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The training was delivered by ISAF Nominated Expert Philippa Woods specifically targeting the skills required to take existing experienced sailors and helping them develop the techniques required to coach sailing within their club, region or country. Thirteen national candidates (all male) were nominated by the Yachting Association of Sri Lanka, bringing a variety of existing knowledge and experiences to share with the group.

The course started with a focus on coaching techniques and how to identify and develop specific skills through a structured programme whilst also focusing on individual sailor development, taking into consideration different learning styles applicable to varying ages of the participants. Candidates were then put through a number of both on and off-water activities designed to teach them a variety of ways to deliver sessions for both youth and adults, using games that contain the key learning points of a National Sail Training Programme syllabus.

Yachting Association of Sri Lanka representative Asanka Goonewardena said of the course, "The course was attended by 13 coaches from Ceylon Motor Yacht Club (CMYC), Royal Colombo Yacht club (RCYC), Navy sailing Club & the Mirissa Sailing Club (MSC) from across the island, which presently sails only Lasers from among the Olympic classes, but has a rapidly growing Optimist fleet. The course included two days of training for children from Sri Lanka's newest sailing club, at Mirissa, a town devastated by the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami. An additional challenge was that the coaches work mainly in Sinhala, the local language. They agreed, however, that Philippa did a great job in getting the message across."

Nominated Expert Philippa Woods said of the developments in Sri Lanka, "I was very impressed with the standard of the candidates, the facilities and the equipment available for the course. The candidates were always prompt, very keen to learn, worked exceptionally hard for the duration of the course and overall performed exceptionally well.

"I genuinely feel that the course has provided the necessary knowledge to empower the coaches to be able to take sailing forward in Sri Lanka. They are already actively looking at the promotion of the sport in the Country and ways in which Sailing can be taken to schools and in turn develop grass roots participation."

Course pictures are available from our dedicated ISAF Training and Development Facebook page here.

Dan Jaspers, Training and Development Manager for the International Sailing Federation added, "I am encouraged to see exactly how much of a thirst there is for the development of a National Sail Training Programme in Sri Lanka and would like to thank President Chandima Gunawardene, Secretary Lalin Jirasinha, Course liaison Asanka Goonewardena, as well as all at the Yachting Association of Sri Lanka for their on-going work. Long may it continue to benefit all future sailors not only in the country but in the region."

For more information on how your MNA can host an ISAF Technical Course for Coaches and for all related Training and Development information on how to develop National Sail Training Programmes, please visit our dedicated website page www.sailing.org/training