Youth Programme
Having Fun on the Water
The club has a thriving youth programme. We offer sailing, paddleboarding and kayaking. We can also run sessions for schools and youth groups.
Arnside has a long tradition of young people getting out on the water. Arthur Ransome's Swallow was made in the village and in the 1930s kept on the estuary by a local teenager,
Water sports help to develop a young person's independence, confidence, resilience, teamwork and communication skills. Being able to paddleboard, kayak or sail is a great achievement for a child.
Sailing
We offer
- Taster Sailing Lessons at Arnside
- RYA Beginner, Improver and Advanced Sailing Courses at Killington
- Youth Sailing Club - Improver sessions at Arnside and Killington
Our youth sailing programme is suitable for 8 to 15 year olds. We encourage older more advanced youth to take part in club sailing.
Paddle Boarding and Kayaking
Paddle Boarding and Kayaking are a great way of introducing children to the water. We run family sessions on the beach at Arnside in summer. Our paddle board and kayak lessons are suitable for families. We can also put on special lessons for families,
For more info about paddle boarding and kayaking scroll down
School and Youth Group Sessions
We run taster lesson for schools and youth groups either at Arnside or Killington
For more info about school and youth group sessions scroll down
Safeguarding
The Club has a safeguarding policy. For more info click here. All instructors and volunteers working with youth are DBS checked. They will strive to ensure that everyone has a great time whilst staying safe.
Help with costs
We can offer bursaries for children with parents in receipt of Universal Credit (scroll down for more details)
Booking System - We use an online booking system operated by Eola.
To claim the member's discount or cancel out the price to non members, click on Add-ons. If making a repeat booking log on with your email and will not need to fill in your personal details again.
Further Information
For further information about our youth programme chiefinstructor@arnsidesailingclub.org.uk
We reserve the right to cancel lessons if minimum numbers are not met 48 hours before and in the event of adverse weather conditions.
RYA Youth Stages 1 & 2 Beginner - 4 days
This four day RYA Youth Stages 1/2 course is suitable for children and young people aged 8 upwards starting to sail. We will cover rigging and launching the boat, steering, sail setting for different points of sailing, tacking and gybing, knot tying, basic theory, weather and recovering a boat after a capsize. By the end of the course participants should have a range of sailing skills, be well on their way to being a good small boat sailors and be able to join our high tide cadet sessions at Arnside.
Dates Tues 27 - Fri 30 May, Mon 28 - Thur 31 July (additional summer date to be announced)
To check dates and to book click RYA Stages 1 & 2 Booking Form
RYA Youth Stages 3 & 4 Intermediate - 4 days
Our four day Youth Stage 3 / 4 intermediate course is aimed at children and young people who have achieved RYA Stage 2 and are on their way to becoming confident sailors. Our improvers course will further equip them with the skills and knowledge to be independent sailors. Upon successful completion of the course they will be able to rig, launch and then sail their boat in any direction. The course may include some racing. It will use both single and double handed boats. Topics covered include sailing techniques & manoeuvres, tacking, gybing, sailing a course, coming alongside, man overboard, points of sailing and the five essentials and rules of the road – eg port and starboard rule, overtaking
Dates Tues 27 - Fri 31 May, Mon 28 - Thur 31 July
To check dates and to book click RYA Stages 3 & 4 Booking Form
RYA Youth Stage 4 plus - 2 days
Two day course enabling advanced youth sailors to progress their skills. We aim to offer a safe and exciting environment as we progress some of the advanced sailing modules providing an opportunity to test your skills against others. Areas that may be covered in the course include use of trapezes and spinnakers, rudderless sailing and racing.
Price 2 days £90 (Children of Arnside Sailing Club members £70)
Dates 2025 to be announced
To check dates and to book click RYA Stage 4 plus Booking Form
Getting to Killington Sailing Club
The Club is located just over half a hour's drive from Arnside on the other side of the lake from the motorway service station on a minor road. The club facilities include male/female changing rooms, showers, a small self catering kitchen and meeting room / eating area.
To get there from M6 Junction 34
A) Take A684 towards Sedbergh
B) Turn right after a quarter mile onto Old Scotch Road, a minor road. There is a bend / junction warning sign in advance of the junction
C) After about one mile turn right onto Reservoir Road. This junction is very easy to miss after you are travelling at more than 15 mph.
We run youth taster sessions at Arnside during the season days when high tide levels are low and the water is quite shallow. Participants will be shown how to rig and launch a boat and learn about basic controls. Out on the water they will have a chance to sail and helm the boat starting by sailing across the wind, turning round (tacking and gybing) and progressing onto sailing in different directions to the wind and maybe a capsize drill.
We use Hartley 10s small single sailed boats. For older participants there would be one person in the boat for younger two, one controlling the sail and the other steering with the rudder.
We encourage parents to get involved with the sessions. For example helping launch and retrieve boats or sailing with their children if they are very young.
Dates Sat 17 May, Sun 8 June, Fri 8 Aug
To check dates and book Youth Taster Sessions at Arnside
Price £35 per session. (£10 children of Arnside members)
Our Youth Sailing Club gives children and young people a chance to practise their skills once they have done one of our courses with their sailing friends. We aim to alternate sessions between Arnside and Killington each week
Youth Sailing Club, Arnside
We run sessions at high tide at Arnside, for improvers and advanced youths with RYA Stage 2 and above. The sessions give young people a chance to practise, learn about tides and enjoy sailing in the sea. There will be some theory at the start of the session. The sessions are lead by instructor and have safety boat cover.
