Sailing

Includes: Sailing Boats, Dinghies, Yachting Outdoors, Adventurous activities, Water

Age:
7+
Water
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Port! Starboard!

Girls will grow in confidence as they learn to control a boat using just the wind. They'll also develop spatial awareness, team work, and discover how to navigate at sea.

Overview

Sailing uses wind-propelled sail boats of different sizes for recreation or racing on various types of water.

To take girls sailing, you will need to find a reputable local activity provider with suitably qualified instructors.

Fun fact: Jeanne Baret was the first woman to sail around the world. She made important contributions to the field of botany on her voyages.

Sailing is an adventurous activity and should follow the adventurous activity policy and procedures. 

Approved: 22 February 2022
Version: 1.1
Content owner: Adventure team

Planning checklist

If you or another member of your leadership team is running the activity at an external venue/location, follow these extra steps:

  • Arrange for a home contact. Leave any route or other relevant details with your home contact and complete a home contact agreement form. Let them know about any changes to your plans.
  • Tell your commissioner.
  • Get a copy of the public liability insurance of the activity provider before you book.
  • Check you hold the relevant qualification (if one is needed) to run the activity and let your commissioner know you plan to run it yourself. If you aren't sure, speak to your local adviser to check.
  • Check with the venue that they have the correct equipment and, if needed, specialist clothing that will meet the needs of your group.
  • Get any specialist equipment or clothing needed to run the activity not provided by the venue, and make sure this is in good condition and fit for purpose.
  • Check that any equipment is suitably insured by the provider and agree what happens to the equipment if it gets damaged.
  • Ask for a copy of the venue's safety guidelines and risk assessment (if relevant).
  • Make sure you have the correct ratio of participants (girls, leaders and volunteers) to qualified adults (those running the activity if a qualification is needed). This is different to the ratio of leaders to girls.
  • Consider the ability and experience of the participants and any disabilities, access needs or health conditions and plan the session accordingly.

Some venues might ask for a disclaimer or waiver to be signed for each person taking part in the activity. This is something which parents or carers must sign on behalf of their child. You can do this along with the consent form. Parents or carers should be given sufficient information from the provider along with the waiver so they can make an informed decision to sign it or not. Leaders can only sign disclaimers and waivers for their own personal participation. 

If you're working with an external provider or external instructors to run this activity outside the unit meeting space, follow these extra steps. 

  • Arrange for a home contact. Leave any route or other relevant details with your home contact and complete a home contact agreement form. Let them know if you make any changes to your plans.
  • Tell your local commissioner.
  • Tell the activity provider about the ability and experience of the participants and any disabilities, access needs or health conditions that need to be considered when running the activity.
  • Choose a reputable and licensed activity provider (where applicable).
  • Check the qualified adults hold the correct qualification to be able to run the activity (see the information below).
  • Get copies of the instructor qualifications and public liability insurance of the activity provider before you book.
  • Ask for a copy of the providers' safety guidelines and risk assessment.
  • Make sure you have the correct ratio of participants (girls and volunteers) to qualified adults (those running the activity). This is different to the ratio of leaders to girls.
  • Check with the venue that they have the correct equipment and, if needed, specialist clothing that will meet the requirements for your group.
  • Source any specialist equipment or clothing needed to run the activity not provided by the venue, and make sure this is in good condition and fit for purpose.
  • Check that any equipment is suitably insured by the provider and agree what happens to the equipment if it gets damaged.

Some venues might ask for a disclaimer or waiver to be signed for each person taking part in the activity. This is something which parents/carers must sign on behalf of their child. You can do this along with the consent form. Parents and carers should be given sufficient information from the provider along with the waiver so they can make an informed decision to sign it or not. Leaders can only sign disclaimers and waivers for their own personal participation.

Instructors must hold a relevant Royal Yachting Association (RYA) qualification for the type of boat and activity, and the nature of the water.

Dinghies

Instructors must hold a RYA Dinghy Instructor qualification. Or, where a sailing experience is given, for example, girls are not learning to sail but are passengers in a craft crewed by an experienced sailor, then they must have a RYA Dinghy Level 3 qualification. 

