The working group "Sportbootführerschein" takes place once a week in the afternoon. The course starts after the summer vacation. Practical training takes place by autumn and theory at school in the winter half-year. After the Easter break, the preparations for the exam before the Aurich Examination Board of the DSV begin. The practical test took place this year on the premises of the Wilhelmshaven sailing club. The theoretical exam is at the University of Applied Sciences in Leer, on the last Sunday in May or June.
This year, 6 examinations were taken for the SBF lake, 5 for the SBF inland and one emergency signal test.
The AG is open to students from three upper secondary schools in Wilhelmshaven. The Cäcilenschule, the vocational schools and the integrated comprehensive school are involved. There is great interest in the AG. Unfortunately, there was also a decline in participants during the school year, as the requirements are quite high. Those who hold out until the exam and then pass it, have acquired a qualification for life in school.
The AG is embedded in a three-pronged overall concept. All schools mentioned offer sport courses "sailing" as part of normal high school lessons. Cruising sailing is offered in the form of an AG. And then there is the AG "Sportbootführerschein".
All offers are independent of one another, but are sometimes combined with one another by the students. Those who have qualified accordingly can take part in the courses as a skipper. Some students stay with them after they graduate and help with the offers as well as with the boat care.
In the meantime, an association has also been founded, the Förderkreis Segelkutter und Schulsegeln e. V. The aim is to promote sailing in schools as part of teaching events. With donations we were able to buy two lifting keel cruisers of the type Jantar 21, a VB dinghy and a sailing cutter. The Wilhelmshaven sailing club, with which there is a cooperation, serves as the base for the boats.
In the meantime, the first participants in school sailing have already become members of the Wilhelmshaven sailing club.