Sail Training Report 2008

General

Most of you will have read my short article on sail training in the last Mainsheet. In it I described in a fairly general way why I thought this year’s effort to be a success, and why I am optimistic about delivering an even better program next year. This report is meant to provide considerably more detail, both positive and negative. My hope is that a critical examination of all aspects of the 2008 sail training program will allow us to build on strength and improve the weak areas for next year.

Programs

In accordance with our business plan, we presented a very ambitious program. On the Learn-to-Sail side we offered introductory, basic, and advanced courses for kids ranging in age from 8 -13, as well as a basic course for adults. On the Learn-to-Cruise side we offered three Basic Cruising courses, two of which were completed successfully.

We made some significant changes to the Learn-to-Sail program from previous years with the aim of improving the learning experience for the students, and to better streamline the progression from basic to advanced levels. In particular, we shortened the basic white sail course from four weeks to three, and we scheduled a three week advanced course to allow for a smooth continuation of promising basic students to the advanced level. We also scheduled a basic course for adults over a full week as opposed to evenings and weekends.

For the most part these changes proved progressive, but they also brought to light some significant issues:

Ø      Introductory. This one-week course was taught to the level of White Sail l. Although this proved to be appropriate for children aged 10 or more, some of the younger children had difficulty assimilating all of the information and dealing with the practical requirements. We need to be more conscious of separating the younger from the older, and to tailor the course to provide fun and learning for each group. A separate day camp for 7-9 year olds, focusing on fun on the water without specific qualification goals, seems to be indicated.

Ø      Learn-to-Sail Basic (Youth). The change to a three-week program was successful and should be continued.

Ø      Learn-to-Sail Advanced (Youth). This is a three-week course taught to the levels of Bronze IV & Bronze V. Although three weeks was sufficient to cover all of the course material and for the students to acquire the necessary skills, it was not long enough for students to gain confidence and true competence. This course should be lengthened to at least four weeks, with the first three weeks devoted entirely to Bronze IV.

Ø      Learn-to-Sail (Adult). The one-week course had to be cancelled because we did not have an instructor available for the time scheduled. Also, there was not sufficient response to make the course viable. The course scheduled for evenings and weekends went ahead as planned, and we should stick with this format until a definite demand is established for something other than that. The problem is that this requires hiring a part-time instructor, which is also problematic.

Ø      Learn-to-Cruise. Two Basic Cruising courses went ahead as scheduled. A third course was cancelled because of insufficient response. Subsequent demand to schedule another course could not be met because the instructor was not available.

A relatively large part of each course is devoted to necessary classroom work, making it more difficult to fit all of the sailing into a very limited schedule. It has been suggested that we offer the theoretical portion separately, allowing us to focus on the practical sailing part with more flexibility and in a shorter time. We will explore this further; perhaps offering a pilot program during the winter training period.

Students

Ø      Course Loading. We were able to fill our courses to about two thirds of capacity, that is, of 120 available student/weeks we sold 80. This constitutes about a 20% increase over last year, and as such, it is very welcome. However, course loading over the two months was very uneven, particularly at the introductory level, at times reaching absolute capacity and at others very low. The highest demand was during the month of July.

Ø      Age Groups. Student ages in the “junior” category ranged from 8-14. This created some problems at the one-week introductory level, as the younger students had some difficulty assimilating course content and meeting required skill levels. This led to a sense of frustration for the students and instructors, and detracted from the intent of providing a fun-filled learning and sailing experience for the younger students. Care must be taken in tailoring instruction to the various age levels. A separate package for the very young, aged 7-9, focusing on fun with boats, and without meeting formal skill levels, is indicated.

Instructors

Ø      Availability. There is a pronounced shortage of sail instructors throughout the Maritimes, and we had some difficulty in filling our slate. This is not likely to change in the next few years. It doesn’t help that we have to adhere to a formal hiring process with defined job postings and scheduled formal interviews, making it difficult to offer employment to promising prospects as they become known and available. The key seems to be to start job postings early and with short deadlines (two weeks), repeating them as necessary.

Ø      Experience Level. Along with the general shortage comes a lack of experience in the instructors that are available. This has a great impact on the way that programs are delivered, particularly in the exercise of flexibility required in dealing with the younger groups. It is important to recognize this as a limiting factor in designing the various programs. Unfortunately, the programs have to be set and published long before the instructors are hired. We ended up with a very young, first year assistant instructor as our only full-time employee. Our chief instructor could only work part-time, which made the detailed program administration and supervision that much more difficult. Our third instructor, again a basic assistant instructor, was a last-minute replacement for a no-show. All in all, not a strong team, but you plan with a certain degree of optimism and then try to make it all work with what you have.

Ø      Maturity. In large measure, this relates to youth and inexperience. We had plenty of both, calling for an unusually high level of daily on-site guidance and supervision. For a number of reasons, we did not provide enough, particularly during the early part. This resulted in some sloppy procedures and work habits taking hold which became more difficult to break as time went on.

