Paremata Boating Club

This page is for junior courses – for Adult courses see Adult Learn to Sail page

Sailing offers a great deal to young people. Among other things it builds confidence and teaches self reliance and problem solving skills. Plus it is great fun, and a wonderful adventure pushing a boat off a local beach and going sailing with your friends.

The safe and beautiful waters of the Pauatahanui Inlet really are a wonderful place to learn to sail.

Our youth Learn To Sail course is designed to introduce children aged 9 to 14 years (and their parents) to sailing as a sport. Previous sailing experience is not required.

Our club provides two courses each season. All our courses are directed by our Yachting NZ qualified coaches with assistance from our youth sailors.

The course covers the Yachting NZ level 1 skills in sailing and includes

Safety
Knowing your boat
Capsizing
Launching and Retrieving
Sail Trim and boat trim
Steering
Rigging
Knots
Tacking
Gybing
Points of sail
Rules and Meanings

Who can do it?

Our junior program is designed for children aged 9 to 14 years. Sailors must be able to swim a distance of 50 meters and remain in the water for 15 minutes unaided with a buoyancy vest. It is a safety requirement of the club that all sailors wear buoyancy vests when on the water. The club provides buoyancy vests to all course participants.

When are the next courses?

Our next Youth Learn to sail course is likely to be labour weekend, October 2025. If you are interested, please register here and we will get back to you when the next course is available: by registering interest you have not committed to undertaking the course, no payment is required to register.

What happens after the course?

After the course is completed we hope young sailors absolutely love sailing and wish to continue sailing with us, the course includes club membership for the year.

Sailors who continue will be a part of theclub’s ‘Rainbow’ fleet where they will continue to get coaching on every sailing session, and continue to learn about how to sail well as they have fun sailing with their friends. The emphasis is very much on fun sailing at this level as we continue teaching Yachting NZ level 1 and 2 skills.

The Rainbow fleet always sail at the club with a coach to look after them. They sail on Friday nights (from 4.30 pm till 7 pm).

Rainbow fleet sailors are welcome to keep using a club boat (at no charge) until the next Learn to Sail course students start sailing with us. After this point newer sailors get preference for club boats, but we can usually find a club boat if sailors wish to sail and have not got their own boat yet. Often this is the time when keen sailors start looking for their own boat. We can help show what to look for at this stage depending on the interests and size of the sailor.

What does it cost?

The course fees are $390 including GST for the course. Fees are payable in advance to the Paremata Boating Club account: 03-0547-0016903-00.

This includes a three-day Learn to Sail course, one-year junior membership of Paremata Boating Club, which includes a Yachting New Zealand Affiliation and use of the club's plastic Optimist during the Friday coached sessions for the 25/26 sailing season.

If your sailor wishes to continue to sail at Paremata Boating Club after their Learn to sail course, they will need to join the Friday night coached sessions at a cost of $110 per school term. These sessions run in term 4 and in term 1.

Your place is not confirmed until the registration information has been received and the fees have been paid.

Places will be allocated on a first-in-first-served basis, in the order of fees and registrations received.

What do we need to wear/bring?

A lifejacket is essential and must be worn at all times on the water, we will provide this.

Sailors need to dress to stay warm when they are wet. A wetsuit is best on cool or windy days (a shorty wetsuit is fine). Thermals next to our skin is very important to stay warm when we are wet and are highly recommended (even with a wetsuit). A windproof top layer is also a good idea, even in Summer. We can always shed layers if we are too hot. But getting cold is no fun and can be dangerous..

If you do not have a wetsuit we have a collection of wetsuits that are likely to suit most 9-14 year olds. A good alternative to a wetsuit is a woolen jersey (or thermal mid-layers – polyester or polypropylene sweats, not cotton) and a windbreaker. Wear 2 jerseys/mid-layers if it is cold or your child feels the cold.

Also please wear footwear, booties (neoprene boat shoes or old trainers that can get wet), sunhat, sun cream and togs and towel.

Please BYO lunch.

note: please do not come along if you are feeling unwell, please let us know if this is the case.

Any questions?