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Benefits of Sailing

 
Unlike so many youth sports, sailing is a life-long sport. Kids who learn to sail, gain a life skill which will see them through their whole lives. Above all, through sailing, youth and their families form life-long bonds of friendship both locally, regionally and internationally. Youth sailing promotes sportsmanship, independence, physical fitness, and safety at the seas. It is a sport that engages the body and mind with the surrounding environment and sharpens the awareness and agility for tackling with the elements of nature.
 
Furthermore, it is an excellent opportunity for interested members of the family to become involved in numerous fun community opportunities, such as fleet maintenance, leadership mentoring, on-the-water race committee, on-the-water safety boat assistance during regattas, and weekend fun sailing.
 
We, at the International Maritime Academy, believe that the hope of any country lies with the young generations; thus, it is our duty to foster these generations with the best tools in order to allow them embark on their life journey, equipped with values that will accompany them for the rest of their lives.
 
The International Maritime Academy of Lebanon strives to:
 

  • Foster seamanship, sailing and racing skills in a safe and fun environment.
  • Expose children and their families to the enjoyment and uniqueness of sailing.
  • Encourage growth in skill and competence, through both individual, and team participation.
  • Enable children to acquire, through the overall experiences of program activities, life-time values such as teamwork, leadership, sportsmanship, consideration for others, and self-reliance.
  • Teach youth to maintain and be responsible for themselves and their equipment.
  • Develop parental involvement that will support the various fleets and sailing activities.
  • Provide opportunities for youth to represent the country in international sailing events.
  • Create a National Sailing Team that will bring extensive value to the economy, benefit corporations, institutions, and stakeholders by creating Corporate Social Responsibility opportunities, Charity races and wide array of related events.

 
The International Maritime Academy is committed to growing the sport of sailing, and therefore we do everything we can to help the next generation to get out on the water and get involved in this fantastic sport.
 
Learning to sail is not just about filling an active child’s summer holiday. It is a gift for life that will never leave them, and one which they will come back to, again and again.
 
Sailing can be one of the most influential activities in helping to shape a child’s future. When a child is given the opportunity to helm a dinghy or a small sailboat, he feels as if he can accomplish anything the puts his mind into. This confidence is hugely beneficial in a child’s education and social life.
 
Sailing from youth is only one step towards higher levels of sailing, such as bigger sailboats and longer distances off-shore. The International Maritime Academy provides all these courses from the Optimist to a Yacht master – offshore.
 

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Sailing

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The program adopts a multi-faceted approach to youth training, based on a multi-level program that uses seamanship skills to develop confident sailors and evaluate individual progress.The main boat used for youth sailing classes is the ‘Optimist’, which is the internationally recognized boat for such purposes. The ‘Optimist’ dinghy sailboat, continues to be the fastest growing, one-design, international class sailboat, used for teaching children under 15 years to sail in a competitive sailing world.

After the age of 15, children are promoted to continue sailing and racing on ‘Lasers’, a boat that can take them through adulthood if they wish.

Our programs offer an opportunity for the youth of the community to sail and race sailboats in a safe, fun and enriching environment; In addition, it allows them to perform in a sport, both individually and as part of a team. Our commitment to safety, quality equipment, and training excellence is demonstrated by the many active sailors who participated in sailing and gained higher levels throughout the years.

The International ‘Laser’ Class sailboat, also called ‘Laser Standard’ and the ‘Laser One’, is a popular, one-design class, of small sailing dinghy. According to the ‘Laser Class’ rules, the boat may be sailed by either one or two people.The ‘Laser’ is one of the most popular single-handed dinghies in the world. The ‘Laser’ also provides very competitive racing due to the very tight class association controls which eliminate differences in hull, sails and equipment.

This course takes seven days, three days theoretical and four days practical. Those who successfully complete this course, will be able to act safely as skippers on a sailing boat up to 20 N.M. ‘s far from shore, operating in the coastal water, fair weather, and moderate sea condition.

This course takes twelve days, seven days of theoretical training and five days of practical training. Those who successfully complete this course will be able to act safely as skippers on a sailing boat up to 60 N.M.’s far from the shore.The candidate is assumed to have successfully completed all previous levels and acquired the needed sea service. This level is one step prior to a commercial and professional sailing level.

This course takes twelve days, six theoretical and six practical; those who successfully complete this course, will be able to act safely as professional skippers on a sailing boat up to 150 N.M.’s away from shore.This is the highest level in sailing while the yacht master is expected to have successfully completed all previous sailing courses and accumulated the required sea service.