LEARN TO SAIL

Prince Edward Yacht Club
LEARN TO SAIL PROGRAM

LEARN TO SAIL PROGRAM PEYC is excited to announce that

the Learn to Sail program is RETURNING to PRINCE EDWARD YACHT CLUB

30 Fairfield Street, Picton, for the 2026 SEASON!

More than 50 years ago, in 1972, PEYC assumed leadership of the local youth sailing programs from the Sea Cadets, guided at the time by Commodore Jack Cooper. In recent years, we have had a wonderful partnership with Waupoos Marina but the return to Picton is necessary to further improve the program and to continue to provide excellent learning opportunities for new sailors. We are really looking forward to welcoming the Learn to Sail program back to the Club this summer!

Donations: Sail Canada Financial Assistance Program

Prince Edward Yacht Club is also pleased to announce its participation in the Sail Canada Financial Assistance Program. This national program has helped many yacht clubs enhance their Learn to Sail offerings by enabling charitable tax receipts for donations made to PEYC through Sail Canada.
PEYC has committed to a five-year term in this program to help raise capital for essential equipment, including racing dinghies, a trailer, and other instructional aids. Our projected budget exceeds $100,000 over this period. As part of this initiative, the Club has approved the purchase of a brand-new RS Feva XL to join the two RS Fevas acquired this fall. These boats will support the development of young sailors, offering them an opportunity to learn to race, refine their skills, and begin participating in regattas.
To help launch this fundraising effort, a generous silent donor has pledged to match all donations—doubling the impact of the first $20,000 contributed to the Sail Canada Financial Assistance Program prior to June 1, 2026.
With the newly announced plan to return the Learn to Sail program to the PEYC waterfront, we are optimistic that participants, instructors, families, and supporters will feel renewed excitement and energy for the future of the program.
All donations will receive a charitable tax receipt for the full amount contributed and will directly support PEYC’s Learn to Sail initiatives. Sail Canada retains 5% of all donations. Contributions may be made via online banking, VISA, or securities donations. Further details will be provided to interested donors.
Let’s work together to grow our program, inspire our youth, and foster the thrill of racing and the lifelong joy of sailing.

Please visit https://www.sailing.ca/financial-assistance-program/ further information.
If you have questions or are interested in supporting this initiative, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Beth Graham at sailprogram@peyc.ca

General Info: Learn to Sail Program

The Learn to Sail program provides youth ages 10 to 17 an opportunity to learn how to sail and have a great summer while enjoying time on the water.

This sailing program is run by Prince Edward Yacht Club. We are excited to announce that the sailing camp is returning to Prince Edward yacht Club, 30 Fairfield Street, Picton for the 2026 season. At the PEYC Learn to Sail Program sailors will learn boat handling, sailing skills, safety on the water, knot tying, boat terminology as well as rigging techniques! Our boats range from beginner Topper Topazes, RS Zests to more advanced 420’s and Lasers.

We run the camp for 7 weeks in the summer, starting the last week of June, four weeks in July and two weeks in August. Please note the camp will run on civic holidays (Canada Day and the August long weekend). To contact our Learn to Sail Program please email Learn to Sail Director.

CanSail Program:

We offer the CanSail program with levels 1/2 and 3/4.

CanSail 1: Fundamental information on sailing, students will learn the basics and get an understanding of crewing a boat as well as some skippering experience. (it will require a minimum of 2 weeks to complete all the required elements of this course)

CanSail 2: Continuing to build on the basics of sailing as well as improving skippering and problem solving.(it will require a minimum of 2 weeks to complete the required elements of this course)

CanSail 3: Is a comprehensive course and is designed for intermediate to advanced level sailors, who have completed their CANSail 2. A higher level of sailing, Students will be skippering and they will start to learn about race tactics, roll tacks, the physics of sailing and wind vectors. (It will take a minimum of four weeks to accomplish the demonstration of the advanced sailing techniques)

CanSail 4: Is the highest level of the CanSail program that we offer and it focuses on introducing sailors to more advanced sailing techniques. This level will expand on concepts of CanSail 3 but to a more consistent level. (It will take a minimum of four weeks to accomplish the demonstration of the advanced sailing techniques.)

To learn more about the CANSail levels please visit the Sail Canada website here CANSail Dinghy

The price per week is $393.00. Members of Prince Edward Yacht Club receive a 10% discount. We encourage the students to attend the camp for a two week training session . This will allow them a better opportunity to succeed at achieving their levels, but it is not a requirement.

Cansail Sessions for 2026 (Program operates from 9am until 4pm)
Session 1 – June 29 to July 3, 2026
Session 2 – July 6 to 10, 2026
Session 3 – July 13 to 17, 2026
Session 4 – July 20 to 24, 2026
Session 5 – July 27 to 31, 2026
Session 6 – August 3 to 7, 2026
Session 7 – August 10 to 14,2 206

There will be weekly Friday BBQ’s for Awards and Presentations of Certificates at PEYC, 30 Fairfield St. Picton, ON

The PEYC Learn to Sail program was the recipient of the Ontario Trillium Foundation grant in 2022. This grant assisted us in providing new opportunities for our Sailing students. With the new grant monies we purchased 6 brand new “RS Zest” dinghies, a new rescue/coach boat, and a brand-new trailer to act as the new ‘Clubhouse’.

