Welcome

Minorca Sailing has been operating with Escuela de Vela for over
thirty years. From humble beginnings it has become one of the largest
and best equipped sailing centres in the Mediterranean. A large
proportion of our clients come back year after year, evidence of the
quality product we provide. In Menorca our aim is to provide the ultimate
sailing holiday.
Menorca is the second largest of the Balearic Islands, situated in the
Mediterranean, about 200km from the Spanish mainland. We are based
on the island’s northern coast and operate from within the idyllic Fornells
Bay area. The bay is long and wide with a narrow entrance to the sea.
The sailing centre is located in Ses Salines, a very small, friendly sailing
village where the impact of tourism has been minimal. Within the village
there are two restaurants with bars, and a general store that is open daily
and can supply all the basics.
A cycleway/footpath links Ses Salines to Fornells at the northern end of
the bay. The walk takes 20-25 minutes and amenities you will find in
Fornells include two supermarkets, a post office, a bank, souvenir shops
and a wide selection of good restaurants. Fornells is larger and busier
than Ses Salines, but still retains a small active fishing fleet and is very
picturesque. It is a popular location for clients and instructors in their free
time.

ARRIVAL INSTRUCTIONS
When you arrive in Menorca, a company representative will meet you at
the airport, organise your transport to Ses Salines, and show you to your
accommodation. For those of you arriving pre-season (at the end of April)
there will be a 4 day training programme, including dry land and on-water
sessions.
Many of you will be involved in teaching clients on your first day! The
training sessions are important to help you integrate into the team and
become familiar with how the centre operates. We will also expect you to
have read and taken in the content of this document.
We look forward to seeing you out in Menorca and hope the summer of
2014 will be a positive experience for all concerned.
Roles and Responsibilities

Tim Morris – Centre Manager

Overall in charge of the safe operation of activities at the sailing centre.

Ian Aldridge – Operations Manager and Chief instructor

Organises safe day-to-day running of the centre, manages the sailing & windsurfing
activities to ensure that every client receives the highest standard of service.

Modesto Cuenca (Mode) – On the Water Manager & Windsurf Manager

Co-ordinates and controls rescue provision and operations on the water, ensuring client and
instructor safety. Observes tuition throughout the day, providing feedback to individual
instructors. Responsible for the windsurfing programme.

Richard Sheridan – Beach Manager & Senior Instructor

Assists with the organisation of the day to day running of the school and ensures that every
client receives the highest possible treatment.

Emily Woolnough – Windsurfing Co-ordinator & Training Manager

Assists with the organisation of the day to day running of the school, Co-ordinates the
windsurfing programme and Manages the training programme.

Fiona Tulloch – Office Team Leader

Co-ordinates the office team and their activities. The office has an important customer
service function (info point) and has full responsibility for managing client arrivals,
departures and accommodation.

Bia M-Truyol – Teenage Co-ordinator

Works with the sailing and windsurfing managers to provide safe instruction and activities
for all teenagers. Involved in group allocation and daily activity programming.

Anna McCormack – Children’s Co-ordinator

Works with the sailing and windsurfing managers to provide safe instruction and activities
for all children. Involved in group allocation and daily activity programming.

Nicola Galloway – Head Nanny & Accomodation Manager

Manages our Creche for children aged between 4 months and 4 years, as well as point of
contact for our instructor accommodation.
Tuition Groups
Our Holidays provide quality instruction from beginner to advanced level, all day, every day. The
programme has been designed to be totally flexible and capable of meeting the individual needs of all our
clients

Adult Sailing

Absolute Beginners – Those who have never been sailing before start in Picos.

Refresher Class – For people who have sailed before but need a recap. Start in
the RS Q’ba and progress to Laser 4.7s.

Basic Lasers – An introduction to Laser sailing, in 4.7 or Radial rigs.

Intermediate Lasers – For those who want to improve their Laser sailing,
focussing more on boat handling than on racing.

