Issue 8,
Feb 2024
Contents
Appendices:
Abbreviations
RWBSWC Red Wharf Bay sailing and Watersports Club
RWBSWC is a predominantly dinghy sailing club, based at Traeth Bychan, Anglesey. The Club’s premises and Dinghy Park are located on the foreshore of Traeth Bychan beach.
The Club is open for members from Easter through to end October each year. Junior Sail training is an important activity of the Club, and operates for 4 or 5 weeks during late July and throughout August. Courses may also run during Spring Bank Holiday week.
The aim of Junior Sail Training at RWBSWC is to provide tuition in dinghy sailing for children between the ages of eight and eighteen. The courses allow for tuition from absolute beginners up to competent sailors, ready to take part in Club racing activities.
The Club has a strong family ethos and all trainees have to be part of Family Membership of the Club. Parents or guardians are required to be on site when training is taking place and are encouraged to actively support their children.
RWBSWC is a members’ Club, owned wholly by its members, with the primary objective of promoting sailing. Management of RWBSWC is the responsibility of the wholly elected General Committee, under the Chairmanship of the Commodore.
Management of all activities relating to “on the water” is delegated to a Waterside Committee, under the Chairmanship of the Rear Commodore (Waterside). This responsibility includes the Training Centre.
The Principal of the Training Centre is the Youth Co-ordinator (an elected member of the General Committee and member of the Waterside Committee).
The key responsibilities of The Principal are:
The Chief Instructor of the Training Centre shall be a qualified RYA Senior Instructor. The Chief Instructor shall be appointed by the Waterside Committee as either a suitably qualified and experienced Club member, or as an employee of the Club. The Chief Instructor shall be responsible to the Rear Commodore (Waterside).
The key responsibilities of the Senior Instructor are:
Qualified RYA Instructors. Club members with RYA Instructor or Assistant Instructor training and /or qualifications will be available to support the Training Centre. They shall operate under the direction of the Chief Instructor.
Other Club Officers supporting Training Centre activities:
Bosun: responsible for maintenance and seaworthiness of the Club owned safety boats.
Rear Commodore (Shoreside). Responsible for co-ordinating all Club on shore facilities, which includes facilities required to support the Training Centre. These are discharged by the following Club Officers:
Galley Secretary: responsible for all catering facilities.
House Secretary: responsible for provision and maintenance of the fabric of the Club, including changing rooms, toilets, and onshore teaching area.
Club training fleet: The Waterside Committee shall appoint a suitably competent person to oversee maintenance and safety of the Club training fleet.
All Training will be led by the Chief Instructor. The Training Centre shall be staffed by Club members, with either RYA Instructor qualification, RYA Assistant Instructor qualification, or undergoing Assistant Instructor training and deemed competent by the Senior Instructor.
Records of instructor and safety boat helmsman training and qualification shall be held by the Principal and will be available in the RWBSWC Clubhouse during RYA training. (Appendix 5)
All Instructors and safety boat helmsmen shall attend a Senior Instructors briefing, in the RWBSWC Clubhouse at a time to be notified, but no later than 15 mins before training commences on any particular day.
Student to Instructor Ratios shall be as per RYA guidelines:
Crewed dinghies: 3:1 for beginners with Instructor on board, with a Qualified Instructor having responsibility for no more than 9 students.
Single Handed Dinghies: 6:1
Safety Boat Ratios shall be as RYA guidelines:
Up to 6 dinghies; 1 safety boat.
7 to 15 dinghies; 2 safety boats.
More than 15 dinghies; 3 or more safety boats.
Each Club owned safety boat shall be manned by at least one helmsman qualified to minimum RYA Power Boat Level 2 qualification.
Child Protection
Safeguarding and Child Protection
RWBSWC take the protection of children and vulnerable adults very seriously and follow the guidelines as laid out by the RYA. Safeguarding and Child Protection is co-ordinated by the Club elected Welfare Officer and our Policy is in-line with RYA recommendations and can be viewed in the clubhouse or on our website. Our Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy is agreed annually by our Committee. All Club members and staff supporting the Training Centre hold suitable DBS certificates. A single central record of DBS information is maintained by the Welfare Officer and held in the Clubhouse.
The Training Centre operates to provide training to Junior Members of the Club. All students are required to be part of a Family Membership, which includes parents or guardians.
Parents or guardians are required to be on site when training is taking place, and are encouraged to support the students, and in particular in preparing for sea and de-rigging and stowing equipment.
All students have to register by a booking deadline date for each individual day’s training using the Club Training Centre booking system:
http://www.redwharfbaysc.co.uk/sail-training.html
Follow the link to “RYA Youth Stage 1 (Morning)”
The Club shall also collect student information in accordance with the RYA Document 6 – Booking and Parental Consent form, (see Appendix 1)
The booking form includes details of:
Students are required to provide and wear at all times when undergoing training, the following:
nb: All other items of personal equipment, including safety helmets if required, are to be provided by the student.
Briefing: The Senior Instructor shall hold a briefing to all students, with parents/guardians in attendance at the commencement and at the completion of each day training session.
Safety
Risk assessment: A daily risk assessment is carried out by the chief instructor, using the risk assessment form. (Appendix 6) This is discussed during the instructor briefing.
