot schedule in advance what activities will take place each day. To maximise your sailors experience we encourage attending for 3-5 days to allow for as many of our activities as possible. We balance our time on the water and on the land to suit the groups needs each day, as this is an introductory program not every group will spend the whole day on the water. Our aim is to maximise on water time but to ensure we don’t over expose sailors to the sun or push them towards over-exhaustion.
Our programs run from 9am-4:30pm each day. We will have staff on site setting up from 8:30am and packing up until 5pm if you require an early drop off or late pick up. Children must collect at 5pm latest, any late collect past this time will be charged at $20 for every 10 minutes late. The coaches will not begin the session during this time as they need to prepare for the day. Lunch will normally be anytime from 12pm-1pm depending on the weather or activities.
Any early pick ups must be communicated at drop off that morning or the day before where possible.
Frequently Asked Questions
All RAYC Sailing Academy courses are run by experienced coaches with a mix of on water time & on shore theory. Our coaches will always be hands on during the lessons & ready to assist in any situation.
Each session generally begins on the boat ramp, preparing the boats for sailing and assessing the weather conditions. Before sailing it is super important to understand you will get wet. It is a water sport after all! From time to time the boats might capsize, but this is all part of the learning experience. We’ll work with every sailor to learn how to safely do this and recover themselves, but our coaches are all there to help!
Because there is so much to learn, classes won’t be cancelled due to bad weather. We use these days for the important theory sessions like, knots, safety, rigging, tactics, technique, and much more!
Our variety of club boats and sail sizes allow us to go sailing in a range of conditions, so you can be sure we’ll do our best to maximise on water time.
What Ages Can Kids Start Sailing?
The minimum age we accept for a child starting out is 8 years old. This is due to a number of factors like confidence, swimming ability, maturity, size (height & weight), and being able to have fun in what (to them) seems like an extremely independent environment (even though the coach is right there!).
We understand lots of children in Auckland have been lucky enough to grow up on boats, and already have experience sailing with family & friends. Feel free to get in touch to discuss and our team will make a decision.
But we do also have an amazing introductory program aimed at children
How to Find Us?
All RAYC Sailing classes are based between the Hyundai Marine Sports Centre (HMSC) or Auckland Sailing Club (ASC) both located at 8-10 Tamaki Drive, Orakei. You can walk easily between these two spaces and there is plenty of parking on site.
Session Times
Weekdays – These sessions start at 4:00pm or 4:30pm each day, please ensure your sailor is here by the start time ready to sail. Pick up is 7:00pm or 7:30pm each day. Occasionally if the weather is particularly bad and we conduct a shore session, we may offer you the opportunity to collect your child earlier.
Weekends – Morning sessions are from 9:00am – 12:00pm and afternoon sessions are 1:00pm – 4:00pm. Occasionally if the weather is particularly bad and we conduct a shore session, we may offer you the opportunity to collect your child earlier.
School Holidays – We start our programs at 9:00am (welcome briefing will begin for all groups) and we will end at 4:30pm. You can opt in for early drop off from 8:30am and late pick up from 5:00pm – coaches will be setting up/packing down so will not be beginning the session any earlier. See our Terms & Conditions around failure to collect before 5:00pm.
What to Bring/Wear?
Summer (October-April) – Short wetsuits, shorts & long-sleeve rash tops, raincoat/spray jacket, closed toe shoes (reef shoes, crocs, old sneakers), hat, & maybe some sunglasses. You can also send your sailor with a snack to have before or after the session. We always recommend your sailor having a dry change of clothes for after the lesson.
Winter (May-September) – Short/long wetsuit, thermal/marino base layers, raincoat/spray jacket, closed toe shoes (reef shoes, crocs, old sneakers), hat, & maybe some sunglasses. You can also send your sailor with a snack to have before or after the session. We always recommend your sailor having a dry change of clothes for after the lesson.
ASC Boat Storage Policy
We are lucky enough to have internal storage within the Auckland Sailing Club (ASC) building for Optimists & Starlings. Spaces are limited so the best way to jump on the waitlist is to get in touch!
You can check out more information and our requirements for storage below.
Sailing Pathways
We have a range of pathways and classes at RAYC for everyone. We’ve put together a document jam-packed with information on each course and type of boat. But if you’re stuck normally the best thing to do is get in touch!
How to do a Make-Up Class Request
RAYC offer a make up class for those sailors who miss 2 or more sessions due to extenuating circumstances or illness. Please complete the following request form. Please note you may be asked to provide evidence of sickness or injury.
Terms
RAYC offer a make up class for those sailors who miss 2 or more sessions due to extenuating circumstances or illness. Please complete the following request form. Please note you may be asked to provide evidence of sickness or injury.