Advanced Lasers – For keen sailors who want to improve all aspects of their
Laser racing.

Basic Asymmetrics – An introduction to asymmetric boat sailing, in 2000s.

Intermediate Asymmetrics – Asymmetric sailors looking to improve but

without a racing focus.

Advanced Asymmetrics – For asymmetric sailors, who want to improve their

racing in advanced boats.

Gentle Option – Designed as a 100% secure option for clients who either wish
to learn to sail at a more relaxed pace, or sail as a passenger. Clients are
frequently elderly or have good reason for choosing the Gentle Option. All staff
should be aware of our zero tolerance attitude towards any behaviour that
compromises the 100% secure nature of Gentle Option activities.

SB3/SB20 – Provides an opportunity for our clients to try keelboat sailing,

usually outside of the bay.

Adult Windsurf

Absolute Beginners – The first step onto a windsurf board.

Intermediate – People with some windsurf experience but who are not yet
comfortable planing or using footstraps.

Advanced – Those who are comfortable blasting in harness and footstraps and
want to develop more advanced techniques.
 Teenage Groups

Beginners – Those who have not sailed before start in Picos.

Refresher Class – A recap for those with some sailing experience. Start in
Picos, later Lasers.

Laser Class – An introduction to Laser sailing or improving Laser sailing,

depending on group.

Basic Asymmetrics – Teens who can sail but want to learn how to use
asymmetric boats. In RS Fevas, Laser 2000s, RS Ventures and RS Vareos.

Advanced Asymmetric – For competent sailors, with an interest in racing, in a

variety of different boats.

Basic Windsurf – Basic level windsurfers.

Advanced Windsurf – For teens with some windsurfing experience target level
varies with intake.

Children’s Groups

4-5 Years -Pirates and Mermaids – Activity orientated. Have safe fun in the
sun, whether it be sailing an Oppie or Tera, crewing a Pico, trapezing on a
Venture, windsurfing, ’discovering’ beaches or going on treasure hunts.

6-7 Years - Explorers – Activity orientated. Safely explore the whole bay,
‘discover’ islands and beaches, sailing in Oppies, Teras Picos, crewing and
trapezing on Venture and learning to windsurf.

8-9 Years - Juniors – More group orientated, according to ability and

experience.

10-12 Years - Young Sailors – Sailing and windsurfing instruction is offered in

ability groups. From single-handed sailing in Picos & Teras, to asymmetric
sailing/racing in RS Fevas. Windsurf basic and advanced.

There are several key points to note:

 Most teaching is done with the instructor sailing or windsurfing, rather than from a rescue boat.
 Clients can switch groups throughout the week should they wish to, e.g. dinghy to windsurfing.
 Group leaders have access to manuals showing what should be covered each day. The programmes are
our own but overlap substantially with the RYA syllabi.
 Racing is organised every afternoon for all clients who would like to participate.
 Personal tuition is available every afternoon.
 RYA instruction is available upon request with corresponding logbooks and certificates awarded.
 Service and Safety
One of the major reasons why people come back to Minorca year after year
is the wide range of equipment that we offer and the high level of service
that goes with it. As soon as a client decides which craft they wish to use,
our instructors will immediately and willingly provide as much assistance as is
required. Lifting, carrying, pushing and pulling or equipment is the job of the
instructor. Similarly, when dinghies (or windsurfers) return to the shore, the
primary role of all instructors is to guide in and catch boats (or
windsurfers). This is a core policy with the following motivations:
 Make the landing zone safer by preventing collisions and unsafe
approaches.
 Make clients feel safe and provide tangible evidence that they are being
cared for at all times.
 Receive instant feedback from the client about how their session went
and become aware of any problems with equipment.
 Prevent accidental damage to craft.

