Learn to sail in Fort William on Loch Linnhe
Lochaber Yacht Club has been a recognised RYA teaching establishment, helping people to learn to sail for over twenty five years. We have a senior instructor (a RYA Class Racing Coach) as training principal, several dinghy instructors, powerboat instructors and a coach assessor – all volunteers. The club has, as required by the RYA, a Health and Safety Policy and a Child Protection Policy.
Dinghy Sailing
We have a large fleet of dinghies with some single handers, like the Topper, Terra and Laser, but mostly double handers like the Wayfarer, Omega, Stratos, Vision and Feva. Every year we train members through the RYA Dinghy syllabus: Dinghy Youth and Dinghy Adult.
Keelboat Sailing
The club has its own Soling Keelboat, called Kudo, who is used to teach people who want to sail keelboats instead of dinghies (less chance of capsize in a keelboat!), or those who have learnt to sail dinghies and want to take the next step.
Learn to Sail in Fort William
We run Club Sessions on a Thursday at 6pm, throughout the sailing season (April-September), where you can learn to sail keelboats and dinghies. All you need to have ago is a pair of trainers you’re willing to get wet! We have wetsuits, buoyancy aids, helmets and most importantly, the boats!
This year we are continuing to offer 2 evenings of dinghy sailing with a safety boat in attendance aimed at meeting like-minded people and improving skills on the water.
Wednesday nights are for racing – in a welcoming and friendly environment, where the main aim is to improve one’s sailing abilities, with some coaching and buddying on the side. There is no better way to improve your boat handling and we will have members happy to advise, assist and encourage. It is handicap, average-lap racing, which means a variety of boats will be out, and each type only does the amount of laps that mean everyone finishes about the same time. We also really want to encourage the post-racing discussions in the warmth of the clubhouse this year.
Club night – on Thursdays – at 6.00 pm is aimed at those who want to sail in company, learning to sail or improving their skills, and afterwards to chat and socialise. However this year we have a shortage of available instructors available at certain times so we will be concentrating on training in the first half of the season and offering more general advice in the second.
Power Boat Courses
Every year we run RYA Level 1 and 2 Powerboat and RYA Safety Boat courses for club members. Along with a refresher weekend. Members who attend these courses are encouraged to get involved with manning the safety boats for sailing sessions on Wednesday and Thursday evenings.
If you want to join, we have a single come and try session £10, or a variety of full memberships, please complete our membership form, or if you have any questions please contact membership@lochaber-yacht-club.co.uk.
