Kids Learn To Sail Courses
At Mounts Bay Sailing Club, families come together to share the simple joy of being on the water, watching kids grow more confident with every sail. Our Beginner Starter Squad is designed to feel welcoming, relaxed and fun, so even children who are new to the river can feel at home from day one.
Each session is fully supervised by Australian Sailing–qualified Instructors and Assistant Instructors employed by the club. All coaches specialise in teaching children and supporting families who are new to the sport, and every staff member holds current first aid accreditation and Working With Children clearance for added peace of mind. Life jackets and essential safety equipment are supplied, so parents can relax while their young sailors learn, laugh and explore in a safe environment.
Your sailing journey starts here with a taste on the water with one of our experienced coaches. An introduction to the fundamentals skills of sailing including basics in rigging, safety, wind and weather, and points of sail.
MBSC offers Try Sailing for children with an obligation-free three-week free trial within our development program run on Sunday mornings throughout the season.
MBSC is an accredited Australian Sailing Discover Sailing Centre, offering an extensive junior development pathway from first time on the water through to club racing and class regattas. The program focuses on building fundamental sailing skills, confidence and independence before gradually introducing race skills in a supportive squad setting.
Throughout this journey, children can earn Discover Sailing pathway certificates that recognise each step of their progress and help guide them to the next stage. For families, this provides a clear, structured path from “trying sailing” to becoming a confident junior racer within the Mounts Bay community.
Starter Suqad is our introductory learn to sail course designed to be a gateway into our Junior Development Squad. Once successfully completing a Tackers 1 & 2, Out There Sailing or Discover Sailing trial you can progress to our Starter Squad.
The squad is a fully coached program. The main objective is to build on the foundations of sailing. Growing confidence on the water through interactive sailing and gameplay activities.
As well as Junior membership and L&D fee applies to all our coaching programs. This includes the use of club boats, life jackets and coaching fees.
Graduates are accredited with Yachting Australia Discover Sailing 1 & 2
Once kids have mastered the basics, the next step in the sailing pathway is our Race Ready Squad. This intermediate class lays the foundations for competition, developing the practical skills required to race whenever they’re ready. We continue to focus on creating a fun environment, while starting to pay more attention to speed and skill at the helm. The O’pen Skiff (Bic) is ideal for the fast fun-packed drills and is the primary class in this program, making this class fresh and exciting for our junior sailors.
As well as Junior membership and L&D fee applies to all our coaching programs. This includes the use of club boats, life jackets and coaching fees.
Graduates are accredited with Yachting Australia Discover Sailing – Better Sailing.
If your young sailor is itching to take their skills to the next level, our Competition Squad is the place to be. Competition Squad focuses directly on racing skills, equipping kids and teens with the capabilities to hone their technique and supporting skills development. Participants will master their abilities at the helm in both the single-handed O’pen Skiff and double handed Flying Ant. Many sailors go on to sail both boats long-term, and the support of our qualified instructors ensure your child develops the skills to compete at a high level.
At this stage we encourage participation in local, state, national and international regattas in the O’pen Skiff or Optimist classes and the transition to double-handed sailing in the Flying Ant.
Graduates are accredited with Yachting Australia Discover Sailing – Start Racing and Better Racing.
MBSC is the premier club for Flying Ant sailing in WA.
We offer a specific program to transition our juniors from single-handed sailing boats to double. This fundamental progression opens the door a large range of sailing possibilities for your child’s future.
The Flying Ant is a 3.2m long double-handed sailing skiff with a sloop rig comprising main, jib and spinnaker, and the crew on trapeze. Its high-performance hull shape makes it a great intermediate dinghy for young sailors wanting to sail with someone else and experience the thrills of performance skiff sailing.
With national representation the Flying Ant provides great opportunities both on the water and off, building connections and camaraderie that will last a lifetime.
Kids Sailing Courses FAQs
Safety on the water is a top priority at MBSC. The club provides all the safety equipment needed, including life jackets. All our instructors maintain current qualifications and certificates dictated by Australian Sailing and MBSC, including first aid training and working with children checks.
No club membership is needed to participate in a school holiday sailing activity.
All equipment – including life jackets and the boats themselves – are provided by MBSC and included in the course fee.
All safety equipment is provided by the club. You will need to bring:
- Lunch – fridges are available.
- Clothes & Shoes (including change) – wear ones you don’t mind getting wet in
- Towel
- Drink bottle
- Hat
No club membership is needed to participate in a school holiday sailing activity.
Australian Sailing is the governing body for the sport of Sailing in Australia. They are responsible for the administration, promotion and development of sailing. They are a member-based organisation that represent the interests and provides services & support to over 360 clubs across Australia as well as more than 160 accredited Discover Sailing Centres.
Discover Sailing Website
