Australian Sailing @AustSail - Sailing, Powerboat and RYA Programs

Keelboat and Powerboat Programs & RYA Sail Cruising and Skills, Motor Cruising, Radar and Diesel, Yachtmaster Qualifications and Online Courses in Australia

Headquartered in St. Leonard NSW, Australian Sailing is the national sporting organization (NSO) for sailing, and peak body for recreational boating at Clubs, in Australia. It is one of over 90 NSOs recognised by the Australian Sports Commission (ASC).

Australian Sailing is a Federation consisting of eight State and Territory Associations, often referred to as Member Yachting Associations (MYAs). In turn there are more than 360 affiliated Clubs, who between them have approximately 65,000 registered on-water members.

Australian Sailing Team is the performance arm of Australian Sailing in partnership with the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) and with support from the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) and the Australian Paralympics Committee (APC). Australian Sailing supports the long-term sustainability of the sport by providing pathways for sailors and officials, and providing relevant training and development opportunities for people to progress on these pathways.

The Australian Sailing training programs cover all types and levels of boating, ranging from learning to sail a dinghy, through to cruising, top level racing and power 

Keelboat Programs

• Discover Sailing Experience (3 hours): The Discover Sailing Experience is a 3 hour sailing experience, in either a keelboat or dinghy at an accredited Discover Sailing Centre, without the technical elements of a course. It’s ideal for people wanting to have a go at sailing before enrolling in a course.
• Start Crewing (12 hours): The first step on the Keelboat pathway introduces you to the basics of sailing on a small boat, including boat handling, safety and sailing theory.
• Start Helming (12 hours): This course develops both your theory and practical skills to confidently take control on the helm.
• Start Skippering (12 hours): You will now advance your sailing skills and safety knowledge to enable you to skipper unsupervised in sheltered waters.
• Spinnakers (12 hours): This course introduces you to the fun and challenge of using asymmetrical and symmetrical spinnakers.
• Start Racing (12 hours): You will now learn the basic racing rules, skills and tactics and gain an understanding of what is expected of a racing crew on a small boat.

Powerboat Programs

• Start Powerboating: Your powerboating pathway begins here introducing practical driving skills, trip planning, boat maintenance, safety equipment and dealing with emergency situations. Following the course you will have sufficient skills and knowledge to skipper a small powerboat.
• Powerboat Handling (1 day): This one-day course is designed to improve your boat handling skills, especially in confined areas such as Marina’s and in swell and waves.  You will also learn more about engines and types of craft, and practice navigation techniques on a passage.
• Safety Boat Operator (12 hours)r: This course provides the skills needed to support water based activities at clubs, schools and outdoor recreation centres.  Over 12 hours you’ll learn about race course design, practice on-water rescue of dinghies and multi-hulls, and even get an awareness of techniques to support kite surfers and kayaks.

Other Courses

• Sailing Coach Course (2.5 days): The Australian Sailing, ‘Sailing Coach Course’ is based on the learning and success of the Australian Sailing Team over a number of years. The course builds on the Instructor's knowledge and caters for those working with participants and athletes who have learnt the basics and want to develop their skills further, so that they can enjoy competing at Club, State and National events.
• Safety and Sea Survival (SSS) (2 days): The intensive two day course aims to deliver up-to-date information and current techniques in an interactive environment.  Included in the course are practical exercises where candidates will become familiar with the deployment and use of liferafts, and the use of inflatable lifejackets in a pool; plus a flare deployment practice.
• Instructors Courses: If you are an experienced sailor who wants to develop their skills even further, why not become a qualified instructor to pass on your love of sailing to others. We have a full instructor pathway offering qualifications at all levels and across all of the learn-to-sail and powerboat programs.
• International Certificate of Competence (ICC): The ICC is a certificate which is intended to provide evidence of competence when requested by officials in foreign countries. Australian Sailing's partnership with the Royal Yachting Association (RYA) provides access to obtaining ICC's issued in the UK. 

RYA Sail Cruising and Skills Courses

• Start Yachting
• Essential Navigation and Seamanship
• Competent Crew
• Day Skipper Shorebased
• Day Skipper Practical
• Watch Leader
• Coastal Skipper and Yachtmaster Offshore Shorebased
• Coastal Skipper Practical
• Yachtmaster Ocean Shorebased

RYA Motor Cruising Courses

• Helmsman Course
• Day Skipper Theory
• Day Skipper Practical
• Coastal Skipper/ Yachtmaster Offshore
• Coastal Skipper Practical
• Yachtmaster Ocean Shorebased

RYA Radar and Diesel Courses

• Diesel Engine
• Radar

RYA Yachtmaster Qualifications

• Yachtmaster Coastal
• Yachtmaster Offshore
• Yachtmaster Ocean

RYA Online Courses

• Essential Navigation and Seamanship
• Professional Practices and Responsibilities (PPR)
• CEVNI Test (for Inland Waterways endorsement of your ICC)

LAST UPDATED ON Feb 18, 2020