What is the youngest age a child should start on a sailing course? and in particular, an ICS Easter course?

The Easter courses are fairly intensive, especially the four-day courses (which are five-day courses squeezed into four days). Eight hours a day and half an hour of homework each evening can be arduous for an eight-year-old and too much for a seven-year-old.

We therefore have a minimum age of nine. In exceptional circumstances, we might sometimes accept a child of 'nearly nine' if the parents, and we, are satisfied that he/she will cope. This exception can apply only on courses that are not over-subscribed.

What should the keen six and seven and eight-year-olds do? ‘Messing about in boats’ in warm weather has enormous value. With the minimum of direct supervision or instruction, children should be allowed to just paddle around alone or with other young children (not older sibling), in a small boat, crabbing, collecting shells and seaweed, and so on. Without any conscious effort they will get the feel of the boat’s stability properties and develop a love of being on the water on their own. Being on board a big boat with parents has some value, but there is nothing quite like being in charge of their own vessel, even when it’s a rubber dinghy on the end of a long length of cord.

I have no need to set a minimum height or weight. Small light children may not be able to do some of the exercises and tests that older children do in the top groups but by the time they reach that level, they will have grown big enough to be able to, for example, rig and de-rig on the water. The smallest child I have known to right an inverted Optimist dinghy was a girl of seven who was 131cms (4ft 3") tall and weighed 24 kgs (3 ¾ stone).

As to a maximum age and weight, children starting at 10 or 11 or 12 are inclined to progress very quickly, but most children of 13 have grown too large to start in an Optimist. The average age on the Easter courses is 11. Large children may find it difficult to learn in an Optimist, but children who have learnt to sail in Optimists who then grow are perfectly happy continuing to sail Optimists and find their weight an advantage in strong winds. At the Optimist World Championships (to which some 35 nations each send 5 children) most of the top end of the fleet are large 14 and 15 year-olds. In my opinion it is far better for children to stick to an Optimist and become very competent and be able to sail in a force 5, than switch to a Laser or Topper at the age of say 12 and struggle in anything of a wind.

We set a recommended maximum weight of 55kgs for beginners, because large children (typically aged 14+) find it difficult to learn to sail in an Optimist.

The Optimist class rules (which govern racing in Optimists) require the skipper not to have had his 16th birthday in the calendar year he is sailing.

Jae Willis

18 November 2001