Sailing
Derrynane harbour is the ideal location to learn how to sail.
The sheltered harbour is a perfect setting to learn a new life
skill. We at Derrynane Sea Sports have a sailing fleet to suit
all ages and abilities. Whether it be the total beginners
learning in the Laser Pico’s or hardened sailors looking
for an adrenaline rush in our Catamaran we have a boat
to suit your needs.
Learning to sail at Derrynane Sea Sports is a brilliant life
skill to have. It teaches you how to multi-task, preform
under pressure and allows you to spend time on the water
which is a brilliant way of relieving stress and relaxing
during holidays.
All sailing instructors at Derrynane Sea Sports are fully qualified Irish Sailing Association instructors. Meaning they all hold National Powerboat Certificates, Occupational First Aid courses and they have completed several courses and exams to become instructors. Many of our instructors have been with use for a number of seasons and many have been sailing with Derrynane Sea Sports from an early age and worked their way up through the ranks. Our instructors really do enjoy teaching beginners and experienced sailors how to sail or to improve skills.
It doesn’t not matter what age or ability you think you have on the water our Instructors will tailor lessons to insure you get the most out of your sessions on the water.
Our Sailing Fleet
Dart 16
The Dart 16 platform provides exciting performance that both the adult and youth sailor can appreciate. The responsiveness and feel found on the Dart 16 come from the long line of high performance products developed within the LaserPerformance family. The design is exceptionally stable and forgiving based on its simple, but robust construction. The Dart 16 is a favourite of ours at Derrynane Sea Sports for its simple layout, durability and the ear to ear smiles from all who use it. A must for all adrenaline junkies! The Dart 16 can be rented by experienced sailors. For the beginners or novice sailors who are looking for a thrill, lessons are available from our qualified sailing instructors.
Laser Bahia
The newest addition to the Derrynane Sea Sports sailing fleet, introduced new in 2014, the Laser Bahia has allowed us to develop family sailing lessons. A family of 4 can comfortably learn to sail together with a qualified sailing instructor on board at all times. The Bahia was a big hit with families in 2014, many commenting that it was a great way to spend time together during holidays. The Bahia is also a great introductory boat for those who feel they would like an instructor in their boat for the first lesson or two.
The Bahia’s versatile design provides a great platform for leisure or racing. A spacious cockpit, high boom and well-designed cockpit caters to the family or up to five adults.
The Bahia comes standard with durable Dacron Main and Jib sail. Safety is one of its strongest features. The Bahia is low to invert, easy to right and re-board. A furling jib reduces sail plan quickly in building breeze. Durable and sturdy it can be comfortably beached, making it ideal for exploring Derrynane Harbour with the family.
Laser Pico
The Pico is our most popular boat for beginners and those who just want to dust off the cob webs in the sheltered harbour of Derrynane. The Pico is a very forgiving sailing boat and ideal for learning on and sharpening up those skills. With its simple reefing system, spacious cockpit, and high boom the Pico continues to be a popular sailboat for all ages and abilities. A roto-molded hull provides a strong, buoyant structure that is superbly stiff and stable. Both the jib and reefing mainsail are removable. The high boom provides ample head room and highlights its spacious, self-draining cockpit. Easy to handle, a snap to rig, the Pico provides a rapid learning curve for single-handed sailing.
The majority of sailing lessons are completed using Laser Pico’s. They are widely used by sailing schools across the world for teaching young and old.
Optimist
We have a fleet of 4 Optimists at Derrynane Sea Sports.The Optimist is a small, single-handed sailing dinghy intended for use by children up to the age of 15 but at Derrynane Sea Sports we tend to move people onto the Laser Pico at age 10-12 depending on their ability. Nowadays boats are usually made of Fiberglass, although wooden boats are still built.
It is one of the most popular sailing dinghies in the world, with over 150,000 boats officially registered with the class.
The Optimist is recognized as an International Class by the International Sailing Federation.
NOTE: Nobody hiring or on lessons are allowed outside the harbour entrance under any circumstances.
