Sailing | Senior School | Ryde School | Isle of Wight

SAILING

Sailing is a key focus offered to all from novice to advanced sailors. We participate in a wide range of racing formats and events at local, national and international levels. We take great pride in being one of the few schools in the country to offer sailing as part of the curriculum, allowing all pupils from Prep to Sixth form, beginner to elite, to experience and develop sailing.

We don't just develop great sailors; we develop confident and capable young people, shaped by the challenge and beauty of the Solent.

Through strategic partnerships with prominent organisations across the Island, we seek to maximise opportunities for our sailors and leverage our exceptional location at the heart of the UK's sailing community.

Our partners include the Royal Thames Yacht Club, Island Sailing Club, Seaview Yacht Club, Gurnard Sailing Club and Tackt-Isle in Bembridge.  Furthermore, we collaborate with world-class coaches to ensure our students receive the highest level of instruction.

We work with partners across the Island to maximise opportunities for our sailing pupils, beginner and elite alike: Tackt-Isle, Royal Thames Yacht Club via Cowes, Sea View Yacht Club, and Tuesday night racing with the Island Sailing Club.

The Sailing Programme

FROM BEGINNER TO ELITE: PATHWAYS OF EXCELLENCE

YEARS 3 TO 6
  • Year 3 - Introduction to sailing and watersports day
  • Year 4 - Sailing specific days during activity week
  • Year 5 - RYA level 1 and 2 achieved through sailing week in September
  • Year 6 - Sailing is a games option in the Summer Term
YEARS 7 & 8
  • In conjection with traditional sports, sailing is incorporated into the weekly timetable during the Autumn and Summer Terms
  • National competitions and regatta entries
  • Swallows and Amazons trip for adventure/explortion sailing
YEARS 9 to upper sixth
  • Year round sailing with specialist coaches within the weekly timetable
  • Continuation of team racing in both training and national competitions
  • Summer Term after school training
  • Introduction to keelboat racing in the school's J70
  • ILCA training for the elite squad
  • International keelboat events (match racing and J70s)

"At Ryde we hold a firm belief that sailing builds resilience, independence and confidence in our young people. Our proximity to the heart of the UK sailing scene and the contacts and partnerships that affords, ensures our pupils have access to opportunities unrivalled for beginner to elite dinghy sailing and small, medium and large keelboat practice and racing through the curriculum and inter schools competitive racing."

- CLAUDIA MANSER, DIRECTOR OF SAILING

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