Since the end of March, the Activity Center of the Club Nàutic Estartit has once again been filled with energy, learning, and laughter under sail. 5th grade students from Portitxol and Quermany schools have taken part in a new edition of the school sailing program, with a clear commitment to sport, education, and the discovery of the marine environment.
Learning to sail in a privileged environment
With a total of 47 participating students, the program has taken place in weekly two-hour sessions, divided between Wednesday afternoon (Escola Portitxol – 5th grade A), Thursday morning (Escola Quermany), and Thursday afternoon (Portitxol – 5th grade B). All sessions have been running since the end of March and will continue until the end of May or early June, totaling 9 sessions per group.
Accompanied by their Physical Education teachers, Àngel Heredia (Portitxol) and Isaac Benito (Quermany), the students have had the opportunity to discover dinghy sailing in a practical, hands-on, and safe way, thanks to the Club’s team of instructors.
Esport blau escolar: sailing as part of the school curriculum
Students from Escola Portitxol are participating as part of the esport blau escolar program, an initiative led by the Catalan Sailing Federation, primarily in collaboration with the General Secretariat of Sport and the Department of Education of the Generalitat of Catalonia. This program aims to integrate physical activity and water sports into the curriculum for 5th grade students in coastal schools.
Escola Quermany, for its part, is involved in its own school sailing program, following the same educational and methodological approach, adapted to its specific learning objectives.
More sailing, less theory: a new methodology on the water
This year, the Club adopted a more experiential methodology, where students sail on their own from the very first day. The equipment was adapted by reducing the sail area of the boats to make them easier to control and maneuver, thereby increasing the children’s autonomy.
Each session begins with a short explanation on land, followed by rigging the boats and engaging in active sailing for approximately two hours. When weather conditions are unfavorable, theoretical knowledge is explored in depth: understanding the wind, parts of the boat, points of sail, and basic safety concepts at sea.
Results and values: much more than just sailing
From the Activity Center, the feedback is very positive. This initiative not only introduces the sport of sailing to schools but also helps instill values such as teamwork, respect for the sea, and personal autonomy.
The students, for their part, respond enthusiastically. They show great eagerness to learn and experience the activity with curiosity and excitement. For many of them, it is the first time they see l’Estartit and the Medes Islands from the sea—a new perspective that transforms their connection to the environment.
A commitment to the territory and the future
This project strengthens the commitment of Club Nàutic Estartit to the local educational community by offering a powerful educational tool through the sea and sport. With each edition, more schools and children benefit from an impactful experience that becomes their first contact with a world—the world of sailing—that is already a part of their surroundings.
