Sailing is the core activity of our club albeit we have expanded over the years to include many forms of watercraft recreation.
Our mission is to provide safe, fun, sailing so participants can enjoy using our local waterways, and develop skills to be able to sail their own boat, crew aboard other yachts, or charter elsewhere. We conduct ten Saturday morning training sessions for newcomers over the summer months using our Pacer dinghies (suitable for adults and multiple children) and Feva dinghies (a more performance-orientated youth trainer). Dinghy sail training develops a sound understanding of sailing principles as the dinghies react to small inputs and allow quick learning (with perhaps an occasional ‘swim’ as part of the learning.)
Our training is slanted towards individual learning rather than a formal, regulated, syllabus. Our instructors are volunteers with years of dinghy and keelboat sailing experience.
In addition, we facilitate new sailors going out crewing on trailer sailers or keelboats during any of our regularly scheduled events. Our owners and skippers are all amenable to showing new crew the ropes. We conduct semi-formal races around triangular courses off the Bluff, as well as races along the coast.
Our sailing program runs from October with inshore and offshore events, culminating in a popular winter series, with visiting competitors from other clubs, that runs from May through to July.
See our calendar page for specific details.
To facilitate the safety of participants, our club operates a dedicated rescue/committee boat;
an Arvor 230AS which is particular suitable for use in Bass Strait waters as it was designed in
France for use in the boisterous North Sea. It was purchased in Victoria and driven across
Bass Strait to its new home in the Mersey.
We also run up to three, rigid-bottom, inflatable boats (RIB) of various sizes when required to supervise sail training or small boats sailing outside the river. They can respond quickly to any eventuality and are particularly suitable for rescue being soft-sided and extremely stable.
To encourage new and old sailors onto the water without the need for them to buy a boat, our Club has acquired three 7.5m MASRM trailer sailers for members and trainees use. Experienced skippers can take crew out on these boats which give close, exciting racing. They have proven to be an excellent choice for learning and fun competition. They have also enabled our sailors to travel and participate in inter-club events along the coast.
‘Old hands’ at the club also operate two small, sponsored keelboats as a step up
from the dinghy training experience.
Contact us for more information here.
