Pitsford Pirates
Sailing and windsurfing coaching for NSC youth
Pitsford Pirates
Is our sailing and windsurfing club for 8-16 years olds, taking complete beginners to those with advanced skills. Our aim is to have fun, gain water confidence, improve on-the-water skills and build friendships.
Led by our senior instructor and RYA Training Centre Lead, and supported by a vast team of volunteers, these weekly Wednesday night sessions run from April – September, aiming to progress children through the RYA syllabus and hopefully each Pirate will achieve their Stage 1 through to 3 of the RYA Youth Sailing/Windsurfing Scheme and maybe even go on to further courses or becoming an Assistant Instructor. And with a legacy of gold-medal Olympians and world champions having started their careers at NSC, Pirates aims high, whilst always keeping things safe and fun!
Pirates choose at the start of the season between sailing and windsurfing and are allocated to groups according to their experience. Children are encouraged to use their own kit, boats and boards, but for anyone without, wetsuits, buoyancy aids and helmets can all be borrowed from the club. Boards and boats are allocated to each group according to need.
The galley opens early to ensure families can get fuelled with hot food in the rush between school, work and the kick-off Pirates briefing at 18:30. We aim to come off the water for hot showers and hot chocolates around 20:00.
In 2026 we have added a small charge of £3.50 per Pirate per week to help towards the running costs, this is not for the coaching which is still carried out by our very dedicated volunteers but helps towards fuel, craft repair & replacement and supporting kit.
** Pirates will open for 2026 on 30th March 2026**
Summer Camp
At the very beginning of the summer holidays, it’s summer camp; 5 nights of camping at the club, trying all sports, and being independent of Mum and Dad. Activities include sailing, windsurfing, stand-up-paddle boarding, cycling, capsizing (lots of!), SUP Olympics, destination sails and so much more. This does have an additional fee, and we are always looking for volunteers to help out. Details will be issued nearer the time.
If your child is interested in joining the Pirates, please contact Alex, our Senior Instructor, via training@northamptonsailingclub.org.
We now use an app called Heja to log weekly attendance in advance.
For any parents with kids already in Pirates, the best way to stay up to date is via the WhatsApp group. If you are not already on there, leave a message with the beach manager or ask Alex to add you on.
