Sail Training Opportunities all at Shediac Bay Yacht Club

Apr 11, 2017

Boasting a protected marina handy to the town of Shediac, which is just a short drive from Moncton, the Shediac Bay Yacht is a convenient spot for sail training for young and old.

The Shediac Bay Sailing School is a day camp program for young people between the ages of 8 and 18 who want to learn to sail or improve their existing sailing and racing skills. They offer on-water dinghy instruction as well as on-land theory classes for sailors of all levels. Students follow the Sail Canada “CANSail” Program and with experience, practice, and knowledge can advance through the 6 levels offered. This year a new program called Wet Feet, designed for children 6 to 9 years old is available. This is a great way to introduce children to water safety and hopefully create a lifelong passion for boating.

Sail Able is another very worthwhile program The SBYC has acted as the host location for the Able Sail program in Shediac since 1989. The program, which provides boating opportunities to persons with disabilities, was originally made possible by the generosity of local skippers who volunteered their time and boats. Able Sail now have two boats specialized for disabled sailors.

The Gordon McRae is a Freedom Independence 20 built by Catalina Yachts, which features the unique Freedom un-stayed mast system. At 20′ 6″ it is one of the larger boats used for adaptive sailing. The Independence 20’s cockpit is equipped with two pivoting seats for helmsmen and one crew person. The specially designed seats are counterweighted beneath the cockpit sole. The Freedom Independence has added stability due to the ballast ratio and vertical center of gravity. The mainsail is fully battened for quiet, aerodynamic efficiency and the jib is self-tending. The un-stayed Freedom spar eliminates troublesome standing rigging and the danger usually associated with an uncontrolled jibe.

A Martin 16

The Michael Dunn is a Martin 16, considered a breakthrough in small boat design. The weighted keel makes it a very safe boat for people with severe disabilities. The high lift keel makes the boat very stable, trailer launching is simple and one person can easily rig the boat. One person with any level of physical ability easily manages it. The narrow, easily driven hull provides impressive performance and excellent responsiveness. Stability, adjustable seating and specialized control systems make it sailable by sailors with any level of physical ability.

For more information on Able Sail www.ablesail.ca

For information on all sail training activities visit www.sbyc.ca