The Royal Channel Islands Yacht Club Charitable Sailing Trust actively seeks to encourage young people to learn how to sail. The sailing activities are open to the public and neither the young people nor their parents or guardians need to be a member of the Club in order to take part. Sailing is carried out in St Aubin’s Bay in various sailing dinghies including Optimists, Laser Picos and Wayfarers. The International Optimist dinghy (“Oppy”) is specifically designed to be sailed by children up to the age of 15 giving children the opportunity to participate in events at club, regional, national and international level. The Laser Picos and Wayfarers are larger excellent training craft.

We are keen to encourage an early introduction to dinghy sailing and Optimist courses are run for the youngest beginners starting from Year 3 (7-8 yr. olds). The Charitable Sailing Trust supports young people up to 24 (those aged between 18 and 24 being in full time education). The aim of the courses is to keep the formula simple and above all make the children’s first impression of sailing fun in a safe environment. Royal Yachting Association (RYA) qualifications may be obtained through the Royal Channel Island Yacht Club which is an approved RYA Training Centre.

The Trust has been established for the purposes of benefiting the following:

The provision of or the assistance in the provision of facilities for the education and development of children in the activity of sailing;

The organisation or provision or assistance in the organisation or provision of facilities to enable cadet members, associate members and prospective cadet members to learn to sail.

The sailing activities are carried out at St Aubin in various sailing dinghies including Optimist and Wayfarer sailing dinghies. In 2024, we have approved for 9 boys and girls to participate in the Tall Ships Race in August. Historically UK Sail Training Tall Ships such as Tenacious were designed specifically to take disabled people on board. Our Sailing Trust would be very keen to assist any such applications from local children.

With regards to the sailing costs for the Sailing Courses these can be waived or subsidised providing that we had a suitable request if a particular child/parent did not have the means to cover the fees. This applies to the annual £28 Cadet Membership fee as well. Older children, once they become helms, are not required to pay anything.

This year, the Trust has approved the sponsorship of 3 youth teams to participate in the European Hobie Championships in Lake Garda.