The Method - Dinghy Sailing

Session 1 - Clothing, PFD, Gear

  • Suitable clothing
  • Footwear
  • PFD (Buoyancy Aid) - 50N, Size, Fastening
  • Gear

Session 2 - Rigging & Launching

Rigging: 

  • Rig boat quickly 
  • Involve students
  • Explain briefly
  • Reef (if necessary)

Launching & Getting Underway:

  • Don't waste time
  • Hoist main
  • Ask students to indicate wind direction 

Session 3 - Familiarisation 

  • Interesting, enthusiastic, enjoyable
  • Instructor starts at helm
  • Students given tasks
  • Students balance boat & gain awareness of wind direction
  • Short session
  • Calm, relaxed, controlled
  • Return to shore 

Session 4) Orientation & Basic Boat Controls

Orientation:

  • Point out landmarks & wind direction
  • Lying to
  • Figure 8 with tack at each end
  • Student/s take helm with target to aim at
  • Instructor sits to leewards & forward of helm
  • Instructor keeps hands off tiller unless absolutely necessary
  • Give simple instructions

Basic Boat Controls:

  • Show what main, jib & centreboard/daggerboard do
  • Relate changes in boat direction to direction of wind
  • Students practice
  • Show No Go Zone

Session 5) Tacking / Going about Land Drill 

  • Turn through the wind 180 degrees
  • Hints & tips (i.e. getting out of irons)
  • Further progression - turning through the wind 90 degrees

Session 6) Tacking practice

  • Tack from reach to reach 
  • Ensure boat is going fast enough
  • Check crew & jib position
  • Repeat land drill if necessary
  • Balance and foot placements
  • Commands / Communications with crew
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Session 7) Going to windward

  • Demonstrate: Sail flaps, No Go Zone, Beating
  • Take boat downwind
  • Hand over to student
  • Ask student to sail up wind
  • Give help & encouragement

Session 8) The 5 essentials

Sail Setting: 

  • Board diagram
  • 'Just not flapping' 
  • Sheet out when bearing away

Balance: 

  • Sail upright
  • Heeling boat to turn 
  • Avoid rudder drag

Boat Trim: 

  • Weight forwards going upwind
  • Weight back going downwind etc

Centreboard/ Daggerboard:

  • Demonstrate different settings for different points of sail
  • Students to imitate

Course Made Good:

  • Wind windows 
  • Tides 
  • Hazards etc

Session 9) Downwind

  • Training run
  • Demonstrate use of jib to tell whether on a training or dead run
  • Ensure plenty of room
  • Students practice: run - beam - broad - run - close hauled
  • Use 5 essential during direction changes
  • Avoid gybing
  • End session with smooth gybe demonstration

Session 10) Gybing

  • Land drills 
  • Difference between tack and gybe
  • Take fear out of gybing
  • Emphasise importance of helm & crew commands / communications

Session 11 - Gybing practice 

  • Consider reefing to slow gybes down
  • Plenty of room
  • Calm
  • Stress that the main should be all the way out

Session 12) Triangular Course / First Solo

  • Lay Triangular course with 1 leg to windward
  • Sail with students then move away
  • Instruction only where necessary
  • Do not shout from powerboat - bring alongside first 

Further sessions

  • Man overboard
  • Coming alongside
  • Picking up a mooring
  • Rules of the road

Capsize recovery

  • Shore drill where appropriate
  • Rescue cover
  • Demonstrate where possible 
  • Appropriate clothing
  • Scoop method (double handers) 
  • Mast head float
  • Suitable site