FYC Sailing School History and Background

Developing Sailors in London Since 1993

The Fanshawe Yacht Club Sailing School has been owned and operated by the Fanshawe Yacht Club since 1993 when the Club purchased the assets of Sailing Camp London from Scouts Canada. The sailing school administration is accomplished by a committee of volunteer club members who look after the marketing and finances of the school operation and who hire the sailing coaches for each season. The coaches are the only paid staff in the school and they are selected from eligible young people, usually summer students, who are trained for the jobs and certified by Canadian Yachting Association. Most of our coaches are former students who developed their skills through our school and have decided to pursue employment in the sport.

The sailing school offers courses in two forms. The youth courses are offered for young people ages 9 to 18 and they are held in the weekday hours during the school holidays in July and August. The adult courses are held during evening and weekend sessions, mainly in June, with supplementary courses offered at other times. Private individual or group lessons can be arranged at most times during the club sailing season.

The sailing courses are held at the yacht club on Fanshawe Lake in northeast London. We use a fleet of Club-owned dinghies that vary to suit the level of course being offered. At present our base boat is the CL 14, a hard-chined hull, fourteen feet overall, carrying a jib and main sail and large enough for two adults or two to four children. We recently expanded the starter fleet with two Laser Picos which are lighter-weight boats that are easier to manage for smaller children. Our "step-up" trainer is the Club 420, also fourteen feet, but with a round-bottom hull and more complex rig with a spinnaker and trapeze system to achieve greater speed. Learn-to-race levels are taught using Club 420s that are equipped to a more competitive standard to move quickly through the water.

• to provide facilities in which members and the community may receive instruction in sailing skills
• to encourage all phases of sailing activity on Fanshawe Lake
• to promote a high standard of skill and seamanship in the handling of sailcraft
• to foster a friendly and co-operative spirit among its members and associates
• to perpetuate the tradition and fine spirit of the sport of yachting