"How to steer, how to tack and how to drive, which is turning the boat through the wind. How to rig and de-rig the boats, so how to put the boats together and then apart again. Giving them an awareness for the water and everything they will need to know to sail," he said.
By the end of the week keen sailors Frazer Caplan, Callum Tutbury and Ryan Brown would have the confidence to take their boats out by themselves, he said.
"We aim to have them in a gentle breeze, up to about 10 to 12 knots, light to medium winds are perfect for them."
However, winds in Tauranga reached almost 50 knots yesterday.
Mr Dawson had taught sailing for several years across the world, including in Greece, Spain and Australia.
Callum, 12, wanted to start sailing because his grandfather had picked up the sport about the same age he was now.
His mother and grandmother had also learned to sail so he wanted to pick up on one of the long-running family traditions, he said.
Tauranga Yacht and Power Boat Club
• Since racing started on March 17, 1875, there had been an annual regatta, racing and cruising on the Tauranga harbour.
• On October 20, 1920, the inaugural meeting of the Tauranga Yacht and Power Boat club was held, and nearly 100 members signed up for the first season.
• The 1920s saw the emergence of small launches, as this was the era of yacht and power boat clubs; something unique for the club.
• In October 1924 the club applied to the Harbour Board to build a clubhouse on the inside of the curve near where the railway bridge touched down.
• The clubhouse, built in 1933, is now known as the Harbourside Restaurant.
