FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
what we’ve been asked
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Your pre-course information email (sent about 7 days before your course) will have instructions for meeting your coach. Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron is located at 181 Westhaven Drive. The meeting point will either be at Reception or the Lighthouse Cafe.
The dress code for the RNZYS is closed footwear and no hats, tidy clothes will be fine.
For on the water you can normally just wear active clothes (shorts and t shirt) but you should aslso bring:
- Warm jumper wool is best in case of cold weather
- Warm jacket, wind and water proof if possible
- Thermal top and bottom if possible because of cold weather
- Sun cream
- Hat
- Sunglasses
- Drink bottle
- Sailing gloves
Life Jackets are provided, but if you have your own you are welcome to use it. You will be sailing just outside the Yacht Squadron, for up to four hours at a time.
Most likely not, but it is possible. It’s always a good idea to bring a change of clothes for after sailin
If there is bad weather for one session there will be a theory session, if there is bad weather twice in a course another day will be rescheduled.
You will be notified by phone if the course is rescheduled.
No. Our boats are keelboats and are impossible to capsize.
Approximately two-thirds of the time is on the water/practical and one-third is theory.
We run Yachting New Zealand courses YNZ Level 1 seamanship and YNZ Level 2 seamanship; RYA (Royal Yachting Association) is the British equivalent of YNZ. Both are endorsed and recognised internationally by the sailing governing body ‘World Sailing’.
For the Elliott 7 course the coaches are senior sailors from the RNZYS Youth Training and Performance Programmes, often these are some of the best racing sailors in the country. They are all Yachting New Zealand Keelboat coach qualified, the course will be overseen by our Learn to Sail Manager who is an experienced coach. For the MRX course the coach is a fully qualified YNZ keelboat coach.
Provided you pass the course (most do) you will get a YNZ certificate which is Internationally recognised by World Sailing.
You don’t need to but if you want to, checking the weather forecast and tides can help.
Yes! In fact if you sign up to a course you are already a member as the course includes a three month membership to the RNZYS which allows you to use all the facilities at the club.
After the month long free period you can decide if you wish to carry on the membership, which we strongly encourage you to do.
As well as sailing, the RNZYS offers great dining in the member’s bars and quarterdeck restaurant, rooms for meetings, fantastic social functions, family events, use of Lidgard house at Kawau island and it is an all round great club.