Rigging
Poor rigging is perhaps the most frequent complaint we receive. At best, a
simple rigging mistake is likely to write-off a client’s entire session and
negatively impact upon their overall impression of the holiday. At worst, it
could trigger a dangerous series of events, perhaps with serious long term
consequences. From a centre management point of view these errors must
be avoided at all costs. Rigging training will be given. Please be aware that if
you are ever unsure about how to rig a certain piece of equipment, it is
essential that you seek clarification from a more knowledgeable member of
staff. This applies to all instructors regardless of their time at the centre.

Damage to Equipment
Damage does occur to our equipment through wear and tear. It is important that craft are repaired and
returned to action quickly, so issues must be reported.
 If something is broken or non-functional on a boat it must be recorded on the maintenance clipboard.
Windsurf kit breakages must be reported to an appropriate manager.
A problem that can be fixed at the time of discovery does need not be reported, provided the instructor
who discovered it has both the time and ability to mend it
Deliberate misuse of centre equipment, including staff uniform, is considered a serious disciplinary offence.

Personal Tuition
Personal tuition can be booked by all clients and provides the opportunity for relatively inexperienced
clients to sail more advanced boats. There are two slots every afternoon lasting one hour each.
Sessions are assigned to instructors with relevant sailing skills and experience. We will only assign personal
tuition slots to instructors with the required personal sailing ability for that craft to be sailed. It is therefore
important that you take advantage of opportunities (lunchtimes, days off, and evenings) to develop and
demonstrate your personal sailing abilities. Having a blast in a fast boat can be a great way to finish the
day, but you must prove to us that you can sail it with a novice crew first!
OUR COMMITMENT TO YOU
Hopefully one of the main reasons why you decided to work with us was the
sailing! Your time here is a tremendous opportunity to improve your sailing
and windsurfing and must be taken advantage of. We will strongly
encourage you to make the most of your free time: you will have more fun
and become more valuable as instructors.
In return for using the equipment we expect you to treat it with the utmost
care and respect. There are some fundamental rules that you need to must
abide by:
 Check with appropriate area managers to see if equipment is available.
 Clients have absolute priority over choice of equipment.
 Always sign the ‘Freesail Board’ so we know if you are on the water.
 Return the equipment in the condition you found it. Ensure it is correctly stored and covered.
 Notify the relevant manager if anything has broken.

Good Accommodation - You will be living in a shared villa or

flat, located near the sailing centre (in Ses Salines or Fornells).
In return for providing you with accommodation, we expect you
to keep it clean and tidy. The accommodation will be inspected
frequently and (deliberately disproportionate) disciplinary
measures face households who do not comply with minimum
standards.

Time off - You will get 1 day off a week (except half term weeks 23th – 30th May & 24th Oct – 31st Oct).
Your day off will be the same day every week and most of your evenings are also free time. If you are
working the whole season, you receive 1 extra day off for every season you will have worked at the centre
(max 6 days). Extra days cannot be taken during July, August or half term weeks.

Instructor Training - During your time at the centre we provide you with the opportunity to attend
training sessions to develop your teaching ability and improve your personal sailing and windsurfing skills.
If you would like a session to be run on a specific topic, or feel you would like to pass on the knowledge
you already have to others, then please see our training manager. Your personal development as
instructors is important to us.

Positive Experience - This summer should be a great experience for you. You will be working and living
with people who share your enthusiasm for sailing and appreciate the outdoors, and some of the
friendships you make may last a lifetime. Working at such a highly regarded centre not only looks excellent
on your CV, but also gives you the chance to meet some very successful clients who could become useful
contacts in the future.

The Environment - The Sailing School is committed to ensuring that its operations take into account the
possible impacts on the environment. We operate the centre in an environmentally sensitive manner by
conserving energy, water and other resources.

Water Bottle Policy - The Sailing School operates a No Disposable Bottles policy in an effort to reduce
the impact bottled water has on the environment. The Sailing School encourages the use of reusable non-
plastic bottles as an economical and environmentally friendly alternative.
YOUR COMMITMENT TO US
We rely on a dedicated team that works in a reliable, polite and informal manner. Our aim is to provide the
ultimate sailing experience for every client. We expect you to maintain the high standards that our clients
have come to expect.