Price 2025 £35 per session. (£10 to children of Arnside members)
Dates Sun 15 Jun, Sun 29 June, Sat 12 June (more dates to follow in Summer Holidays and Autumn
Booking and more details Youth Sailing Club Arnside
Youth Sailing Club, Killington
The sessions will give young sailors a chance to practise and learn new skills at Killington
Dates Sat 7 Jun, Sat 14 June, Sat 5 July (more dates to follow in Summer Holidays and Autumn
Price 2025 £35 per session. (£10 to children of Arnside members)
Booking and more details Youth Sailing Club Killington
Start Racing Session, Arnside
Our Start Racing Session is suitable for youth. It will give young people a basic introduction to racing so they can join club races.
Date: Sun 11th May 9.30 to 14.30
Price £30 Club members £10
To book Start Racing
RYA On Board 
We are a RYA On Board Club.
RYA On Board is a RYA programme to introduce more young people to sailing
Our Youth Sailing Pathway
The below diagram shows our youth sailing pathway
Beginner and improver courses are followed by advanced modules, such as sailing with spinnakers. We keen to give youth the opportunity of sailing different types of boat including catamarans and traditional gaff rig boats, such as Jabberwocky our Gaffling dinghy and Severn, our historic yacht built in Arnside in 1912.
We have an Assistant Instructor scheme for young people 14 years and upwards, where they can learn to help teach sailing, assisting instructors run lessons whilst gaining life skills to help them in their future lives.
Older teenagers are welcome to join Club Races. There are also opportunities to sail in national and regional events (scroll down for more info)
The Club is happy to help any teenager wanting to make a career in water sports.
Killington Club Nights
We are run club nights at Killington on Thursdays evenings during the summer from mid May to mid September. There are a chance for children and young people to improve their skills. However whilst safety boat cover is provided they are not taught sessions. The sessions are only open to Arnside Sailing Club members and their children. Children and young people should be accompanied by adult. Young people sailing independently of their parents should be able to sail a boat competently by themselves and right it after a capsize. There is also the option of paddle boarding or canoeing.
Price £8 adults, £4 children Arnside Sailing Club members only.
Further Information
For further information about our cadet programme chiefinstructor@arnsidesailingclub.org.uk
We can also put on RYA Start Windsurfing Courses at Killington or taster sessions at Arnside if a group of children, young people or adults want to try windsurfing depending on instructor availability. We aim to introduce participants to the basics of windsurfing including how to stand on the board, sailing across the wind, tacking and gybing.
If you are interested contact chiefinstructor@arnsidesailingclub.org.uk
Guidance price based on three people doing an one day course £95 (Children of Sailing Club members £80) per day. For less than three people the price per person would be higher. We do not offer wet suit hire.
Family Fun Paddle Days
Family fun taster paddle board and sit on top kayak sessions based on the beach by our Arnside Boat Park. The sessions take place at the low tide when the water is quite shallow, meaning that in many places the water is shallow enough to stand up in.
Dates Sat 28 June, Sat 19 July
Booking - not yet available
Paddle Board and Sit on Top Kayaks Lessons 
Our Paddle Board and Kayak Lessons are suitable for families to do together. We can also put on private lessons subject to instructor availability and a month or more notice. Contact chiefinstructor@arnsidesailingclub.org.uk
Booking
Paddle Board Lessons https://widget.eola.co/1222/activities/stand-up-paddleboarding-lessons
Kayak Lessons https://widget.eola.co/1222/activities/beginner-sit-on-top-kayak
(Not yet open for 2025)
Prices Adult £42 (club member £35), Child £35 (club member £30), Family £130 (club member £110)
Paddle and Kayak at Low Tide, Arnside
Club member families can take out club paddle boards and kayaks at low tide. Children to be supervised by adults.
Club Nights at Killington
Paddle Boards and Kayaks are available for use by families on Thursday evening club nights during the summer. Children to be supervised by adults.
Paddle Leaders & Instructors
There may be opportunities for older teenagers to become paddle leaders or instructors so they can assist run sessions,
Youth boats
Our youth fleet at Arnside includes
Hartley 10 - A small stable boat with a single sail used by small children with two in the boat or single handed by older children.
Hartley 12.2 - A doubled handed boat for teenagers and adults with main sail, jib and asymmetric spinnakers.
Gaffling 4.1 - Gaff rig dinghy designed to introduce young people to sailing classic boats. Can also be rowed.
Heron - A traditional dinghy suitable for children
ICLA 4 ( formerly known as Laser 4.7) - Suitable for teenagers weighing 7.8 stones upwards. A RYA youth championship class
Topaz 12 – a twelve foot long child’s catamaran with a trapeze
Topaz 14 - a fast fourteen foot long catamaran with a trapeze for older teenagers
At Killington we use Picos for the beginners course and a mixture of more advanced boats for the improvers course
Safeguarding Policy
The club has a child safeguarding policy. We aim to provide a safe and welcoming environment where children and young people can have fun taking part in watersports, developing their skills and confidence. Click here more details
All our instructors and volunteers are DBS checked
The club’s welfare officer is Marianne Lueking - Email welfare@arnsidesailingclub.org.uk . If you have any concerns please raise them with her