Courses
Children are assessed by our professional instructors and placed in the level most appropriate to their skills, experience and confidence. They progress from level-to-level when instructors say they are ready, including mid-course for talented and confident individuals.
The courses are open to anyone who can swim 50m but generally suited to children 7 to 15 yrs of age.
Level 1: Fundamentals
Juniors completely new to sailing will normally start at Level 1 with an introduction to the fundamentals.
The level 1 course includes:
-
Proper preparation, use of safety equipment, understanding weather and tides
-
Understanding the different parts of a boat
-
Simple knots
-
Learning how to rig a boat
-
How to recover from a capsize
-
Single boat towing
-
How to launch a boat
-
Paddling the boat
-
Basic control of the boat, including tacking
-
Basic sailing theory - port and starboard
Level 2:
Develop Skills
After initial exposure to the fundamentals, we develop the skills so that juniors can begin to sail independently.
The level 2 course includes:
-
Developing independent preparation skills including pre-sailing warm-ups
-
Learning to rig a boat unassisted
-
More advanced knots
-
Capsize practice
-
Man-overboard recovery
-
Multiple boat towing
-
Unassisted boat launching and recovery
-
Developing boat control, including gybes
-
Learn to sail around a triangle course
-
Developing sailing theory - windward/leeward, overtaking, points of sailing
-
Altering centre-board position to suit points of sailing
-
Reading the wind, reacting to gusts and lulls
Level 3:
Build Confidence
Having learned how to sail, we next focus on developing the confidence needed for independent sailing.
The level 3 course includes:
-
Rigging the boat to suit conditions
-
Increasing capsize recovery speed and from a fully inverted position
-
Roll tacking and roll gybes
-
Sailing backwards
-
Sail shape adjustments to suit conditions
-
Slalom and trapezoidal courses
-
Coming alongside another boat
-
Maintaining a position
-
Applying basic rules of fleet sailing
-
Reading wind shifts
-
Working with tidal flows
Level 4:
Learn Racing
Juniors that have fully developed their confidence are now ready to learn how to race.
The level 4 course includes:
-
Learning starting procedures
-
Identifying line bias and favoured end
-
Controlling boat speed at starts
-
Optimised mark rounding
-
Using a tuning and sailing log
-
Sailing specific fitness and warm-up exercises
-
Optimising rigging for performance
-
Mast adjustment to suit conditions
-
Aerodynamics theory and optimising sail shape
-
Optimising boat trim for all points of sailing
Level 5:
Improve Racing
Having learned to race, juniors are ready to improve their competitiveness.
The level 5 course includes:
-
Implementing a training program for sailing fitness and injury management
-
Identifying goals - short, medium and long term
-
Time-management
-
Regatta planning
-
Optimising rigs for individuals
-
Rafting up with regatta support boats
-
Using wind shifts for tactical advantage
-
Building consistency on optimised boat trim
-
Identifying wind patterns and developing a race plan
-
Offensive boat positioning
-
Tactics at starts and mark roundings
-
Using Racing Rules for tactical advantage
-
Understanding the effects of geography on wind patterns and tidal effects
Post course
Graduates from the GFS Learn to Sail program are prepared for a lifetime of sailing.
Activities at the club for graduates include:
-
Becoming an volunteer assistant coach, helping with beginners.
-
Interclub-racing
-
Moving into Lasers for older students
-
Casual sailing alongside the courses


