Welcome to the Learn to Sail website!
Dinghy Racing
Stay cool in the summer and improve your sailing skills while making new friends. Dinghy racing is for everyone who enjoys the thrill of competition and isn’t afraid of getting wet. There are many clubs that offer regular dinghy racing for youth and adults in the evenings, and regatta or club racing on the weekends. A race or two before the sun goes down after work or school makes you forget all your cares and think you have escaped to the Caribbean. Many clubs in the province offer club racing that meets a range of sailing skills and competitive interests. If you live in a city near water, you'll be sure to have some great options.
Most dinghies have either only a skipper or a skipper and one crew and so usually both people have to already know how to sail. There are race training programs at many clubs and special programs for youth who want to improve their competitive skills. There are lots of oppourtunities to race dinghies in Ontario.
Adults
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Find a club near your home that offers dinghy racing in a type of boat that appeals to you.
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Consider taking a race training program (check whether your club offers this).
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If you want to crew, find a skipper at www.CrewBank.ca.
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If you want to really improve consider hiring a professional coach.
Youth
You can either compete at a relaxed level at a local club as the next stage in your sailing development, or if you want to be competitive (and maybe get to the highest level of the sport) follow these pointers:
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Identify a racing program that's close to home at a club that offers professional coaching.
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Ensure you're training in the pre- and post-season at a High Performance Training Program facility
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Compete at quality regattas as much as possible where other athletes on the same level and better are competing.
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Develop your physical health at school, a supervised local gym or fitness centre.
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Read, read, read. Know your rules, tactics and strategies, weather
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Speak with the Ontario Sailing Team High Performance Coordinator about developing a specific training plan and racing opportunities in the future to work on your skills
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Ontario Sailing Recommends: Becoming an active member of the Ontario Sailing Team. With an Ontario Sailing approved race team, you'll make new friends around the province, learn new racing skills, and travel to different regattas every weekend.
to find a club that has racing.Ask an Expert:
To ask an expert about club dinghy racing please send an e-mail to the Ontario Sailing Program Director.