Junior Coaching

Our Vision:

To be the leading International and Olympic class dinghy club in Victoria through family friendly environment and values.

Sandringham Yacht Club has some of the best facilities for sailing and training on Port Phillip. When the weather is favourable the dynamic sailing environment of Port Phillip is an ever changing and challenging playground for sailors. Due to location and facilities, sailing is less likely to be cancelled at Sandringham than other Bayside clubs.

Dinghies are stored and rigged just metres from the harbour’s sandy edge where the water is protected and flat, perfect for beginners and for sailing in stronger wind.  With sailing scheduled most Sundays, people of all ages and experience are welcome.

Nestled in the heart of the Clubhouse, the Training Auditorium with state-of-the-art audiovisual facilities and versatile amenities, this room offers a practical yet enjoyable setting by the bay for our Theory sessions.  A dedicated Off The Beach building with classroom, change room, registration room and equipment storage facilities is utilised for all junior and Dinghy programs.

With a strong membership database, a full – time club coach, established sailing pathways, Sandringham Yacht Club is THE perfect place to learn and continue to sail.

Contact one of our friendly staff in the Boating Office today to find out how you can start sailing at SYC.

 

Classes

The Club supports a number of endorsed classes which include:

 

 

 

We have provided brief summaries of each recognised class:

International Optimist

An International Optimist is an internationally recognised junior class.

An Optimist is suitable for sailors aged between 6 ‐15 years of age weighing between 35 ‐55kg and is a good boat to start to learn sailing. An Optimist can be sailed at a beginner level through to World Championship level. It is a stable boat and will not capsize and scare young children. There are a total of 1800 registered boats in Australia. The International Optimist consists of a sprit rig, hull and boards.

For further information, please refer to the VIODA website: www.vioda.org.au

 

 International Cadet

An International Cadet is an international recognised junior double ‐handed boat. It is suitable for sailors aged 8 to 17 with the combined weight between 75 ‐100kg. The Cadet can also be sailed at varying abilities from beginner level to World Championship level. A Cadet is a good example of how children can be taught by their peers – a uniqueness of the class is that a younger sailor is generally the crew and an older more experienced sailor is the skipper. There are 42 registered boats in Victoria and 85 registered in Australia.

Please click here to view the Victorian Cadet Association 6th Fleet website.

International 420 class

The International 420 Class is a double ‐handed youth class and can be sailed at any level from beginner to World Championship level. The 420 sailors are aged between 14 ‐20.  A 420’ sails consist of a jib, main and symmetrical spinnaker. These boats are relatively stable and can provide insight to technical detail of rig set up.

Here is the link to the Victorian Class Association website www.vic420.yachting.org.au

Laser

A Laser is a junior, youth and senior class with sailors aged varying between 14 ‐65 years old. A laser can be raced at any level from beginner through to the Olympics. The Laser fleet has very strong competition all over the world. The Laser is a single–‐handed boat and can be sailed with different rigs depending on the size of the person. The Laser 4.7 has the smallest rig. A 4.7 is the first step of sailing a Laser and is followed by a Laser Radial, which is the women’s Olympic class. The Laser full rig is the men’s Olympic class and has a bigger sail compared to the 4.7 and Radial.

For more information, please go to  the  International Laser Class Association website: http://www.laserinternational.org/home

29er

A 29er is an international youth class and can be sailed from the age of 12. The 29er is a double ‐handed boat with an a symmetrical spinnaker and trapeze wire for the crew.  The combined crew weight can vary from 115 ‐140kg.  There are currently 90 boats registered in Australia and 6 registered at Sandringham Yacht Club. A 29er is a fast and exciting boat to sail and can be raced at World Championship level. It is recommended, but not entirely necessary, that some sailing experience is required to sail this boat.

For more information, please go to the Australian 29er Class Association website: http://www.aus29er.yachting.org.au/

14′ Skiffs

The International 14ft Skiff is a double–‐handed boat and can be sailed at World Championship level.  The sailors are aged between 16 ‐70 years old and have a combined weight between 150 ‐180kg. An I14 is a difficult to boat to master but once mastered is very rewarding. Prior sailing knowledge is required to sail an I14. The I14 has an asymmetrical spinnaker, main, jib and twin trapeze. The I14s are known for being fast and fun to sail with a great social community.

For more information, please click International 14′ Web Site

Tasar

The Tasar was designed to be sailed by a man and a woman but also caters for father/mother/son/daughter combinations and it delivers exciting performance without using either spinnaker or trapeze. The hull has a fine angle at the bow to reduce wave impact drag with unusually clean and sharp chines aft to ensure very free planing and outstanding stability. The foam cored hull is stiff and light and the advanced hull shape, together with an innovative rig which combines a rotating mast with a fully battened main sail, allows the Tasar to plane upwind with the crew normally hiked. The wide beam and a cockpit designed for comfortable hiking make the Tasar easy, fun and very exciting to sail in winds up to 25 knots.

Go to www.tasar.yachting.org for more details of this great boat.