What we do and how we do it.
Glenalmond College Sailing Club, a registered club with the Royal Yachting Association, has existed since 1950. We sailed at Loch Freuchie, a private loch, until 2001 when the foot and mouth outbreak forced us to find an alternative home with boats we could use.
Loch Earn SC at St Fillans fitted the bill - they have club Wayfarers and Toppers - and allowed us to join as "School Members". Co-incident with the end of that season a Risk Assessment of Loch Freuchie as a sailing location means that we are now permanently based at Loch Earn SC.
We sail our own Toppers, racing-rigged Wayfarer and International 420, the standard training boats used by most sailing schools. Although we have RYA-qualified dinghy instructors and safety boat drivers, we are not an authorised RYA training establishment.
Yacht sailing is catered for by way of the pupils entering teams for the Scottish Islands Peaks Race. Refer to Patrick Erdal for information or offers of support.
In general we provide the opportunity for pupils to sail once or twice a week as a games option, with a measure of RYA-based basic and seamanship training at various levels. If pupils subsequently wish to obtain the excellent RYA certificates for dinghy sailing they are encouraged to enrol at any of the sailing schools which deliver these courses during the Summer holidays. Enrolling via the CCF to learn at HMS Caledonia, Rosyth or at Loch Earn Sailing Club in the first week of the Summer holidays are both excellent and less costly options.
The emphasis is on safe, seamanlike sailing. Each sailing session is prefaced with a briefing which includes instruction on the permitted sailing area for that day. Due consideration is always given to the skill levels of pupils with regard to the weather conditions - if there's too much wind we do shore-based activities.
We do not have Racing coaches, but if pupils are of that standard we have the contacts to arrange such coaching: the cost is extra. Basic race tactics can be taught (our 2 instructors won the Wayfarer Open at Loch Venachar in the 2006 summer holiday), but any pupils with Youth Squad ambitions will need to seek assistance outside the school, via our staff if desired.
