OutThere Sailing — Smooth Sailing School

OutThere Sailing is Australian Sailing's introductory program for teenagers aged 12 to 17, combining dinghy sailing with other watersports. Smooth Sailing School is a mobile learn-to-sail school: it brings its own trailer fleet, instructors and safety gear to partner yacht clubs around coastal Victoria, including Williamstown Sailing Club. No experience is needed.

What you'll learn

Sailing is the core, with powerboating, windsurfing and stand-up paddleboarding mixed in so every session stays active.

• Sailing – rigging, launching and retrieving, the points of sail, tacking and gybing, sailing upwind unassisted, and capsize recovery.
• Powerboating – safety, the controls and basic driving, plus a man-overboard recovery drill.
• Windsurfing – rigging, the controls, and tacks and gybes on a board.
• Stand-up paddleboarding – balance and basic manoeuvres.

The mix is deliberate: windsurfing sharpens your feel for how a sail responds to the wind, and powerboating shows how the safety boats work that look after everyone on the water.

How Smooth Sailing runs it

The course runs over three to five half-day sessions depending on the program. Instructors hold current Australian Sailing qualifications, First Aid and Working With Children checks.

What to bring

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. Sailing continues in light rain and fresh breezes, but if conditions are unsafe the session moves to shore-based activities, and lightning means nobody goes on the water until the sky is clear.

Who it suits

Teens aged 12 to 17 who are new to sailing and want an active, varied introduction to watersports. It also suits teens who are older than the Tackers age range and would rather learn alongside people their own age.

Where it leads

The next step is OutThere Sailing 2, which develops boat handling, sail trim and racing skills.

Full course guide

For the full Australian Sailing syllabus, see the OutThere Sailing 1 course guide.