Seals (Youth Sailing)

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We’ve had another fantastic year in Seals this year and I want to start with an enormous thank you to Emma Puryer and Katharine Rea for their hard work, inspiration and encouragement as we develop and deliver the Seals programme together. Without them, Seals wouldn’t happen. I also want to thank all of the parents who have got involved this year, both on and off the water, helping with Support Boat, Galley and with putting away boats at the end of Seals sessions. The sense of community is really important to us and we love seeing parents involved.

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Now on to a review of everything we’ve done this year ...

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- in April our Beginner course introduced lots of new Seals to sailing and, we hope, to a lifetime of fun and healthy outdoor activity

- Seals Saturdays started in May with fortnightly coaching, mini races and games
- our Improvers course was really well intended in June, with lots of previous years' Seals back for more

- in July we introduced our Ready to Race Certificate where Seals show us all their skills and show that they’re ready to join in club races

- also in July the Seals joined in the club Fun Day - members always tell us how much it adds to this event when they see the young sailors on the water

- after weather problems last year, we were finally able to run our novice race series in July and August - it was so good to see the Seals sailing alongside the Blokes in Boats and Ladies that Launch (and, in many cases, beating them!)

- we also started to see Seals joining in normal club races this year - another big step to seeing the original Seals Vision becoming real

- through July and August, we ran our first Windsurfing sessions - the response was fantastic and we plan to do more Windsurfing next year

- and, finally, we have our Seals End of Year Celebration and Prize Giving in December

This has been an amazing year and the Seals have done so well. We are particularly proud of how they support each other, the kindness they show - but also how their skills are developing.

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And finally, please join me in saying a huge thank you to the Nick, Kat and Lucy at Shoresports for all of their support both on and off the water. The time that you see them on the water is only a small part of all the work they put in. They’re all vital members of the Seals team and we love them dearly.

So … WELL DONE to every Seal who has been on the water with us and I really look forward to seeing you developing more in 2025.
 

 

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