Weekly sailing training groups
Do you want to sail regularly and meet like-minded people? During the 2026 season, we will organize weekly sailing training sessions at three different levels. Check out the group programs below and sign up through our webshop.
Beginner training group in sailing (Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays 17.30-20.30)
The training program for beginners is designed to be as varied as possible and during the season, we will try 3-5 different types and sizes of boats, practice boathandling with motors and sails, go through safety and man overboard situations, learn navigation, get acquainted with competitive sailing, and explore the Helsinki and Espoo archipelago.
After the season, participants will be able to perform all roles on a boat and independently handle a small sailboat in favorable conditions.
Price: €850
Weekly program for the beginner groups
1. Basic safety, boat parts, terminology, basics of navigation, sail around the nearest islands. 2. Traffic rules at sea, more navigation, forward planning, using compass courses for navigation and positioning 3. Harbour maneuvers 4. Maneuvers (Tacks and gybes) 5. Safety, MOB-situations, heaving to 6. Using asymmetrical downwind sails 7. Aftersail sauna on NJK Valkosaari, Weather forecasts and planning a sailing trip 8. Sailing with smaller boats 9. Sailing in strong winds, reefing 10. Docking in natural harbours (Käärmeluoto) 11. Using symmetrical downwind sails 12. Introduction to racing 13. Session to be planned by the participants 14. Communication, sailing on feel, sail trim based on helm pressure 15. Night navigation and grilling at Käärmesaari
Intermediate groups (Tuesdays and Wednesdays 17.30-20.30)
The intermediate groups are perfect for those who already have some sailing experience, such as those who participated in the beginner's group last year. There will be two intermediate groups, one for those who are more interested in racing and one that focuses more on cruising. The goal is for participants to have sufficient skills at the end of the season to pass the driving test for the International Certificate of Competence.
Price: 850€
Weekly program for the intermediate groups
1. Tacks, gybes, gennaker basics 2. Sail trim and steering 3. Navigation 4. Harbour maneuvers (basics + med mooring) 5. Tuesday/Wednesday race 6. Sailing with smaller boats 7. Start and finish on NJK Valkosaari with aftersail sauna Summer break from Midsummer (June 19) until the end of July. 8. Anchoring and docking in natural harbours 9. J/70 practice 10. Symmetrical spinnaker 11. J/80 fleet race on THURSDAY 27.8 12. MOB-situations 13. Chance to do the driving test for the ICC / J/80 fleet race on THURSDAY September 10 14. Chance to do the driving test for the ICC / Symmetrical spinnaker (dipping gybes) 15. Grilling at Käärmesaari + night navigation
Racing group (Tuesdays 17.30-20.30)
The racing group is designed for those who have approximately 1-3 seasons of racing experience. Of course, this depends greatly on how actively you have sailed during those seasons. The group may also be suitable for those who have more sailing experience but want to gain their first racing experience. During the season, we train and compete in both handicap sailing and one-design sailing.
Handicap sailing usually involves archipelago or offshore races with a variety of boats, each with their own handicap rating. This means that faster boats have to sail the course faster to do well, while slower boats get a little leeway in terms of time. During the season, the racing group participates in five Tuesday races off the coast of Lauttasaari. The main event of the season is Gotland Runt from June 27 to July 1.
In one-design races, all competitors have the same type of boat, and the race is usually sailed around the buoys on a upwind-downwind course. In cooperation with NJK, we will be able to try out this type of racing during the Thursday races organized with their J/80 boats.
Price: 1500€
Weekly program for the racing group
1. Tacks, gybes, hoists and drops 2. Speed practice - sail trim and steering 3. Recognizing and reacting to wind shifts 4. Tuesday race outside of Lauttasaari 5. Symmetrical spinnaker practice on J/80 6. Tuesday race 7. Upwind speed, hoists and drops, aftersail sauna on Valkosaari Summer break + Gotland Runt 27.6-1.7 8. Tuesday race 9. J/70 practice 10. Tuesday race 11. J/80 fleet race on THURSDAY August 27 12. Tuesday race 13. J/80 fleet race on THURSDAY September 10 14. Symmetrical spinnaker practice (dipping gybes) 15. Symmetrical spinnaker practice (dipping gybes)
Frequently asked questions
What kind of boats are used for training?
Take a closer look at our boats here. All groups get to try out several boats, but the main training boats for each group are listed below:
Beginners' groups:
Monday, Thursday: Archambault A35
Wednesday: Finnfire 33
Intermediate groups:
Tuesday (group focusing more on cruising): Finnfire 33
Wednesday (group focusing more on racing): Archambault A35
Racing group: Archambault A35
How big are the groups?
There are 5 or 6 participants in each group, depending on the boat and level. The beginner and intermediate groups, which mainly use the Archambault A35 as their training boat, have 6 participants, while the groups using the Finnfire 33 have 5 participants. The racing group has 5 participants.
Can I make up for missed training sessions in other groups?
If you cancel your participation at least 3 days before the training session, you will receive a voucher that you can use to reserve a place in another group's training session (if there is space) or a place in an evening course. Max 2 vouchers per season.
When does the season start and end?
The season starts at the beginning of May and ends at the end of September. Summer break from Midsummer to the beginning of August.
May 4–June 18: Spring season, 7 times
August 3–September 24: Fall season, 8 times
Where are the training sessions held?
NJK Koivusaari, Vaskisalmenkuja 9, 00200 Helsinki.
During the last week of the spring season, training takes place in central Helsinki, starting from NJK Valkosaari. The ferry to the island is free and departs from Ehrenströmintie 13, 00140 Helsinki.
What languages are used in teaching?
We teach in English, Finnish and Swedish.
Can I participate in individual training sessions?
If there is space available in the training sessions, for example due to absences, you can participate in individual training sessions for €75 each. Please also check out our individual evening courses.
What kind of equipment do I need?
The boats are equipped with life jackets for everyone, and some rainwear is available to borrow, but there is not enough for everyone. We recommend that you bring your own warm clothes and agile shoes with reasonably good grip. Durable or inexpensive gloves with good grip may be useful. We recommend regular gardening gloves or lined gardening gloves for cold weather.