PEYC Learn to Sail Student Code of Conduct:
At the PEYC Learn to Sail Program we do not tolerate inappropriate or irresponsible behaviour from any of our sailors. We expect young sailors to show respect to their peers, instructors, equipment and the environment. Here is our student code of conduct that we ask all sailors and their parents to sign upon arrival at the camp.

Download Form Code of Conduct

REGISTRATION FOR THE 2026 SEASON IS NOW OPEN
How to Register:
You are able to register through Checklick here: Prince Edward Yacht Club -Learn To Sail

The Prince Edward Yacht Club want to be able to provide every child with sailing experience and be able to enjoy a summer on the water regardless of their financial situation. The Camps of Hope in affiliation with The Children’s Foundation pays the registration for families in need.

Please click on Camps of Hope (How We Help/Camps of Hope) for the Camps of Hope Application for funding.

We also offer 10% off the registration fee for PEYC club members.

Lightning and storm protocol:

Should the sail camp on water activity be delayed due to severe weather the camp will continue with onland training and lessons. Our PEYC sailing instructors are qualified to make these decisions and assess the situation to avoid the risk and danger of sailing in high wind/ storms. The instructors access radar technology and also use their judgment with an emphasis on safety.

Concussion info and protocol:

At PEYC we take concussions very seriously and have been continuing to educate our students and their families on the seriousness of concussions. Here is some information on concussions from Ontario Sailing Concussion Information. Here is some more resources for info on concussions Mayo Clinic- Concussions. This is the official Sail Canada concussion protocol Concussion Protocol- Sail Canada. To help our sailors understand the importance of taking concussions and head injuries seriously we are requiring that students and their parents/ guardians sign an Ontario Sailing concussion code of conduct. For the document click here.

What to bring to camp:

We require students to wear PFD’s on the water at all times, personal flotation devices (PFD) must be Transport Canada approved. Also sailors must be able to swim comfortably wearing a flotation device and be able to tread water for 5 minutes. . Also we ask that students bring lunches and snacks, sunscreen, a hat, closed toed shoes, a swimsuit and rainy/foul weather gear for colder and stormy days. A dry change of clothes and shoes would be a good idea so they are not going home wet.

Instructor/ volunteer Info

Meet our instructors!

MAX TOOTLE

Hi! My name is Max Tootle, I’m coming back for my second year as cansail 3/4 instructor and I couldn’t be more excited. I am 19 years old and going to Fleming College in the fall .In the winter I teach skiing at Batawa ski hill and work as a lifeguard during the fall and spring. When I started sailing I was afraid at first then I completely fell in love with the sport. I have been looking forward to another great summer of sailing and can’t wait to get started, see you soon!

EMMETT GOODWIN

Hi! My name is Emmett Goodwin and I will be one of the CanSail 3/4 instructors for the summer. I am going into my second year of university at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design. I’m currently majoring in photography but I am also interested in film, drawing, and ceramics. In my free time, I enjoy playing video games with my friends and bouldering. I have been sailing for around 8 years now and this will be my third year instructing. I’m excited to be able to teach you sailing this summer!

JULIANNA EDGE

Hi! My name is Julianna Edge and I will be one of your new 1/2 CanSail Instructors. I am going into my first year of University where I will be taking many Science related courses in the hopes of joining the medical field. I love baking, volunteering at the hospital, traveling, and of course, sailing. When I first started sailing, I was nervous, but it quickly became one of my favourite pastimes. I am so excited to be teaching something that I love so much! I can’t wait to meet you all this summer and pass on my love for the sport.

NOAH BLOWER

Hi! My name is Noah Blower. I will be one of the new CanSail1/2 instructors. I am 16 years old and attending school at Albert College Many years ago, when I first came to the camp, never having sailed before, I was a bit nervous. But after the first few days I began to really enjoy sailing and started looking forward to any time I would get to spend on the water. I have been returning to the camp every year since. I look forward to getting a chance to be an instructor and introducing more people to the sport.

How to become a volunteer:

At PEYC we are always very grateful for volunteer assistance to run the camp. The job of our volunteers is to help assist the instructors as well as support young sailors. To become a volunteer you must have completed your CanSail 4 and be accepted by the camp director. We do have a volunteer code of conduct to ensure proper practice in the program. All volunteers over the age of eighteen (18) require a Police Background check.

How to become an instructor:

Becoming a Sail Canada certified instructor is not an easy task and includes many steps but is very rewarding! Becoming an instructor means that you get to share your love of sailing with younger kids and the satisfaction of passing on your knowledge to others.

Prerequisites to becoming an instructor are CanSail 4 certification,your boat licence (PCOC), certification in first aid and CPR. The instructor must complete an Ontario Sailing fundamentals course, a coach boat safety course, LTSD online module and finally complete your CanSail 1/2 or 3/4 clinic.

To have a clearer understanding of the steps to becoming a sailing instructor here is the link to a flow chart created by Ontario Sailing. OS New Instructor Pathway