South Port 2023 Junior Sailing Program
Other Requirements
Each sailor must bring their own refillable water bottle, with their name indelibly marked. Disposable water bottles will not be allowed. A means of clipping the bottle to a boat is preferred if sailing in a dinghy.
Lunches should also be "garbage-free", and packed in reusable containers with their name indelibly marked.
(refer to www.sailorsforthesea.org)
Valuables should not be brought to class (ie: phones, cameras, watches, jewellery). These items can be too easily dropped overboard or damaged by the water. Also, SPSS cannot be held responsible for valuables left unattended in the buildings or on the dock during a class.
Sailing lessons are a chance to enjoy the outdoors and spend time learning new skills and meeting new friends. The staff request that students refrain from using any electronic device during class time. Please leave devices at home or in your bags while at South Port.
CANSAIL Levels
CANSail Levels were introduced in 2012. Full details are available at the Sail Canada website. Levels are accomplished when a skill level is achieved. Everyone learns at their own pace, and weather can play a big role. Our instructors stress fun over achievement for young children. If level achievement is important, tell your instructor and they will give you progress reports.
Advancing Sailors: Questions and Concerns
SPSC Sailing School has set a high standard of achievement for its sailors to insure they move through the levels with confidence and the required base skills. Many of the instructors frequently required repeated levels to meet the program requirements.
In the past, instructors have felt parental pressure to advance sailors who had not achieved the required competence to advance. Obviously this would create serious concerns if, while in advanced levels, the sailor was unable to demonstrate the required skills — especially when some were necessary to sail independently on the Great Lakes.
Please accept and appreciate that not all sailors will achieve the required skills on the first attempt. It is our goal to insure sailors can demonstrate consistently the required skills of the level being undertaken — a sailor that does not consistently demonstrate the required skills does not fail — the sailor has simply not completed the level. Please contact your child's instructor if you have concerns about your child's advancement. In most cases extra help can be arranged if you wish.