Good Presentation and Behaviour

First impressions count and it is important that you look suitable for the
occasion. In public, instructors must be clean-shaven, have tidy hair and
wear clean clothes, including uniform garments. Being presentable and
behaving well often-go hand in hand. Heavy drinking or smoking is totally
unacceptable. The impression that clients receive when they see their (and
especially their children’s) instructors at the local restaurants and bars is
even more important. Our holiday is one of the most expensive in the
Mediterranean - and clients rightly expect instructors to be polite, courteous
and responsible at all times. Conduct in breach of this code will invoke not be
tolerated.

Stay fit, healthy and alert

Instructors who ignore their responsibilities in the evening would find it
difficult to perform the following day. It is not possible to be totally aware
and put in the amount of effort that is required if you are not feeling one
hundred percent, and sub-standard performances will be noted! The
conditions in the Mediterranean make it unwise to abuse your body for any
length of time, and such abuse may result in dehydration, lack of salt, flu-like
symptoms and severe diarrhoea. Smoking is not permitted whilst on duty, in
or around the centre, in staff accommodation, or at anytime whilst you are
wearing your uniform. It is also prohibited inside all public buildings (bars,
cafes, etc.)
Local Community
A good rapport with the resident population is essential for the smooth running of the centre. The local
residents have come to expect the same high standard of behaviour from our instructors as our clients
have. If our reputation were ever in danger due to the thoughtlessness of an employee, they would be
dismissed. We have no room for compromise in this respect.

Quality Information
As a company representative clients expect you to know everything. However, this is often not the case!
Only provide information you are sure is correct. When in doubt, ask a more experienced member of staff.
Inaccurate information wastes time and effort and there is a good chance that it will be traced back to you!

Hard Work
Our better instructors over the years have been those who have put in the most effort. Instructors who are
dedicated and enthusiastic are very easy to spot and their attitude is noted by management and clients
alike. Not surprisingly, these instructors are most likely to benefit from client tips and meal invitations and
are also more likely to be rewarded with centre roles offering a greater level of responsibility.
A lot of the work in Menorca is extremely physical, especially in the heat of peak season. However, if you
live in a sensible manner you will cope. Your hard work will also occur as part of a large group, with around
40 instructors working at peak times.
We hope you enjoy your time working with us and find it a valuable experience. Welcome to the team!
FURTHER INFORMATION

Postal Address
While you are in Menorca, any post should be addressed to:
<Instructor name>
Escuela de Vela
Ses Salines
Fornells
Menorca
Spain, 07748

Clothing/Equipment- checklist
All Instructors:

 Valid passport - please check it is valid for your entire stay!

 European Health Insurance Card (www.nhs.uk)
 Sun Cream - high factor (don’t forget your lips)*
 Sunglasses *
 Cap/Sun hat *
 Sailing booties (essential - see examples in MSH brochure/website) *
 Reusable water bottle (e.g. camping/hiking type)
 Towels
 Splash jacket (spray top)
 Shortie wetsuit
 Beach footwear (e.g. flip flops)
 Elastoplast fabric plasters
 Rehydration sachets
 Quick-drying shorts – please note your polo shirts are royal blue.
 Neat, clean clothes for the evening
 Windsurf harness - essential for free time sailing
 Trapeze harness- if you own one

* These items are required by health and safety regulations.

Instructors working in May, June, September or October:

 Full-length wetsuit
 Yachting jacket/trousers for bad weather (useful if you already own them)

Note:
We provide all instructors with a buoyancy aid, which must be returned at the
end of the employment period.
We supply all instructors with bed linen. Please be aware that either side of
midsummer, evenings are cooler, so some warmer clothing and footwear will
be required. Insect repellent can also be very useful in the evenings.
Please be aware that the luggage allowance on your flight to Menorca is likely
to be just 20 kilos!