Free sailing lessons for primary school children to go Island-wide by 2027

Published 10:29 on 12 Feb 2026

Every primary school child aged 9-10 on the Isle of Wight will learn to sail as part of their education by 2027 - as an established programme providing free sailing lessons to Year 5 pupils goes Island-wide.

The commitment follows the continued expansion of the Seaview Sailing Trust schools programme, which will reach 31 of the islands 37 primary schools this year, with full island-wide coverage achieved by 2027.

 The expansion has been made possible through a new collaboration with the United Kingdom Sailing Academy (UKSA), which will provide tuition to a number of schools at its base in Cowes.

The partnership solves a long-standing geographical challenge, as the journey to Seaview was too far to make regular sailing lessons viable for schools in West Wight.

The programme will be delivered by UKSA instructors to the same standard and structure as the Seaview Schools Sailing programme and will be fully funded by the Seaview Sailing Trust.

Of the 31 schools involved this season, 26 will complete the programme with the Sea View Yacht Club and five will attend UKSA.

By 2027, students will receive a minimum of five free sailing sessions - each lasting three hours - delivered as part of PE during the school year by qualified instructors.

Many children will receive up to ten sessions, depending on their school.

Andrea Minton Beddoes, Chair of the Seaview Sailing Trust, says: We are delighted that UKSA will become our second partner on the island, working alongside the Sea View Yacht Club - and that our programme can be Island-wide from next year.

Fundamentally, we believe everyone growing up on the Isle of Wight should have the opportunity to learn to sail - it helps children develop so many life skills and, later on, can unlock nautical and maritime career opportunities in one of our Islands biggest industries.

In 2025, 723 children took part in a total of 4,446 free sailing lessons - a 41 per cent increase in sessions delivered compared with the previous year.

That number will rise this coming season to a total of 949 children.

Catherine Dixon, CEO of UKSA, says: At UKSA, we believe every young person should have access to the water, no matter where they live or their background, and we are incredibly proud to partner with the Seaview Sailing Trust to help make that vision a reality for children across the whole Island.

This collaboration is about far more than learning to sail - its about giving young people the chance to build confidence, develop resilience and unlock potential future opportunities in the maritime sector, which sits at the very heart of our Island community.

Since the charity was established in 2022, the Trust has funded more than 10,000 three-hour sailing lessons and taught 1,792 children how to sail.

Each child receives sustained, weekly tuition over a term, working towards official RYA Dinghy Level 1 or Level 2 certification.

Last year, the programme worked with 20 primary schools across Central and East Wight, including schools in areas of deprivation, as well as home-educated children.

Expansion this year and in 2027 to the west of the Island will ensure no child misses out.

In 2025, the programme also introduced Swim Safe, developed with the RNLI, Swim England and the RYA, to teach young people about tides, wind and other elements of water safety.

In May 2024, HRH The Princess Royal took to the waters off Seaview to watch primary school children learning to sail, and the Trusts courses have also received endorsement from the Isle of Wights Head of School Improvement, highlighting results in raising confidence, aspiration and engagement among pupils.

The expansion this year has been further supported by additional funding from the Cowes Town Waterfront Trust to help ensure children from both Cowes and East Cowes schools can take part - a key step in helping to make the programme accessible to pupils from across the Island.

By 2027, the Isle of Wight will be the first county in the UK to offer sailing education to an entire year group across all primary schools.