Weekly sail racing practice – Sail racing from beginner to expert

Did you get bitten by the sailing bug and want to race? Then this is the place for you. At NJK Sailing Center you can sail without the trouble of owning your own boat. We offer training sessions on four different levels, from fresh sailors to experts. Learn to race from scratch or fine tune your skills in one of our three groups that train every week. Our most advanced group trains during two weekend clinics before the most important competitions of the season. Read more about the training groups below.

When signing up you should choose which group you want to train in. You can later switch groups if you realize that a group is too easy or too advanced for you. Note that you can join the Green and Blue Tracks alone without a team, but for the Red and Black Tracks you need to have a team to sail with. If you do not have your own team but wish to train in the Red or Black track we can help you find a team to practice with. Contact us at sailingcenter@njk.fi.

Green, Blue and Red Track Training Groups will have one coached training weekly from May 4th – June 18th 2026 and August 3rd – October 1st 2026. The Red Track Training Group will possibly train already on April 27th (ice permitting). There will not be coached training during the summer weeks (26-31), but the boats will be available for own training.

Green Track (Beginners Sailing Group)

Weekly sailing practice for fresh sailors that have attended a beginners’ weekend course. Refresh previous sailing experience or come and practice the basic manoeuvres and the terminology. The Green Track training group will sail both the J80’s and the 606’s and also possibly get to test dinghies. In August there is also the possibility to test the J70. In the Green Track training group you will learn the following things:

  • Practice the basics of sailing
    • Understanding where the wind comes from, and how it affects the sails and the boat
    • Terminology
    • Names of boat parts
    • Preparing the boat
    • Harbour maneuvers (getting out from and in to the harbour)
    • Understanding the basics of each role in the boat while racing

When?
Wednesdays 5.30-8.30 pm

Where?
at NJK Koivusaari, Vaskisalmenkuja 9, 00200, Helsinki
at NJK Valkosaari, Ehrenströmintie 13, 00140, Helsinki

Coach: TBA

Blue Track (Intermediate)

Weekly sailing practice for those with some sailing practice. In the Blue Track you will get an introduction to fleet racing and learn the most important rules and strategies of competitive sailing. The boats will be mostly the J80’s and in August a few trainings with the J70’s. During the season you will learn the following things:

  • Learn to handle the boat well enough on your own to be allowed to use the boats outside of coached practice. (Read more about skipper’s rights here)
  • Learn to sail around a course smoothly with all sails in up to 15 knots (7-8m/s) of wind
    • Understand every role in the boat
    • Learn to do well in one role in the boat
  • Understand the basics of fleet racing
  • Find regular sailing partners 
    • We try to form teams in the Blue Track to make the learning process faster. We try to sail in the same role for at least four consecutive weeks to get comfortable in it. Every four weeks there will be a chance to change roles. As not all the same people will participate in every training, every once in a while there will be the chance to sail in a different role than normally as a stand in.
    • Finding a regular crew makes it easier to go training on your own and participate in competitions

Before joining the blue track you should know the following things:

  • The most important sailing terminology
  • The names of the boat parts
  • The basics of each role in the boat

When?
Wednesdays (training), Thursdays (fleet racing) 5.30-8.30 pm

Where?
at NJK Koivusaari, Vaskisalmenkuja 9, 00200, Helsinki
at NJK Valkosaari, Ehrenströmintie 13, 00140, Helsinki

Coach: TBA

Red Track (Advanced)

Weekly sailing practice for those who are interested in Match Racing and already have good boat handling skills. Our experienced coaches will teach you the secrets of match racing regarding both tactics and and technique. In the Red Track you will learn the following things: 

  • Match Racing
    • Rules
    • Tactics
    • Technique
  • Take all your pre-existing skills to the next level
  • Possibility to train sprint/team racing

Before you join the Red Track you should:

  • Find a team to sail with
  • Have the skills in your desired role to be able to sail smoothly around a course in up to 15 knots (7-8 m/s) of wind
  • Know the most important rules of sail racing
  • Understand sailing terminology
  • Know the names of the boat parts

When?
Mondays 5.30-8.30 pm,

Where?

at NJK Koivusaari, Vaskisalmenkuja 9, 00200, Helsinki
at NJK Valkosaari, Ehrenströmintie 13, 00140, Helsinki

Coach: TBA

Black Track (Expert)

The black track is for those who are already familiar with the rules and basic tactics and technique of fleet, sprint & match racing. Most of the year they train together without a coach. Two weekends during the season they train with an expert fleet/match racing coach according to choice, to prepare them for the most important competitions of the year. In 2026 the first possible clinic will be a match racing clinic with J80 on May 9-10 (NJK). The second match racing clinic will be arranged closer to the National MR Championship at HSS with the Elliott. Preliminary date September 5-6. Black Trackers may choose weekly training (Wednesdays) OR two clinics (included in the NJK SC Season Pass) and are of course welcome to join weekly trainings and extra clinics by paying the entry fees for these.

Black Track weekly training is arranged on Wednesdays in cooperation with the Helsinki J70 Community (HSK/HSS/BS/EMK). On Thursdays J70’s will gather for sprint racing on Race Area A.

Coach: TBA

Courses and lectures

We also organize clinics for our sailors as well as lectures where you can learn about all things sailing. For more information click here.

Useful links:
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Courses and lectures
Competitions
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Contact:
sailingcenter@njk.fi

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