A Year of Growth — By the Numbers
In 2024, we delivered 3,150 free sailing lessons to 560 Year 5 children from 15 local primary schools and home-educated families — a 50% increase on 2023. Since our launch in 2017, the programme has grown from 15 children at a single school to becoming one of the Isle of Wight’s most impactful education programmes.
2024 saw us add four new schools and launch a Saturday Club for children who want to keep sailing beyond their lessons. Our ambition remains clear: to reach every Year 5 child across the Isle of Wight.
A Royal Seal of Approval
In May 2024, HRH The Princess Royal visited Seaview to see the programme in action, watching Year 5 pupils from St Mary’s Catholic Primary School sailing their Picos off the Duver. She officially opened the new RYA training centre funded by the Trust.
HRH The Princess Royal · May 2024
“All Olympians have to start somewhere!”
HRH The Princess Royal
The RYA Responds
The work of the Seaview Sailing Trust in reaching out into the local community is inspirational. Giving children from so many local schools the opportunity to get out on the water in a fun and safe environment will have a positive impact on their lives. Whether they go on to sail regularly, or whether they just become more water confident through the positive experience, the power of trying something new will open their minds in ways that will have a positive benefit for years to come.
Sara Sutcliffe MBE, Chief Executive, Royal Yachting AssociationBack in the Classroom, Everything Changes
Beth Dyer, Headteacher at Nine Acres Primary School in Newport, describes the transformation she sees in pupils returning from their sailing sessions: improved concentration, stronger communication, and a newfound resilience when facing challenges.
Seaview Schools Sailing is not just about learning to sail — it is about unlocking potential, building confidence, and giving every child, regardless of background, the belief that they can achieve more than they ever thought possible. The changes we see in these young learners are profound and long-lasting, shaping not just their school experience, but their outlook on life itself.
Beth Dyer, Headteacher, Nine Acres Primary School