Where the person in charge of the craft holds the RYA Dinghy level 3 then the activity must take place with an appropriate safety craft and driver on site to deploy if needed.

Yachts

Speak to RYA to confirm the qualification requirement, as this will depend on the type of boat being used.

Where a powerboat is being used as a safety craft then the driver should hold a minimum of RYA National Power Boat Certificate Level 2.

If alternative qualifications are held, please seek advice from your outdoor activities adviser, the RYA, or email [email protected] to ensure the instructor’s qualification is appropriate to the nature of the activity.

When offering this activity to participants under the age of 18, and in sea, tidal or inland water that is more than 50 metres from land, the provider must be licensed by the Adventurous Activities Licensing Authority (AALA).

You can verify the quality of a provider by checking it has one of the following endorsements: Adventuremark or LotC Quality Badge for Adventure. AALA and LotC are not applicable in Northern Ireland, but Sport Northern Ireland confirm the implementation of Adventuremark as a suitable adventure activity accreditation scheme for activity providers in Northern Ireland or ask your local outdoor activities adviser to recommend an approved provider.

If doing this activity abroad, the above qualifications and regulations may not be applicable. The leader will need to make enquiries about the reputation and safety standards of the activity provider. Contact your international adviser or outdoor activities adviser, or email [email protected] for more guidance.

For many activities around or on water, confidence in the water is more important than the ability to swim a particular distance.  Often girls will need to be assisted back onto a craft by the qualified adult running the activity and they should have the confidence to remain in the water until rescued.

Leaders should check the swimming ability and confidence in water of their girls, and highlight those with weak swimming abilities or low water confidence to the instructor.

Where weak swimmers or those with low water confidence are taking part, this should be risk assessed and ratios may need to be amended.

You can get good swimmers who have low water confidence if the environment in which they are swimming is different to usual. Someone who is a good swimmer in a pool may not initially be very confident in cold open water.

Activity providers may have a swimming ability requirement to take part in this activity. Leaders should check with the activity provider before booking.

All members taking part in sailing activities must wear an EC approved buoyancy aid or life jacket appropriate to the activity, weather conditions, size of the participant. This does not apply when below decks.

A life jacket must be worn when sailing if:

  • There are any non swimmers on board.
  • when the skipper deems it necessary.
  • When abandoning ship.
  • Someone wants to wear one, or there is any uncertainty that you don't need to wear one.

If you are unsure of whether the group should wear a life jacket or a buoyancy aid, speak to the qualified instructor.

The leader must:

Make sure that safety rules and alarm signals have been explained to the girls, and they understand the need for instructions to be obeyed immediately.

  • Follow water safety guidelines and ensure that the responsible adult helpers are familiar with them.
  • Inspect water for visible signs of pollution, for example rubbish, blue green algae or chemicals.
  • Make sure girls and parents are aware of the dangers and symptoms of Weil's disease and what action to take if they suspect infection. On the day of the activity advise participants to cover cuts and grazes with waterproof plasters to help prevent infection.

Girlguiding areas that own water craft or have them on a long-term lease, should see the information on craft certification, and more guidance on water activities.

If a girl has a medical condition that will affect her ability to swim, tell the instructor and take steps so she can take part safely.

The ratios below are given as a maximum and ratios must be considered as part of the risk assessment, this may lessen due to any medical conditions, physical ability or other factors.

Leadership team ratio

As this activity will take place outside of your usual meeting place the leadership team adult to child ratio is mandatory.

  • Rainbows: not a Rainbow activity
  • Brownies: 1:8
  • Guides: 1:12
  • Rangers: 1:12

The leadership team ratios must be maintained on the water for the activity. The qualified adult can be included in this ratio.

We recommend at least one recognised Girlguiding volunteer with up-to-date knowledge of water safety and rescue techniques, such as the Girlguiding water safety training module.

Qualified adult/participant ratio

The activity leader (qualified adult) should determine what size of group is safe. There must be enough qualified adults to ensure the safety of all participants.

The number will be determined by any limitations placed on their qualification, permit or the rules of their operating organisation as well as the risk assessment. This should take into consideration the location, weather and experience of both the qualified adult and other participants. The leader should assess the risk and any concerns must be raised to them.

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