Better Sailing — Smooth Sailing School

Better Sailing is Australian Sailing's next step for adults who have completed Start Sailing and want to sail independently and faster. Smooth Sailing School is a mobile learn-to-sail school that brings its own trailer fleet, instructors and safety gear to partner yacht clubs around coastal Victoria.

What you'll learn

Better Sailing moves from getting the boat around to making it go well. The main themes are:

• Sail trim – setting the sail precisely for each point of sail, so it produces the most drive without stalling.
• Boat balance – keeping the dinghy flat by hiking and moving your weight, because a heeling boat slows down and becomes hard to steer.
• Advanced tacking and gybing – including roll tacks and gybes, which use body weight to carry speed through the turn.
• Sailing in stronger winds – depowering the sail and hiking hard in gusts rather than letting the boat round up or capsize.
• Tactical decisions and racing – starting techniques, the basic racing rules, recognising wind patterns and choosing an efficient course around the marks.

By the end you should be able to sail independently in moderate conditions and be ready to join club racing.

How Smooth Sailing runs it

The course is five half-day sessions, run either on consecutive weekdays or on consecutive Saturdays depending on the program. Boats, sails and lifejackets are provided, and everyone wears an Australian Sailing-approved lifejacket at all times on the water. Bring water, a hat, a snack, a towel, clothes that can get wet, a spare set of dry clothes and shoes; a spray jacket, wetsuit and water shoes are useful if you have them. Instructors hold current Australian Sailing qualifications, First Aid and Working With Children checks.

Who it suits

Adults who have completed Start Sailing 1 and Start Sailing 2, or have equivalent experience, and are comfortable handling a dinghy on their own in light winds.

Where it leads

Better Sailing is the usual bridge into club racing and social sailing.

Full course guide

For the full Australian Sailing syllabus, see the Better Sailing course guide.