Australian Sailing OutThere Sailing 1

OutThere Sailing 1 is Australian Sailing's introductory sailing program for teenagers aged 12 to 17. It is designed to be social, fun and non-competitive: you learn the basics through active exercises and then use them in on-water activities, alongside other teens and without any long-term commitment.

Who it suits

• Teenagers aged 12 to 17 who are new to sailing
• Anyone who is water confident and wants to try a new outdoor activity with friends
• Tackers graduates moving into a teen program
• Students working on the Duke of Edinburgh's International Award, which the program can count towards

What you'll actually do

The recommended length is 12 hours, and equipment is provided. Most of the sailing is in dinghies, small sailing boats with one, two or three people on board. Depending on the venue, you may also try stand-up paddleboarding, windsurfing or powerboating, and some locations use keelboats.

Expect a mix of short skill exercises and games or challenges on the water: rigging a boat, steering, turning, getting the sail set for the wind, and working as a crew. The pace is relaxed, and the social side is as much the point as the sailing.

Key ideas explained

• Knowing where the wind is — everything in sailing starts here. Sailors read the wind from flags, ripples on the water and the feel of it on their face.
• Points of sail — the angle between the boat and the wind: close-hauled (as close to the wind as possible), reaching (across the wind) and running (with the wind behind).
• No-go zone — the arc either side of the wind, roughly 45 degrees each way, where a sail cannot fill. To go upwind, you zigzag.
• Tacking and gybing — tacking turns the front of the boat through the wind; gybing turns the back through the wind. In a gybe the boom swings across quickly, so it needs to be controlled.
• Sail trim — pull the sail in until it stops flapping, but no further. A handy rule: when in doubt, let it out.
• Balance — crew weight keeps a dinghy upright. Hiking out when a gust hits, and easing the sail, is how you stay in control.

Where it fits

Australian Sailing also offers an OutThere Sailing Experience taster, and an OutThere Combined format that groups 12 to 14 and 15 to 17 year olds separately.

Getting ready

• Clothes — wear clothes and shoes you don't mind getting wet, and bring a towel, a change of clothes, a hat, sunscreen and water. A rash shirt or light spray jacket helps.
• Lifejackets — expect to wear one on the water; the club provides the safety gear.
• Water confidence — being water confident is the stated requirement. Capsizing a dinghy is a normal part of learning, so being relaxed in the water helps.
• Nerves — you are not expected to know anything. Tell the instructors if you are nervous; they are used to complete beginners.
• Questions for the club — the session times, which extra activities the venue runs, and when OutThere Sailing 2 is next on.

For parents

The program is built for teens to take part with their peers, with qualified instructors and equipment provided. Check the session format (holiday block or weekly) and the pick-up time, and ask the club how it handles unsuitable weather.

Good to know in Australia

OutThere Sailing runs at sailing clubs and centres around the country; search sessions on Australian Sailing's course finder. If a teen later wants to drive a powerboat on their own, a state-issued recreational boat licence is a separate requirement, so check your state's maritime authority.