Ben Eoin Yacht Club offers Youth Sailing Program
June 7, 2017
The Bras d’Or lakes are blessed with countless beautiful anchorages, but only a few marinas. The newest is at Ben Eoin Yacht Club (BEYC) on East Bay, about 25 minutes from downtown Sydney. The BEYC marina, which was completed in late 2012, has 75 slips, including seven for visitors and can accommodate large yachts with up to a 10-foot draught. There is electricity and water at each berth and gas and diesel are available at the fuel dock.
Recently the BEYC has continued to expand and now offers a Junior Sailing program for children 8 – 16. The courses are based on the successful CANSail system. CANSailrefers to Canada’s updated sailor training standards. The stated goal is “… to give all participants a love, appreciation and respect for sailing and the water. Youth who attend the Junior Sailing Program learn to work as a team, gain valuable leadership skills and increased self-confidence.”
CANSail 1 introduces students to sailing and covers safety, seamanship, rigging and basic boat handling under instructor direction. In wind speeds of 4 to 9 knots (8 – 15 kms/hr).
CANSail 2 teaches nautical terminology and additional seamanship and boat handling skills under instructor direction. This level completes the training to give the student the minimum knowledge and skills a sailor requires to sail safely and competently without supervision in wind speeds of 4 – 9 knots
For something a little different the club is also offering a one week Sailing and Golf camp (August 1 – 5). Children will spend a half-day sailing at BEYC and a half-day golfing at The Lakes.
Check out http://www.beneoinmarina.com/learn-to-sail/