Ø      Instructor Development/Continuity. Two years ago we identified the value of instructor continuity from one year to the next. In line with that we committed to invest in the development and training of instructors to provide incentive and promote loyalty to the Club. So far we have had only limited success, and I see little chance of improvement until we can recruit young instructors through our own program and from our membership base. Right now the instructors appear for two months, and then are gone. This does not mean we should give up. It takes time and persistence for this policy to develop and bear fruit.

Operations

Ø      Program Delivery. The chief instructor is responsible for all the details of program delivery. That includes schedules for classes ashore and on the water, assignment of instructors, daily briefings, supervision of instructors and students, course administration, as well as teaching. This position is absolutely critical to the success of the program. We were fortunate in that we were able to bring back the chief instructor from last year, thus ensuring a good understanding of Club policy and procedures, as well as being able to provide significant input and continuity to this year’s program. Unfortunately, as mentioned previously, she could not be there on a full-time basis, making her job that much more difficult. The fact that we did as well as we did is a tribute to her commitment and determination. It is unlikely that she will be back next year.

Ø      Course Administration. There is a strong tendency to focus on the actual teaching at the expense of the myriad of administrative tasks that are a vital part of any successful program. I am referring to the boring paperwork that the instructors must deal with every day; i.e.: schedules, student assessments, various reports and returns, records, awards, and so on. What is more, this work requires significant time each day, and it cannot be done effectively while engaged in teaching or supervising a restless group of youngsters. Course planning and staffing must take this into account. Club volunteers or paid part-time assistants could be used to free up instructors’ time.

Ø      Standard Operating Procedures. At the very heart of any good organization is the premise that everyone involved thoroughly understands and follows certain critical practices and procedures. In our environment that mostly relates to safety ashore and afloat, wind and weather limits, accident/incident response, communications, use of equipment and facilities, reporting procedures, and so on. In order to be effective, these must be written down and readily available to the staff for briefing and reference. We did not have a formal, published copy of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) until mid-season this year. It will be revised and updated over the winter, to be available for instructor indoctrination in 2009.

Equipment

Thanks to a major repair and renovation program last winter, we started the season with a serviceable and properly rigged fleet of Club 420s and Kingfisher prams. More than 1,000 volunteer hours went into this project, and many more hours were required to keep up with running repairs during the summer. We spent significant time and resources setting up a fully equipped rigging shop, with the right tools, spare parts and supplies to maintain the fleet in good working order.

We also bought a number of new sails, including spinnakers for the 420s. We now have the equipment to teach beginners and advanced students alike.

There is still much work to be done, however. The prams in particular need more attention, and rudders and centreboards require shaping, sealing and painting. If we can launch another repair effort like last year, we will be in good shape indeed.

Having said all that, our boats, particularly the 420s, are old and fragile, and a replacement plan, together with financing and schedule, must be initiated now.

Support

Although our Learn-to-Sail program is relatively small, the support required to keep it going is disproportionally large. Almost all of it is provided by volunteers from the Club membership. This speaks highly of our love for the sport and our commitment to foster junior sailing. The downside of the volunteer support is that, quite understandably, it becomes scarcer during the sailing season, just at the time when demand for volunteer presence is high. Also, the very nature of volunteerism tends to produce shallow organizations, that is, it is difficult to organize adequate backup for responsible positions. This inevitably puts too much of a load on too few people, which is hard to sustain over time. Nevertheless, the volunteer effort in support of the junior sailing program has been remarkable, and my hope is that it will remain so.

Financial

Since SYC is a club operating under the auspices and within the structure of DND, we are prevented from taking advantage of grants and financial programs available to other clubs that run sailing schools as “not for profit” entities. To offset this, we have been able to tap into a DND program for youth recreation to obtain some financial support. This has allowed us to break even over the last two years, as well as fund the equipment programs mentioned earlier.

There is no guarantee that this DND funding will continue, however, and as noted before, the establishment of a fleet replacement program is urgent. Our task this winter is to formalize this replacement program together with a funding strategy.

Conclusion

I want to reiterate that I believe we did very well with what we had. To be sure, there were a number of challenges, and we learned from them. Specifically, we need to keep in mind the following:

Ø      Students. Pay attention to student age groups and their ability to absorb information. Devise special program for the very young. Allow flexibility in program delivery.

Ø      Instructors. Ensure that chief instructor is available full-time. Don’t over task. Allow time for course administration. Cut programs if necessary to fit instructor capability. Provide assistance for supervising students during non-teaching periods.

Ø      Procedures/Guidelines. Have in place clear and simple guidelines. Ensure sufficient time (several days) prior to course commencement for in-depth instructor briefings and course preparation.

Ø      Supervision. The importance of on-site monitoring and supervision cannot be overstated. This is particularly true with the young, inexperienced instructors we are likely to have. More than making certain that they meet expectations, it is to ensure that they have the support and guidance they need, when they need it.

Ø      Volunteers. Build organization to provide backup in key positions. Organize tasks and responsibilities cognisant of the limited time available to people. Be patient. Say “thank you”.

Finally, it is good to keep in mind that sail training at SYC, as outlined in our Club strategy and the Business Plan, is a multi-year growth project started nearly two years ago. We have made excellent progress to this point, meeting every target along the way, and I have every confidence that we will continue to do so.

Fred Rehse

Training Director

Shearwater Yacht Club

21 October 2008