Sailing | Senior School | Ryde School | Isle of Wight

SAILING ACADEMY

Sailing is a key focus offered to all, from novice to advanced sailors. We participate in a wide range of racing formats and events at local, national and international levels. We take great pride in being one of the few schools in the country to offer sailing as part of the curriculum, allowing all pupils from Prep to Sixth form, beginner to elite, to experience and develop sailing.

We don't just develop great sailors; we develop confident and capable young people, shaped by the challenge and beauty of the Solent.

Through strategic partnerships with prominent organisations across the Island, we seek to maximise opportunities for our sailors and leverage our exceptional location at the heart of the UK's sailing community and ensure our students receive the highest level of instruction.

We work with partners across the Island to maximise opportunities for our sailing pupils, beginner and elite alike: Tackt-Isle, Royal Thames Yacht Club via Cowes, Sea View Yacht Club, and Tuesday night racing with the Island Sailing Club.

Sailing and Sport Mission Statement

Our mission is to provide an excepptional sports programme, encompassing a diverse range of opportunities suited to all ability levels.  We strive for excellence, foster character and inspire a lifelong passion for sport, physical activity and health.  We are proud of our island and we embrace its unique challenges to ensure our community can access and succeed in a wide range of sports at all levels.

The Sailing Academy

FROM BEGINNER TO ELITE: PATHWAYS OF EXCELLENCE

YEARS 3 TO 6
  • Year 3 - Introduction to sailing and watersports day
  • Year 4 - Sailing specific days during activity week
  • Year 5 - RYA level 1 and 2 achieved through sailing week in September
  • Year 6 - Sailing is a games option in the Summer Term
YEARS 7 & 8
  • In conjunction with traditional sports, sailing is incorporated into the weekly timetable during the Autumn and Summer Terms
  • National competitions and regatta entries
  • Swallows and Amazons trip for adventure/exploration sailing
YEARS 9 to upper sixth
  • Year round sailing with specialist coaches within the weekly timetable
  • Continuation of team racing in both training and national competitions
  • Summer Term after school training
  • Introduction to keelboat racing in the school's J70s
  • ILCA training for the elite squad
  • International keelboat events (match racing and J70

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Meet the Instructor Team
 

CHRIS GRUBE 

We are proud to have three-time Olympian Chris Grube as part of our sailing coaching team. OriginalImage,Chris Grube,General images,Original

A member of the British Sailing Team since 2004, Chris is one of the country's most experienced 470 sailors. He represented Team GB at Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020, achieving two highly credible fifth-place finishes. 

After a brief retirement, Chris returned to the sport to campaign for the Paris 2024 Olympics in the new mixed 470 class. His new partnership achieved immediate success, winning a silver medal at the 2024 World Championships and securing their spot at the Games. 

Chris brings a wealth of elite-level experience, tactical knowledge, and competitive passion to the Ryde School sailing programme. 
TED BLOWERS

We are delighted to have Ryde School alumnus Ted Blowers on our sailing coaching staff.OriginalImage,,,Original

Ted is one of the UK's top young keelboat sailors and a specialist in the highly tactical discipline of match racing. He is a three-time National Match Racing Champion and a two-time Etchells Youth European Champion.

After developing his skills in youth classes, Ted has established himself as a leading skipper on the international match racing circuit and a prominent competitor in the Cowes Etchells fleet.

As a former pupil, Ted credits his time at Ryde School with broadening his perspective on the sport. He now brings that passion and his elite competitive experience back to our sailors, offering invaluable insight into high-performance keelboat and match racing.
MARTIN EVANS

We are thrilled to have Martin Evans, a former British Sailing Team member, as part of our OriginalImage,,,Originalcoaching staff.

Martin campaigned in the highly competitive Laser class for five years, an Olympic pathway that saw him secure a UK National Championship win alongside several junior world and European medals.

Today, Martin is a leading figure in the world of high-performance foiling as the International Class Manager for the WASZP class, one of the fastest-growing and most exciting foiling dinghies in sailing. He brings a unique blend of classic tactical skill from his Olympic campaigning and cutting-edge knowledge from the modern foiling scene, offering our sailors an exceptional breadth of expertise.

"At Ryde we hold a firm belief that sailing builds resilience, independence and confidence in our young people. Our proximity to the heart of the UK sailing scene and the contacts and partnerships that affords, ensures our pupils have access to opportunities unrivalled for beginner to elite dinghy sailing and small, medium and large keelboat practice and racing through the curriculum and inter schools competitive racing."

- CLAUDIA MANSER, DIRECTOR OF SAILING

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