Sail Instructor    

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Royal Canadian Sea Cadets have the opportunity to become Canadian Yachting Association Sail Instructors. This rewarding job lets those cadets teaching sailing at CSTCs and Sail Weekends and certify Sail Levels. The Canadian Yachting Association has recently changed the process by which one can become an instructor. Cadets can achieve this certification by taking Sail Trade Group III in the Sail Trade.

Instructor Levels

New CYA Sail Program

Under the new system, once one has completed a CYA Fundamental Course they can go for the following Instructor Certifications:

• Learn To Sail (LTS) White Sail Instructor (Tech 1)
• LTS Bronze Sail Instructor (Tech 2)
• Learn To Race (LTR) Coach
• Race Coach (Orange)
• Learning Facilitators

Prerequisites

To become CYA certified Sail Instructors, one must have the following prerequisites before going for their Learn To Sail Instructor levels:

• Must be 16 or older;
• Have completed the Fundamental Course
• either Boat Rescue or Bronze Medallion;
• Standard First Aid
• Pleasure Craft Operating Card
• Bronze IV Sail Level (for LTS White Sail Coach)
• Bronze V Sail Level (for LTS Bronze Sail Coach)

For the Race Coach, one requires these extra prerequisites one top of the ones already listed:

• Minimum 18 years of age.
• Demonstrated equivalent sailing skills and knowledge of Gold Sail Level VII.
• Racing experience at national level.
• Have completed National Coaching Certification Program theory levels I, II and III.
• Minimum 2 years teaching experience as a Level II Coach or Learn to Race Coach, with 600 hours of experience coaching at either level.

For Learning Facilitator, one requires these extra prerequisites one top of the ones already listed:

• Certification as a Senior Sailing Instructor, Coach Level III or higher.
• Have completed National Coaching Certification Program theory levels I and II or

Introduction to Competition Part A and B, or CYA Fundamental Course.

Certification Process

Cadet Sail Instructor, CPO2 Jarosz, hard at work.

Once one has completed all their prerequistes they can now take the CYA FUNdamental course. This course is designed to teach the theory involved to teaching sailing. It is an intense 20 hour course covering topics from teaching a lesson, planning a practice and ethics. In addition, topics like safety, skill progression, teaching to the appropriate ages, abilities and skills are covered. The instructors will be guided through lesson designs, curriculum and professional behaviors all done in a class room setting. Instructors will work in groups as well as individually on lesson plans and will be engaged in teaching in a creative but purposefully manner.

After they have completed the FUNdamental course instructors can go on to get their LTS White Sail instructor (Tech 1) or Bronze Sail instructor (Tech 2).

The Tech 1 course is based on giving the candidates time and guidance to practice their skills and get new ones from what they learned at the Fundamental course. The candidates will spend time teaching sailors in the class room as well as running on water drills and skill progression detection and correction.

The Tech 2 This course is based on teaching bronze 4 and 5 to sailors. The candidates will be on the water teaching others while being guided by instructor evaluator. Skill progression and a more complex breakdown of the skill is expected as well as a more in depth detection and correction.

After instructors complete their course, they are considered to be Trained. This means the instructors can still instruct and certify sail levels but they must be evaulated under a year after they have been trained. Once they have been evaluated, they are considered to be Certified.

Insurance

Before a Sail Instructor can officially begin instructing, they must register for the CYA Insurance and Dues. Once they have registered and payed the fee they are covered by a $5 million insurance policy. This policy is very important because is helps cover instructors just in case anything happens to the people they are instructing.

Benefits

One of the many benifits of being a Sail Instructor, other than an awsome tan, is the discount they recieve for Oakley Brand Sunglasses. Every year CYA does a promotion where instructors can save up to 40% off of these sunglasses. Instructors also gain access to many sailing information resources and sailing magazines.

References

• [1] Canadian Yachting Association
• [2] BC Sailing