Sailing for Kids

Information on sailing for kids in new zealand

Will your kids enjoy Sailing?

Do your kids enjoy being around water?
If they are confident swimmers and like the ocean they will probably love sailing. This sport can help kids in lots of ways including:

• Learning water safety
• Helps them make friends
• Teaches teamwork and co-operation through working as part of a crew
• Improves strength and fitness
• Improves fine motor co-ordination
• Helps improve strategic thinking

Recreational sailing is non-competitive and a great kids activity for those who don’t like the pressure of highly competitive sports. Sailing is great for boys and girls alike, and kids can often start at around 6 years old. Supervision is essential around the water and a qualified teacher should make sure your kids wear floatation devices at all times.

How can you organise Sailing lessons for your kids?

Contact your local sailing school. Sailing schools are usually affiliated with clubs and classes run over the summer months and during school holidays. Your child will start off with basic sailing class activities for kids including:

• Knots such as a bowline
• Dinghy sailing, often on a Laser dinghy
• Basic manoeuvres including tacking
• Learning about different parts of a sailing boat such as the rigging
• Avoiding or reversing capsizing
• How to control the flow of the sails in different types of wind and breeze

Some kids’ activities can turn into a professional passion in adulthood, and sailing is certainly one of them. Kids who master the basics can progress to learning to sail bigger boats and even racing if they are so inclined. Many kids enjoy sailing as a relaxing pastime, and are happy to cruise around on the water. You don’t have to own a yacht and pay for docking to get your child involved in this spor