Course descriptions

Nautical gardens (4 to 7)

This course is built to initiate young children to the water element. There is canoe, kayak, and sailing predominantly. A very gentle approach is used, and there is a very small number of students per instructor to insure maximum fun and safety.

You can to register your children for the afternoons (1h00 to 4h00) or for the full day.

Optimist (8 to 11)

White Sail I (Optimist)

Dinghy sailing initiation course addressed to kids from 8 to 11 years old. Permits them to be initiated to the plesure of sailing and to tame the water element. We learn to feal the wind, as well as to judge the proper way to get dressed for a sailing day. We learn the basic knots as well as the security mesures to be followed in prevention in cases of capsising. We talk about general nautical security and we practice basic maneuvres over water.

White Sail II (Optimist)

Dinghy sailing initiation course addressed to kids from 8 to 11 years old. This course's goal is to acquire a good control of the boat and better sail and dagerboard adjusments in function to the wind direction, under an instructor's supervision. We learn the basic sailing terminology as well as additonnal knots. At the end of the course, students are able to rig their boat without help from an instructor.

*The White Sail I (Optimist) level is required for this course.

White Sail III(Optimist)

Dinghy sailing initiation course addressed to kids from 8 to 11 years old. This is the last of the courses offered for the Optimist. We learn the basic navigation and regatta rules. We talk about hypothermia, as well as ways to control and prevent this phenomenon. We also learn to tell the differences between the types of sailboats. At the end of the course, students will be able to sail on all points of sail and to execute all basic maneuvers with minimal supervision.

*The White Sail II (Optimist) level is required for this course.

Basic Dinghy Sailing (12 and over) : White Sail

White Sail I

Dinghy initiation course addressed to teenagers and adults. We learn how to find the wind's direction and to judge it's strength. We also talk about life jackets and other safety devices, and the proper ways to use them. We see the necessary knots. At the end of the course, we know how to rig our boat, as well as the proper way to head out and head in. We are able to execute the basic maneuvres on water and to safely right a capsised boat.

White Sail II

Dinghy initiation course addressed to teenagers and adults. We learn proper sailing terminology, new knots and we refine our basic sailing skills. At the end of the course, we are able to sail to all points of sail with minimal supervison, the sails and daggerboard properly adjusted. We are also able to assume both functions of skipper and crew.

*The White Sail I or the White Sail III (Optimist) level is required for this course.

White Sail III

Dinghy initiation course addressed to teenagers and adults. This is the last initiation course. We learn to prevent, control and detect hypothermia. The student learns naval signals, sailing and racing rights of way. We also develop our sailing terminology. At the end of this course the student is able to sail to all points of sail and to execute every basic maneuvre as skipper and crew without supervison. NOTE : This course requires two weeks of sailing to complete.

*The White Sail II level is required for this course.

Advanced Dinghy Sailing(14 and over) : Bronze Sail

Bronze Sail IV

Course aimed at perfecting sailing skills, addressed to teenagers and adults. We cover advanced terminology and theory such as the air molecules' flow over the sails and vectors acting on the boat. We learn trapeze techniques. At the end of the course, the student should be able to master sailing without a rudder and backwards.

*The White Sail III level is required for this course.

Bronze Sail V

Course aimed at perfecting sailing skills, addressed to teenagers and adults. We learn advanced trapeze techniques, as well as spinnaker skills and terminology. The student goes into the depths of sailing theory. He discovers maintenance and repair techniques. He learns how to use epoxy and fiberglass to repair a hull. At the end of the course, the student will master planing and surfing techniques to accelerate the sailboat.

*The Bronze Sail IV level is required for this course.

Windsurf (13 and over)

Introductory course to windsurf, adressed to teenagers and adults. This course puts emphasis on covering the basic concepts, such as rigging techniques, basic maneuvers and starts.

Racing Team

Improving Regatta Skills (race team)

This course is addressed to kids from 7 to 18 years old who have good experience in sailing. The goal is to create a race team that is able to participate to weekly home regattas as well as provincial and national level regattas. We learn advanced racing techniques and rules. We familiarise with race flags, starting sequences and the racing rule book. The student develops tactics and strategies, and especially race start skills, permiting him to push his sailboat to it's limits.

See the regatta page for more details.