Sailing & Powerboat Courses
Whitefriars Sailing Club (WSC) is a Royal Yachting Association (RYA) Training Centre where we offer a range of RYA courses for both dinghy sailing and powerboating, as well as accredited first aid, which are informative, enjoyable and safe. These are aimed at WSC members and its affiliated groups, but we are also able to offer training to non-members on application. The RYA courses offer structured learning programs.
If you are interested in learning to sail, please feel free to contact the WSC Training team [email protected] and arrange to visit our friendly sailing club in the Cotswold Water Park. Dinghy sailing is a very easy sport to enter and can cater for a wide age range and even if you are less able-bodied, we are able to offer sailing instruction with our Sailability Group.
Don’t worry about not having a boat to start with, as we are able to supply boats for you for to learn in. You've nothing to lose by giving it a go, so why not arrange to visit us and we'll see if we can get you or family and friends afloat? We have an Open Day in May when you can pop in and try the sport.
Once you've learnt to sail you can focus your activities by taking part in Club racing or through our groups: Juniors, Ladies and Sailability – check their pages to see what they have planned.
Various courses will run through the year. They are advertised on the WSC website and on the Training noticeboard at the Club.

Sailing courses for 2020
All courses start at 9am.
More dates and courses for 2020 to follow
Further course details and booking forms can be found here
Sailing courses for 2020 | |||
---|---|---|---|
3rd May | Discover Sailing: Club Open Day | ||
31st May | Sail Taster Day | Book online | |
20th-21st June | RYA Level 1 - Start Sailing | Book online | |
Sail Training Week | |||
27th-28 July | RYA Level 1 - Start Sailing | Book online | |
27th-28th July | RYA Level 2 - Basic Skills | Book online | |
29th July | Consolidation/Practice Day (L2, L3, Seamanship ) | ||
30th-31st July | RYA Level 2 - Basic Skills | Book online | |
30th-31st July | RYA Level 3 - Better Sailing or Seamanship | Book online | |
26th-27th Sept | RYA Level 1 - Start Sailing | Book online | |
26th-27th Sept | RYA Level 2 - Basic Skills | Book online | |
Sailing course cost per person | WSC members | Non-members | Federation Members |
RYA Level 1 (2-day course) |
£120 | £165 | £150 |
RYA Level 2 (2-day course) |
£120 | £165 | £150 |
RYA Level 3 (2-day course) |
£120 | £165 | £150 |
RYA Seamanship (2-day course) |
£120 | £165 | £150 |
Powerboat course dates 2020
All courses start at 9am.
Further course details and booking forms can be found here
Date | Course | Notes |
28th-29th March | RYA Powerboat Level 2 | Book online |
18th April | WSC one-day safety boat course | Book online |
3rd-4th October | RYA Powerboat Level 2 | Book online |
17th October | WSC one-day safety boat course | Book online |
Download a RYA powerboat summary of courses
Powerboat course cost per person | WSC members* | Non-members | Federation Members |
---|---|---|---|
RYA PBL2 (2-day course) | £120 | £165 | £150 |
The following courses require PBL2 as a pre-requiste | |||
In-house Safety Boat course (1-day course) | No charge | n/a | n/a |
RYA Safety Boat course (2-day course) | £120 | £165 | £150 |
All courses start at 9 am and generally finish by 5 pm.
Half day WSC Safety Boat refresher courses and Tiller-steer conversion can be arranged on request, in addition to dates posted on Facebook and calendar.
Emergency First Aid at Work (QA Level 3 Award, Ofqual regulated)
(with additional elements to cover emergencies on the water)
Date | Course | Notes |
tbc. | First Aid | Book online |
Date | Course | Notes |
23rd May | GRP Boat Repair & Maintenance | Book online |
Date | Course | Notes |
tbc. | Laser Tuition | Book online |
Course can be booked online through the Club WebCollect pages. All RYA courses are available to non-members and must be paid in full at the time of booking.
For more information, please contact
Sailing courses: Rupert Whelan (chief sailing instructor)
Powerboat and safety boat courses: Alistair Baird (chief powerboat instructor)
Instructional opportunities and courses not listed: Tim Hopes (training principal)
For general enquiries email: [email protected]