Deviot Sailing Club Sail Training Program

Basic Sail Training Course

This sail training program is run annually in February and is designed for people who have had no experience in sailing. It caters for adults as well as children (ages 10 upwards). Participants will need to be fit enough to undertake moderate physical activity, and must be able to swim. We will cover all the basics to get you sailing safely. We use sailing dinghies o wned by the sailing club, as well as some provided by club members – you don’t need your own boat for this course.
All training courses will be held at the Deviot Sailing Club, Deviot.
The Deviot Sailing Club requires all members participating in the sail training program to be members. The Course fees includes membership fees.

Dates of Sail Training Courses

Session Times for Basic Sail Training Course Session dates are the third and fourth weekends in February as shown in the Race Calendar, which can be found on this site. They are listed as “Basic Sail”

Basic Sail Course
The training will include:
  • Clothing and safety equipment
  • Rigging the boat with assistance
  • How to steer the boat
  • Primary boat controls
  • Rescue procedures – including capsize recovery
  • Launching and recovery
  • Basic rules of the road
  • Introduction to tides and currents

    • Cost
     The cost for the full course is $120 for adults and $70 for students. This cost includes club membership valid until 30th June.
    Club membership allows full use of the facilities on Club days and Yachting Australia Silver Card sailing insurance coverage

    What will I learn?

    The course covers everything that you need to know to sail a sailing dinghy. In the first 2 sessions we will cover the safety requirements of small boat sailing. You will learn how to rig a sailing boat, how to launch a boat, and return to the beach. In the later sessions you will learn the basic rules of the road, and more advanced boat handling.

    What to wear sailing for Sail Training

    Weather conditions may vary from cold to hot, so students should bring:
  • Bathers / Towel
  • Wetsuit
  • Shorts (ideally worn over wetsuit for protection)
  • Polyester shorts and tops recommended. Don’t wear cotton – it is too cold when wet
  • PFD (life jacket). Type 2 is preferred (no collar)
  • Woollen or thermal jumper in case it is really cold
  • Windproof / waterproof jacket
  • Old sneakers or wetsuit boots (there are oysters in the Tamar river which are very sharp on feet)
  • Sun Hat
  • Sunglasses
  • Sunscreen
  • No long pants


    • Registration
     To enrol, please forward the Enrolment Sheet with payment to Deviot Sailing Club, P.O. Box 224, Launceston or deliver to the club on Saturdays. A health information form and a parent consent form for juniors also need to be completed prior to the first session.
    - Enrolment Sheet
    - Deviot Health Consent Form
    Numbers are strictly limited. Closing date for applications: Tuesday 11th February, 2014

    For More Information

    Tony Fist - Sail Training Co-ordinator
    Phone: 0417 384 156 (AH)
    Email: fists@netspace.net.au