Derbyshire Youth Sailing-DYS

What does DYS do for Derbyshire’s youth sailors?

• Provide fun, racing sailing opportunities with other sailors from Derbyshire and around the UK;
• Allow sailors to compete against their peers in the County and Country;
• Provides training opportunities to improve their sailing skills and racing rules knowledge;
• Enters teams from Derbyshire to compete in National School Sailing Association events;
• Broadens their network of sailing friends at both County and National levels.
• Access to nomination for sports awards with DSSA, local authority & Derbyshire Sports schemes.
• DYS awards County Colours to the sailors on behalf of Derbyshire County Council.  The County Colours recognise longer term commitment and improved performance of sailors who represent the County of Derbyshire in NSSA events.
• Provides access to routes for development of their racing sailing to any level and to other opportunities like coaching, employment and inspiring the next generations of sailors.

What does DYS do for Derbyshire’s Sailing Clubs?

As junior and youth fleet sailors skills develop in the clubs, the sailors look naturally for their next opportunity, their next challenge.  DYS sits perfectly placed with the next tests beyond junior club level. 

DYS funds are used to pay the annual membership fees of the National School Sailing Association for each of the Derbyshire Sailing Clubs.  These fees permit the sailors from Derbyshire clubs to attend NSSA regattas and events as members of the Derbyshire team.

The publicity that DYS can generate around its own series and the team presence at NSSA events, in local, regional and national media, provides exposure in the press about dinghy racing sailing in Derbyshire and thereby enhances the publicity and reputation of Derbyshire’s sailing clubs and the roots of their sailing capability – your coaches, your club.

As DYS sailors achieve on the Open Circuits and at National Events, not only is your club normally noted in the results of these events, but also when they race at their home club, they can inspire the next generations of your club’s junior members.  This makes a difference and opens up opportunities to the sailors you taught to sail.  Many DYS sailors become your next generation of coaches.

The annual DYS racing event at each club provides the opportunity for the home club sailors to learn what they can aspire to achieve when they meet the visiting sailors, some of whom are competing on Open Circuits up to International level and continue to also want to compete in the DYS series competition and their own club’s racing events.

DYS opportunity for all ages

Derbyshire sailors have been as young as 7 years old when they have first sailed in DYS events.  When they reach 18+ and are no longer eligible to sail, they continue to retain interest and contact with DYS and some have helped with NSSA events and supporting the teams in their later teens and early twenties.

Sailors only need to be able to complete a simple geometric course as DYS events allow for light support coaching to be provided to those at the back of the fleet to help re-connect them to the sailors ahead of them, but not to coach them past other sailors.  We encourage race officers to provide simple courses and lead boats to make sure that the sailors have the best opportunity to complete the race laps successfully.

The DYS series includes four series championships with three age related championships and one overall Championship – it is possible for a Junior to be Overall County Champion.  The age groups are set by the sailors’ school year at the beginning of the series start in April each year as below:

            Junior               up to and including Year 6

            Intermediate     Year 7 – Year 9 inclusive

            Senior              Year 10 – Year 13 inclusive.

DYS adult volunteers also gain benefits from involvement in DYS.  Helping the youth sailors to achieve their highest potential and supporting them as they spread their wings in new circumstances are both highly rewarding aspects of being able to put something back into the sport.

What have DYS sailors gone on to achieve?

There are many DYS sailors who have competed successfully at national and international levels, in RYA Junior and Youth Squads and at least one sailor who has now made their career as a bow man in ocean yacht racing.  There are several sailors who have been National Champions in their Class, others have been selected as Team GB members to represent their country in International Regattas including World Championships. There are DYS sailors who are currently seeking to achieve selection for the Olympics.

The confidence and life skills that the sailors develop through their racing sailing are transferable into their whole lives.  In addition DYS provides a team ethos for the NSSA events, which helps the sailors to learn the benefits of working together and providing support to one another, especially when away from home.