Fun Training Excercises for kids

O

oatsandbeans

Member
I'm going to be doing some training with youth sailors and I was wondering if anyone had any fun routines to keep the training interesting for them. I've come up with, sailing standing up,tacking going round the front of the mast, and best death roll - any other ideas?
 
Transom gybing - standing on your transom and gybing
Races downwind sailing backwards
 
Have them sail inside of a smallish 4 buoy rectangle. When they start to get a little comfortable with its size, make it smaller.
 
I think it works better in a bigger boat but I always liked trying to see who could sail the longest with their boat heeled the furthest over without capsizing.
 
A local club used to hold a "dinghy olympics". One event was the Laser Mast Climb: start with the boat stopped dead in the water, climb the mast vertically until the boat capsizes. Highest climber pre-capsize wins.

Totally useless skill, but fun for breaking up the monotony.
 
Circle sailing. Similar to the rectangle thing. Go from tack to gybe to tack to gybe. Not lottsa fun alone but in a group it could be either hilareous of dangerous. But it does hone the sail vs tiller control skills.
 
Follow the leader or form a conga line and the lead boat changes direction as they wish to shake them off.

What we call "Branding", use a tennis ball throw it at some other helmsperson, usually the ball ends up in the water and then it's a race to for everyone to recover the ball. The person who recovers the ball then throws the ball at someone else. You do try to avoid being hit by the wet tennis ball.
 
For all ages, pair off sailors ,and one sails with eyes closed. It teaches how much you sail by feel. Relatively easy upwind, becoming more difficult as you bear away. The 'eyes open' watches for dangers and can give guidance ( and immenent gybes!).

Very interesting experience.

Happy christmas to all
 
Practice starts, but don't use a clock or any signals. Just have them line up and try to hold their place. Let them sweat it out for a few minutes, then blow the start whistle at some random time.
 
A really fun one is to get waterbottles and paint them orange (or some other easy to see color) attach them to a long string and have the kid tie them off the back of the boat like a long tail (with the water bottle attached to the other end) The object of the game is to sail around and grab the other kids bottle. Kid witht he last bottle wins.
 
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