This shall include a significant number of Instructors and safety boat helmsmen. Any new risks identified shall be used as the basis of updates to the Operational Plan for the following season. The key items to be identified during the Risk Assessment are:
a). The risk, and
b). The control measure to be put in place to reduce the risk.
The risk assessment shall be held with the Operational Plan in the RWBSWC Clubhouse.
Emergency Action Plan.
This is included as Appendix 2.
This includes a communications list in case of emergency. Copies shall be placed in the file with Operational Plan, on Clubhouse notice board, and in all Club Safety Boats during RYA training.
Communication.
Communication between the Clubhouse and the training area shall be by VHF/RT. The Club has a shore based VHF Radio (callsign Redwharf), which operates on VHF Channel 37 (M). The Senior Instructor, lead Instructors and the Safety Boat Helmsmen shall carry a VHF radio and listen on Channel M at all times.
5. Operating Areas
Shore based training takes place in the RWBSWC Clubhouse at Traeth Bychan, and the adjoining dinghy park and beach.
Water based training normally takes place in Traeth Bychan Bay, bounded by Penrhyn point to the South and Penrhyn Y Gell point to the North. This area is in sight of the Clubhouse.
Tidal influence: At the mouth of the bay there is a tidal influence which is approximately: Ebb Tide South to North
Flood Tide North to South
The reference port for tidal data is Moelfre.
Adverse weather conditions
When selecting the training area the following influences should be considered:
Extending the Training Area
At the Chief Instructors discretion, and taking into consideration the following factors, the Training Area can be extended either into Moelfre Bay or to Benllech Beach:
6. Courses/Training
Courses run for a normal duration of 3 weeks, and on 2 days per week. Students are able to register for any number of the total 6 days. The training syllabus follows either:
Students are monitored for their progress after each day’s tuition. Students are able to achieve Stage competence endorsement dependent on their ability and attendance.
Student progress is monitored using the document at Appendix 7.
Feedback
RWBSWC expects to provide training to support all levels of student experience and ability within the above framework. The facilities provided are in accordance with a members Club. All involved in JST as Club members are expected to assist in the wellbeing of the Clubhouse and its facilities. In the event of any problems experienced with the facilities or the training, then students or parents should raise them in the first instance with the Senior Instructor. If they require to escalate that feedback, then a Feedback form is included at Appendix 3.
Prior to going to sea, the Instructor responsible for specific training boats (whether Club owned or member owned) shall carry out an inspection of the standard of rigging and safety of each dinghy.
Club owned training dinghies. RWBSWC owns the following single handed and crewed dinghies for the use of Club members and particularly for JST.
Single Handed Dinghies Toppers x 5
Crewed Dinghies Otters x 2
Advanced Training RS Vision x1
RS Feva x 1
Kuba x5
These dinghies are maintained in accordance with RYA policy (see Appendix 4).
At the start of each season, after being taken out of winter storage, the dinghies are inspected and refitted to ensure they comply with this standard. The dinghies are again inspected prior to the commencement of JST.
At the end of each Training session, and in case of potential or actual gear failure, the instructor responsible for each dinghy is required to log the issue in the Training Fleet maintenance record book held in the Clubhouse.
The Waterside Committee will appoint a maintenance leader who will take responsibility for organising any necessary repairs, prior to the next training session.
Club members dinghies
Students are encouraged to use their own dinghies, where available, as long as the total number is within RYA instructor and safety boat ratios. Any defects with these dinghies shall be reported by the Instructor responsible for that fleet to the parent of the student to ensure they are repaired and seaworthy prior to going to sea.
At the end of each Training session:
All students and parents/carers are responsible for:
Cleaning their boats and packing away their boats and equipment.
Assisting with recovery and storage of safety boats.
All safety boat engines shall be flushed with fresh water before storage
Appendix 1
Booking and Parental Consent form
Course booking shall take place using the Club WebCollect system.
http://www.redwharfbaysc.co.uk/sail-training.html
Follow the link to “RYA Youth Stage 1 (Morning)”
This booking form is in accordance with RYA policy, as defined in RYA document “ Race, Training and Event Management” dated April 2018. (which can be downloaded from the RYA website .
Appendix 2
Appendix 2 (continued)
NB. A competent radio operator should contact Holyhead Coastguard on VHF Channel 16
Appendix 3. Feedback Form
RWBSWC Junior Sail Training/ Training centre.
To: The Rear Commodore (Waterside)
Training Centre Principle
From:____________________________________________________
Parent/Carer of:-___________________________________________
Date and Time:_____________________________________________
I wish to provide the following feedback:
Signed Date
Please hand completed form to the Training Centre Principal or Senior Instructor. Appendix 4.
RYA Dinghy/Keelboat equipment standard.
(Extract of RYA recognition guidance notes section 2.5)
Appendix 5. Staff qualifications record
Name of Instructor Qualification Valid until (date)
Appendix 6. Instructor Checklist (Sheet 1)
Appendix 6. Instructor Checklist (Sheet 2)
Appendix 7
Student Progress Monitoring Document
Appendix 8: Advanced Training beyond scope of the Training Centre
Within the Club Junior Sailing Programme there is a requirement for advanced training of pupils, beyond that described in Section 7 ( ie beyond RYA stages 1-4). This training shall take place in accordance with the scope of this Operating Procedure, with the following exceptions:
