victoria yacht club sailing lessons

Sailing Lessons

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The most fun you will have this summer! We have been running sailing programs for over 20 years with certified instructors that are energetic and knowledgeable.

We have a wide variety of programs to suit all ages and skill levels. We operate under the Canadian Yachting Association (CYA) CANSail to offer the following programming:

Optimist Sailing Program For Youth Aged 8-13

Cansail program ages 14 & up, junior racing.

The VBYC is excited to continue to offer junior racing at the club at 9am on Saturdays and Sundays in July and August. Club boats and equipment will be provided to any club members and sailing school students who want to give racing a try. CYA certified coaches will supervise and instruct the race courses and best of all it's free of cost. Racing is the best way to learn how to sail. This is a great opportunity, give it a shot!

For more information and registration please contact  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Windsurfing

If dingy sailing isn't your thing then windsurfing will be! If you have never felt the the exhilaration of gliding over the water on a windsurfer then sign up for a clinic, it's easier than you think.

The CANSail Program

Programming specific to ages 5-8 years, in an Optimist Dinghy. Active Start stage of the Long Term Sailor Development (LTSD).

CANSail 1 & 2

Fundamental skill aquisition in any type of boat (single / double handed). Fundamental Stage of the LTSD.

CANSail 3 & 4

Applied skill acquisition in any type of boat (single / double handed). Learn to Sail Fast stage of the LTSD.

CanSail 5 & 6

Applied skill consolidation in any type of boat (single / double handed). Learn to Train stage of the LTSD.

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Royal Victoria Yacht Club

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Services Offered

Founded in 1892, RVYC is the oldest yacht club in British Columbia. Over the past one hundred and twenty years, RVYC has made significant contributions to the sailing, seafaring, and cruising communities of the Pacific Northwest and Canada. RVYC encourages boating through membership, learn to sail programs, school programs, a school sailing league and our sailing team programs. We are a member club that has activities open to the public and our members.

Services Offer

RVYC offers a variety of services including:

1. Learn to sail programs

2. Middle and senior school programs

3. Lower Vancouver Island Youth School …

3. Lower Vancouver Island Youth School Sailing League

4. Adult learn to sail

5. Adult Intro to Keelboating

6. Sailing teams for athletes 7+

7. Active keelboat race series

8. Crewing opportunities

9. Membership

Our Philosophy

Adventurous, inclusive and quality programs for the community. We value sportsmanship, excellence and sailing for life.

Learning Opportunities

Learn to sail programs are offered for adults and children in a fun, safe, and positive learning environment. We offer CANSail courses for kids as young as 4 years old, with our Optimist Wet Feet program, and those young at heart, with our Adult Learn to Sail programs including our Salty Sisters for ladies 18+. Our courses introduce basic sailing and racing skills, develop existing skills, provides advanced training, and improve confidence, all while having fun and enjoying the beautiful Cadboro Bay and Oak Bay. The Instructional Sailing program is available to both members and the public.

Our sailing staff are all certified Sail Canada instructors with extensive on water rescue and first aid training to ensure a safe and positive learning and training environment. All participate actively in the sport of sailing and include local and elite athletes.

Interesting Facts

1. RVYC Sailing Program was the 2011 and 2012 Sailing Program of the Year as recognized by Sail Canada. We received the Bill Abbott Sr. Trophy for our excellence in providing instructional and racing programs.

2. RVYC was instrumental in the creation and adaptation of the new Sail Canada Program.

3. Athletes from the RVYC have represented Canada in either an Olympic or Paralympic games for the last 60 years. This includes three participants at the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games.

4. In 2008 our Head Coach was honoured as the Coach of the Year by Sail Canada; and in 2016 he received the Petro Canada Coaching Excellence Award.

We are located just off of Beach Drive in the picturesque uplands nestled behind a grove of cedars. We are Victoria’s premier ocean access club. We are easily found via bus (UVIC 11), car, and bike or walking. Overlooking Cadboro Bay we have winds gentle enough for the beginner and challenging enough for the Olympian.

Connect with us through our social media pages on Facebook and Twitter!

3475 Ripon Road, Victoria Get Directions

Everyday 8:30am - 5:00 PM

Schedule of Activities

Schedules filter, clear filters, 59 sessions.

Royal Victoria Yacht Club has 59 sessions listed on ChatterBlock, visit their website for additional information.

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3 Reviews of Royal Victoria Yacht Club Reviews Write Review

Read 3 experiences.

Provides a lifelong foundation and respect for the sea.

I appreciate the emphasis on safety and how the instructors took their time to make sure everything was understood.

Great program.

The school sailing programs here were lots of fun and I learned a lot. Safety was always a priority and they had great teachers. They provided every opportunity for us to improve our sailing skills and let us try new stuff. It's been 4 years since my participation, but when I was there I never felt like I was wasting my time.

Last summer I brought my four year old son for Wet Feet and he had an absolute blast. The staff at Royal Vic were so great with him and made him feel completely comfortable on the water. They are enthusiastic, professional and confident and can really blend fun and safety seamlessly. This summer we'll be back with all the neighborhood friends and cousins!

Contact Royal Victoria Yacht Club

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Big Blue Sailing, Sidney BC

Sailing Lessons and Sailing Adventures in Gulf Island National Park Reserve

About Big Blue Sailing

From our home base at Canoe Cove Marina near Victoria, BC you can start your adventure.

Do you still dream about sailing off to find fun and adventure, but don’t know where to start?

Big Blue Sailing School is a Sidney based, Sail Canada (CYA) registered sailing school and Sailing Charter Company. Our dreams have captured us and we want to share that with you. Our sail school offers a safe learning environment that is both challenging and rewarding for anyone who wants to learn to sail.

We created the sailing school and sailing adventure holidays to share with people the joy of sailing. Even an afternoon in the harbour on a sailboat is a very rewarding experience. It’s hard to explain. Knocking about in boats is about as fun as it gets.

Whether you want to learn to sail, explore beautiful anchorages, enjoy nature trails, or learn how to be a liveaboard – we have a package that is just right for you.

Endless fun is part of all options.

Join us for a day, or take a cruise. We’ll have a good time and make new friends…

Ready to Sail with us?

Choose your sailing experience!

Customer Reviews

Schedule 2024

Our 2024 schedule will be up soon.  We are proud to offer more courses this year. 

Sail with Us!

Sailing Adventures

Sailing Lessons

Family Day Sailing

Corporate Team Building

Why book with us, exclusive access to the gulf island national park.

Only a few companies have full access to the park – Big Blue Sailing is one. Visit all the best hidden and unspoiled hidden gems in the Vancouver Island area.

Learn from an expert Skipper

You are in safe hands with Paul, our skipper. He is a Certified Sailing Instructor with Sail Canada, holds a Transport Canada 60-ton Limited Masters ticket, and is a member of Royal Canadian Marine and Search Rescue.

Join our satisfied customers

You don’t have to take our word for it, take our customers’.

Rekindle your sense of adventure

No matter what your age, sailing offers unrivalled freedom and adventure. It is never too late! Rekindle youthful dreams, or simply indulge your desire for the great outdoors.

Enjoy fun, relaxed sailing

“We had a wonderful time with Big Blue Sailing School. Four of us sailed around beautiful Brentwood Bay on Vancouver Island for 3 hours. Paul has a nice 36 foot boat and is very personable.” Mark F.

Learn to sail

“A great course to learn to sail from an excellent teacher. Thanks Paul, for providing us with a great experience that will be a foundation for sailing in the future. Well worth the time as we learned a tremendous amount in a short period of time in a great learning environment.” Sid B.

Our 2024 schedule will be up soon.

We are proud to offer more courses this year.

Our courses will include:

Introduction to Sailing – 1/2 Day Sailing outings

Basic Cruise/Crew Standard in 2 formats.

Format 1 – Cruising in the Gulf Islands (5-day liveaboard format)

Format 2 – Weekend courses.

Course 1 – Start Keelboat (2-day course, leading to Basic Cruise/Crew Standards

Course 2 – 3 day course to finish the Cruise/Crew Standards

Coastal Navigation – Home Study with “Zoom” and “Moodle” support

Intermediate Cruise/Crew Standard – Cruising in the Gulf Islands (5-day liveaboard format)

Mileage Builders – 7 day trip helping to build confidence and skills learned in previous courses.

Check back regularly as our schedule is updated to include new offerings

Happy sailing!

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On any given day, the waters around Oak Bay are sprinkled with sailboats, and provide some of the best sailing in the world.

Oak Bay is home to both the Oak Bay Marina and the Royal Victoria Yacht Club (founded in 1892, it's the oldest Yacht club in Western Canada), and sailing has a long and important history with the community.  In addition to moorings, there are several anchorages in and around Oak Bay.  Within an easy half-day sail, both the Gulf Islands and San Juan Islands (USA) provide exceptional sheltered sailing. Oak Bay also provides a convenient base to commence longer adventures either to the west coast of Vancouver Island, the sheltered  inside waterways of British Columbia, or south into Puget Sound (USA).

Sailing Programs

Local sailing programs are conducted each year by Oak Bay Recreation.

Held in the spring, summer and fall at the Oak Bay Marina and on the waters in Oak Bay, the comprehensive CANSail Program (levels one to three) covers safety, seamanship, boat handling and more.

The Oak Bay Power and Sail Squadron  and Royal Victoria Yacht Club also provides some local courses on responsible boat handling.

Oak Bay Municipal Hall - 2167 Oak Bay Ave, Victoria, BC   V8R 1G2

Telephone: (250) 598-3311 - Fax: (250) 598-9108

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REGISTRATIONS

• FILTER EVENTS
• Mar 6 - Jun 23, 2024
• $760.00 - $798.00 CAD
• Royal Victoria Yacht Club
• Ages 7 - 80

DESCRIPTION

For more information, please contact Steve McBride at (778) 405-5373 or [email protected]

• Aug 5-28, 2024
• $603.75 CAD
• Ages 18 - 90

For more information, please contact Stephen McBride at (778)-405-5373 or [email protected]

• Jul 1-24, 2024
• Jun 3-26, 2024
• Aug 6-29, 2024
• Jul 2-25, 2024
• Jun 4-27, 2024
• Jul 1-5, 2024
• $560.00 - $588.00 CAD
• Ages 11 - 18
• Jul 15-19, 2024
• Aug 12-23, 2024
• $795.00 - $834.75 CAD
• Ages 10 - 17
• Jul 1-12, 2024
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• $480.00 - $504.00 CAD
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• $480.00 CAD
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• Ages 7 - 11
• $240.00 CAD
• Jul 27 - Aug 31, 2024
• Female Only
• Jun 15 - Jul 20, 2024
• Ages 14 - 19

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Adult Keelboat Training

The Australian Sailing Keelboat Scheme is an exciting development for sailing in Australia and offers the perfect Adult Learn to Sail introduction to the sport. It provides a fun and accessible entry into sailing and gives participants the opportunity to improve and develop advanced skills and techniques. It is ideal for those wishing to learn to sail but are not interested in capsizing or going for a swim! The Scheme is broken up into five courses that you can progress through to achieve your personal goals. Each unit involves 12 hours of tuition and covers both theory and practical, with the emphasis being on practical “Time on Water”. The Royal Yacht Club of Victoria was the second club in Australia to be accredited by Australian Sailing (formerly Yachting Australia) to run this scheme and, as such, we are able to offer the courses below. We run these courses with a ratio of three students to one instructor, so everyone gets plenty of time to develop the three main skills of sailing; helming, main sheet and headsail trim.

The courses are generally run over two 6 hour sessions and can be over one weekend, successive weekends or during the week. However, we have the ability to tailor these times to suit you, so if you have a group of two or three people who would like to learn, or advance their sailing skills, then please contact us to tailor a program that suits you.

Contact our Sail Training & Development Manager, Ian Fox at on (03) 9397 1277 or at [email protected] for dates, further information and to enrol in any of the courses below. If you are confident that you know which course is right for you, online enrolment is available by clicking on the date of the course that you are interested in attending. 

Gift Vouchers

Gift Vouchers are available for both Discover Sailing Experiences and Keelboat Courses.  Please click the link below.

  Gift Vouchers

How to register for an Australian Sailing course at RYCV…

To register for all sailing courses at RYCV, you will need an Australian Sailing number . This is your unique identifier that recognises you as a member and/or course participant. If you already have an Australian Sailing number, you can look it up here . If you do not have one, then there is an option to Sign Up for an Australian Sailing number when registering for a course or Discover Sailing experience for the first time (follow the links via course registration).   There is no charge to get an Australian Sailing number.

Once registered, you will receive a number, a username and an online profile. The benefits of this include being able to enrol in any national sailing courses, register for a ‘SailPass’, and to keep a record of your memberships, courses and qualifications. 

New training vessel 2023

3 HR DISCOVER SAILING EXPERIENCE

The 3hr Discover Sailing Experience is a chance to dip your toe in the water and discover the sport of sailing.  You will head out for a 3 hr session under the supervision of one of our Australian Sailing accredited instructors.  While the Discover Sailing Experience is not a training course you will be given a safety briefing and will be actively involved in sailing the vessel.  After your session you will have the opportunity to return to the Club Bar for a debrief and a complimentary drink.  If we don’t have a date listed that suits, please contact us as we are able to schedule courses as required.

Duration: 3hrs

Sat 16th Mar 2024 3:30pm – 6:30pm

Sun 7th April 2024 3:30pm – 6:30pm

Sat 13th April 2024 3:30 – 6:30pm

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

START  CREWING

The Start Crewing course is the first of the Australian Sailing Keelboat Courses and is best place to start if you haven’t tried sailing before, or if you’re looking to refresh your crewing skills after a break from the sport.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN:

At the end of this course you will have a basic understanding of:

• safety equipment and practices (including man overboard as crew)
• sailing terminology and parts of a boat
• how to rig a boat
• basic knots
• wind and weather
• how to tack and gybe (turn) a boat
• how to trim (adjust) sails
• basic rules of the road

Cost:  $310 for RYCV members | $340 for non-members

Sunday 25th Feb and 3rd Mar 9am – 3pm

Saturday 16th Mar and 23rd Mar 9am – 3pm

Saturday 13th and 20th April 9am – 3pm

Sunday 12th and 19th May 9am -3pm

START HELMING

The Start Helming is the second of the Australian Sailing Keelboat Training courses and builds on all the skills learnt in Start Crewing. This course takes these skills to a higher level as well as introduces some more advanced techniques and gives the participant the skills needed to confidently take control of the helm.  

• rigging the boat unaided
• helming the boat around a triangle course
• general and racing rules of the road
• how heel and sail trim effect helming
• recover person overboard while helming
• weather forecasts
• reduce sail while underway

7th and 14th April 9am – 3pm

4th and 11th May 9am – 3pm

KEELBOAT SPINNAKER

Once you have a good understanding of the roles on a keelboat (i.e. crewing and helming) you can start to fine tune your skills and learn how to use a spinnaker effectively.

At the end of this course you will know how to:

• hoist and drop a spinnaker
• trim a spinnaker effectively
• gybe a spinnaker
• pack spinnakers

The course includes instruction for asymmetrical spinnakers only.

Sunday 21st and 28th April 9am – 3pm

START  RACING

The Start Racing course is perfect for individuals who have a reasonable understanding of sailing and would like learn or fine tune their racing skills.

At the end of this course you will have an understanding of:

• race structure
• racing rules
• advanced sail trim
• boat equipment

Dates:  Please contact the office for upcoming dates.

KEELBOAT SEAMANSHIP

This course aims to equip participants with advanced sailing and boat handling techniques which will enable them to skipper a small yacht in sheltered waters and light conditions.

• assessing risks on board and how to avoid them
• handling a boat in confined areas under sail
• coming alongside a jetty under sail
• interpreting charts
• sailing backwards
• sailing without a tiller
• basic maintenance
• different properties and care of synthetic ropes

Have a question?

You can find out more about trying sailing by contacting our Sail Training Development Manager on (03) 9397 1277 or by email.

Royal Geelong Yacht Club Home of the Festival of Sails

RGYC Sailing Academy

The RGYC Sailing Academy is the premier Discover Sailing centre in south-west Victoria, offering learn to sail courses in Geelong for all ages, powerboat courses and further training opportunities.

RGYC is an  Australian Sailing  accredited  Discover Sailing  center, offering courses for everyone from the age of seven and up. This includes Tackers for primary school aged kids,  Out There Sailing for teenagers,  Dinghy Learn to Sail  and Keelboat Learn to Sail for late teens to adults. The Sailing Academy runs courses beginning in Spring through to the end of Autumn each year.

Learn more about our programs by clicking on the images below.

Learn To Sail Courses

Tackers Kids Learn To Sail

OutThere Sailing Youth Learn To sail

Dinghy Courses Adult Learn To Sail

Keelboat Courses Adult Learn to Sail

Women on Water Female Sailing

Powerboat Courses Learn to operate a powerboat

Other Training First Aid, CPR and more

RGYC’s professional staff ensure that our learn to sail programs in Geelong are fun, safe and affordable, and ran in accordance with Australian Sailing’s best practices. Awarded the 2017 Victorian Discover Sailing Centre of the Year, our Sailing Academy accommodates over 200 students per year under our professional and friendly qualified Instructors and Assistant Instructors.

For more information about any of our courses, please contact our friendly staff in the Sailing Academy.

Phone: (03) 5229 3705 Email: [email protected]

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Adult learn to sail

As an  accredited Australian Sailing Discover Sailing Centre  the club offers opportunities and experiences to  suit all abilities . Our team of qualified instructors and coaches are dedicated to sharing their knowledge and passion for the sport of sailing.

Royal Brighton Yacht Club has  one of the most active sailing calendars in Victoria . With learn to sail courses, powerboat courses, social sailing, racing and volunteer opportunities there are several ways to get on the water. We look forward to welcoming you and showing you how fun, safe, accessible, and affordable sailing is.

Here at RBYC we offer a number of options for adults interested in sailing. Whether you are keen to learn in a dinghy or a keelboat, spend an afternoon or do a course. Discover Sailing courses can lead on to a  wide range of sailing and social opportunities  at RBYC, both  recreational and competitive .

Our Courses

Dinghies courses are tailored for adults and involve sailing on small exhilarating boats (one, two or three crew vessels).

Dinghies represent an ideal learning platform because thanks to their small size participants are safe and in full control of all sailing aspects. In more experienced hands though dinghies become action-packed boats suitable for sailors looking for a thrilling sail

All dinghy courses are run over 4 consecutive Saturdays

Keelboat courses use sailing boats up to 10m long which allow participants to learn to sail on stable yet responsive vessels. The crew is comprised of several sailors so all participants can experience and master all roles on board. Teamwork is essential and allows for participants of all fitness levels to learn to sail. These vessels are called Sport Keelboats for a reason though, more experienced crews will soon find out that these vessels are no snail!

Details & Bookings

Frequently asked questions.

Is it safe? Safety is the top priority at RBYC .  The club provides all the safety equipment needed and all instructors maintain current qualifications and certificates dictated by Australian Sailing and RBYC,  including first aid training and working with children checks .

Do I need to be a member of the club? You do not need to be a member of a club to take part in one of our adult courses

Do I need a boat? All boats are provided by RBYC

What do I need to bring? All the safety equipment is provided by the club. In addition you will need: – Clothes & shoes (including change) – wear ones you don’t mind getting wet and will keep you warm on cold days – Towel – Drink bottle – Hat – Sunscreen

  |   N48 27.2' W123 17.7' |     WEBCAMS

The Royal Victoria Yacht Club began with a yacht race in 1892. With a long tradition in racing, we host a variety of local regattas throughout the year, encouraging sportsmanship and excellence in competitive sailing. 

The Club has one of the premier Learn to Sail programs in Canada. Our Dinghy sailors compete at all levels in a variety of dinghies, including Bytes, Opti’s Lasers, 29rs, 49rs, 420s and Fireballs, We are proud to be the home port for multiple National, International and Olympic sailors and we are particularly proud of our recent Paralympic podium finishes!

Dinghy sailing at our Club is complemented by several keelboat racing programs; there is a fleet of smaller, easy to sail keelboats (Martin 242’s) which are available for adult sailing instruction and for use by members for competition. In addition there are very active fleets of Mini 12 and 2.4mR boats as well as fleets of larger keelboats and multihull boats that do both Distance sailing and Round the Buoys sailing. 

We also have a growing and exciting Radio Controlled racing series and are hosting two 6 Meter keel boats that we expect to be campaigning nationally and internationally once the COVID pandemic is under control. For more information about 6 Meter sailboats, visit 6metre.com

All of the fleets take advantage of the wonderful sailing weather that we have here in Victoria and race all year round. During the summer months keel boat races are held on Wednesday and Thursday evenings, the rest of the year we sail on Sundays.  We have both casual and competitive racing.

In normal times we encourage people interested in keelboat racing to come down to the Club on race days when you will be sure to be able to ‘catch a ride’ on a race boat!  Due to COVID, we are asking people interested in racing, but who do not have a boat, to contact the Administration Office.

All ClubSpot Racing Events 2023-2024 RVYC Racing Calendar Racing Events Calendar Online  

When you select the clubspot link above  it will default to upcoming regattas.  Please select the "All Regattas" button to show a list of all events, past, present and future and provides links for registration for upcoming events, results for past events as well as links to the important pages of all events, such as the Event page, the Entry list and the Race documents. Please report any Clubspot errors here .

Register for the Fall/ Winter/ Spring racing series of your choice.  View the calendar for more information about each racing event.  All racing events are powered by Clubspot. In order to register for any Regatta you must have a Clubspot account. To sign up,  click here .  

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• Opening hours
• Flag Officers and Committees
• RVYC Special Ensign
• Reciprocal Clubs 2024
• 4 Documents...
• 2024 Programme
• Charges, Rules, Bye Laws and Data Privacy Policy
• 1 Standard Operating Procedures...

Please see the attachments below:

RVYC History 1845 - 2021 by Hilary Martin and Henrietta Smyth (RVYC historians)

History of the club - THE ROYAL VICTORIA YACHT CLUB 1845 2000 by Clifford Matthews (Commodore 1979-1982) with revisions 2020

Publicity leaflet for 1908 OLYMPIC YACHT RACES by Henrietta Smyth - copies available for purchase through the Club Office ([email protected])

For any further information , please contact Hilary Martin via [email protected]

Last updated 15:17 on 14 February 2024

• The Reserve

Westernport Yacht Club

Westernport Yacht Club is the perfect place to sail, learn to sail, launch a boat or enjoy a drink on Friday night at their Happy Hour(s) overlooking Westernport Bay.

We race off the beach boats from October to April each year. Classes sailed include Aero, Hobie, Impulse, Laser, O’pen Bic, Optimist, Pacer, Sabre, Taipan and Tasar.

Sail Training

We provide sailing instruction to all people from the age of seven and upward.  We have our own fleet of Pacers, O’pen Bics and Optis which we use in our training programs.

Visit their Tackers page to find out everything about kids learning to sail or look at their  Sailing School page  for more information.

You would rather be fishing than queuing up at a public launching ramp. We have the only decent launching facilities, for boats up to 7.5m LOA, between Stony Point and Flinders. We have two tractors to take your boat down the beach.

We respect our environment and work hard to ensure the beach from which we operate is the best that it can be.

Please visit the Westernport Yacht Club’s comprehensive website for further information on their activities: www.westernport.org.au