Welcome to Maraetai Sailing Club

The LTS Program starts 22nd September 2024.

Please read below and if you have any further questions please drop an email to lts@maraetaisailingclub.org.nz

Maraetai Sailing club offers a safe, fun and comprehensive 10 day Learn to Sail (LTS) for children aged 9 to 12 years old.

Our program is run on Sundays between 9:00am and 15:30 and is based at the Maraetai Sailing Club at Maraetai Beach.

We have two intakes per season starting in September/October and January/February.

The Sailing Course follows the Yachting New Zealand (YNZ) program (10 weeks) and will result in sailors receiving their YNZ level one and two certificates. They will then move onto our Opti Squad Course.

No sailing experience is needed, just some water confidence and an ability to swim 50m in a life jacket.

All of our coaches are YNZ qualified and operate under the guidance of a very experienced Senior Coach. We run a child to coach ratio of 6 to 1 and where necessary have other rostered coaches available to step in  to reduce this ratio.

Our LTS fleet is a combination of modern self bailing Optimist  cubes and some traditional plastic optimists that are gradually being phased out with the newer cubes. Boats will be allocated to sailors for the  duration of the course on a first in first served basis.

Maraetai Sailing Clubs LTS is water based with some classroom and onshore activities.

Our Course Covers:

• On Water Safety
• Sailing
• Boat Handling
• Capsizing
• Rigging
• Knot Tying
• Sailing and Boating Rules
• Hiking
• Upwind, Downwind and Reaching sailing
• Launching and Retrieving

The cost for the course is $495.   

Sailing is a weather dependent sport and is something we have no control over. From time to time, due to weather conditions  and other sailing regattas, we may have to change a date for the class. These sessions will be made up on other days either as part of a school holiday program or other organised sessions.  

For older and taller children we run LTS Feva classes which may be more appropriate for your child. Please feel free to contact me to discuss.

Gear your Sailor may need:

• Life jacket
• Sailing Helmet (this is not compulsory, but from our experience is highly recommended)
• Wet Suit
• Hat 
• Sailing Gloves
• Swimming Apparel
• Notebook and Pen
• Towel
• Warm Clothes

How Our Day Works

As our club is family based, the course is not a drop and leave. Parents are expected to be present throughout the day to help out with launching, retrieving and supporting your sailor. 

There are plenty of things to do and we are happy to teach parents skills needed for running a club day. We can teach you to drive the tractor, check the boats, drive the ribs, get prepared for club racing and there is of course time for coffee and relaxation etc.

The program starts at 9am where we have a LTS general briefing before the kids split into their various classes.

Parents then help rig the boats. Don't worry, there are plenty of experienced hands and coaches to help out and show you how to do things. Eventually you will be relegated as the sailors learn to do this by themselves!

After the morning session there will be a lunch break and a club briefing before the afternoon session begins.

LTS will continue their sessions while the other members of the club start the racing activities for the day.

At the end of the session the sailors' boats  and the club's equipment will be washed and put away before departure.

We aim to end the day around 3.30pm and at this stage it is expected that the boat club will be open for drinks, food and refreshments.

Opti Squad is the home for sailors that have graduated from LTS 1 & 2. 

Opti Squad has superseded the clubs previous seasons LTS 3, Green and Opti Open Fleets. These fleets are now covered by the Opti Squad.

The primary aim is to develop junior sailors and grow their confidence and sailing skill base so that they are able to sail competently in a variety of conditions.

There are different skill levels in the squad which are catered for and as sailors progress through the squad different techniques and skills are introduced as they move forward.

Opti Squad is based around Yachting New Zealand's Learn to Race syllabus and although this is the underlying theme the club understands that not all sailors are keen on racing.  Our focus is getting the sailors to a level that they can competently sail an optimist  around a course and progress to a more advanced level of sailing.

For more advanced sailors who want to race we cater for this by splitting into groups and offering more advanced coaching, both during the day and outside of Sundays.

Sailors in Opti Squad use either their own boats or leased fibreglass Optimist dinghies. The club has a limited number of beginner Opti squad boats available for hire and can provide advice for those needing to purchase a boat privately.

The Opti Squad Course Covers:

• Race Course Management
• Destination Sailing
• Boat Set Up
• Mark Roundings
• Race Starts
• Race Rules
• Flags and Signals
• Fleet Racing
• Competing at Regattas

On completion of this course sailors will be able to complete at regattas as Green Fleet sailors and will graduate to be an Opti Squad advanced member.

Opti Squad Training

Sundays  9.00 am to 3.30 pm

Wednesdays (To Be Confirmed)

After graduating through LTS 1 & 2 and Opti Squad most sailors move on to more advanced boats such as Starlings, Fevas and 29ers or switch to the windsurfing/foiling classes.

RS Fevas 

Maraetai Sailing Club runs a fleet of Fevas which is the world's leading double handed boat. As the boat is very versatile we are able to run both Beginner Feva and Feva Race fleets. It's a great boat at a critical part of young sailors' development that can often set up the pathway for their future sailing lives.

Feva Beginner

Quite often sailors graduate from the opti classes preferring for reasons of confidence and friendship to team up with another sailor. This fleet is also great for the bigger beginner sailor and adults partnered with a younger child to begin their sailing pathways.

Clubs Boats are available for Hire for this Fleet.

Feva Beginner is ideal for:

• Graduating Opti Sailors
• Larger Beginner Sailors
• Adults with young kids that want to learn to sail together

Feva Race

Maraetai Sailing Club has a proud history in this class both at a national level and internationally.  Feva Race is for sailors that want to race competitively hence the club employs a specialist Feva coach to develop our Feva sailors. We see this class as a great alternative training ground for sailors wanting to progress in 2 handed boats.

Feva Race is ideal for:

• Sailors with their own boats or lease boats  (Feva Beginner have priority for club boats)
• Sailors who have advanced through Feva Beginner or who are racing other boats such as Starlings or Ilcas (Laser).

It is expected that sailors in this class are doing their own training outside of club organised coaching days.

Coaching Day for Fevas

Mondays

Other days if required

RS Quest

This is our Adult Learn to Sail Boat and is ideal for a group of teenagers or adults that want to learn to sail. We can teach up to 3 sailors at any one time and is available on application.

• On/Water safety

• Sailing

• Boast Handling

• Capsizing

• Rigging

• Knot Tying

• Sailing and Boating Rules

• Hiking

• Upwind, downwind and reaching sailing

• Gennaker Handling

• Launching and Retrieving

J-Boats

Our Jolly Boat Fleet currently races on Tuesday nights ( Subject to Change)

Starlings TBA

29er, 420

Larger 2 handed boats that suit sailors that have experience sailing the Fevas and/or other single handed boats.

Windsurfing, Wing Foiling &  IQ Foiling.

Please go to the Windsurfing/ Foiling section.