More qualified coaches mean grown-ups can learn to sail, too

More qualified coaches mean more possibilities for learning to sail.
If you happen to visit Tunstall Bay beach on a weekday, you may be lucky enough to see a group of young people busy with sailing dinghies, getting ready to go or returning from their adventures at sea. Starting this week, and continuing through to the end of August, the Learn 2 Sail program of the Bowen Island Yacht Club will teach sailing skills to young people of all ages. These fun and engaging programs will be led by an amazing team of BI young adults, also known as highly qualified coaches. As this year we have more coaches than ever, we can finally respond to public requests for sailing lessons for older teens and adults.
All of these terrific coaches grew up on Bowen Island, playing in the sand at Tunstall Bay, swimming to the dock, and then learning to sail with the BIYC summer program. Whether it was sailing with friends, Friday picnic adventures, or participating in the annual end of summer Commodore’s Cup Regatta, each coach was somehow inspired by learning to sail at Tunstall Bay.
Two volunteers from last summer, Jasmine Gish and Derek Zandvliet, decided to become coaches this year, and completed Coaching Fundamentals and the CanSail 1 & 2 Technical courses this spring. Jasmine explains, “We all grew up in this program, and wanted to give other kids the chance to have as much fun as we did”.
Senior coaches Reed Plowright-Wills and Emily Hauner have improved their certifications this year in order to be able to teach the higher levels, CanSail 3 & 4. Senior coach Fineen Davis also improved her skills this year by completing an Optimist Race Module, so that she can teach racing skills to experienced Opti sailors.
With all that new coaching knowledge and confidence, sailors are sure to benefit this year. For information about BIYC Learn 2 Sail programs for children ages 7 to 15, go to www.biyc.bc.ca. Registration for all
programs is online.
Classes for older teens (16+) and adults will run every Sunday at Tunstall Bay beach from 12–4p.m. at $60 per class.