Start Keelboat Sailing - Newcastle Cruising Yacht Club

Start Crewing

The Start Crewing course is the first step on the Australian Sailing accredited pathway to learning to sail a small inshore keelboat.

It is an ideal course for adults and teenagers (16yrs+) who are looking to develop or improve their sailing skills. You do not need any prior experience.

This is the best way to start sailing – on board from lesson one!

Course Description
This beginner’s course teaches the basics of sailing including boat handling, safety and sailing theory.

Upon completion of the 12-hour course, participants will understand how to control and manipulate the different parts of the boat in order to create drive and momentum across the water. You will learn how to ‘tack’ & ‘gybe’, trim the ‘mainsail’ & ‘jib’, and learn how the sails can actually steer the boat!

The course also introduces other essential areas including weather, tides, knots and general safety procedures like ‘right of way’ rules.

Course Info:
Course Length: 4 x 3.5-hour practical sessions
Minimum Age: 16 years
Maximum number of crew on a boat: Five (4 students + 1 Instructor)
Course cost: $345 per person (mid-week), $375 per person (weekend)

Start Crewing Syllabus

start your sailing

Included in course fee:

Minimum of 12 hours instruction by qualified instructors
Use of personal safety equipment including life jacket
Waterproof course kit with National Keelboat Program logbook & Introductory Keelboat textbook
Your own piece of rope for knot tying practise!
NCYC Training Membership – valid for three months from course commencement date
1 x Discover Sailing Experience Gift Voucher to give to a friend – valued at $80
Upon successful completion, a nationally recognised Australian Sailing certificate.

Start Helming

The Start Helming course is the next step on the Australian Sailing accredited pathway to learning to sail a small inshore keelboat.

Course Description
This course develops both your theory and practical skills to confidently take control on the helm.

You will learn preparation of the boat, helming & trimming on all points-of-sail, using telltales to helm effectively and affect the recovery of man-overboard whilst at the helm.

This further 12-hour course will also provide you with more of the valuable time-on-water that helps to develop your skills in differing wind and environmental conditions.

You will learn key concepts including how sails can control the steering of a boat not just the rudder, as well as luffing, heave-to and getting out of “irons”.

The course also introduces other essential areas including weather, ropework and general seamanship skills like anchoring and reefing sails.

This course is highly recommended for those who have completed the Start Crewing course or who have some prior sailing experience and it readies students for other courses we conduct such as Start Skippering and Spinnakers.

Start Helming Syllabus

progress your Sailing

Included in course fee:

Minimum of 12 hours instruction by qualified instructors
Use of personal safety equipment including life jacket
NCYC Training Membership – valid for three months from course commencement date
4 x NCYC Carpark day parking permits
Upon successful completion, a nationally recognised Australian Sailing certificate.

Start Skippering

The Start Skippering course is the next progressive step in the Australian Sailing accredited pathway and will now advance your sailing & seamanship skills and safety knowledge to enable you to skipper a boat, unsupervised, in sheltered waters.

Recommended for those who have completed the Start Crewing and Start Helming courses or those who have established sailing skills.

Course Description
This course begins to develop your broader ‘seamanship’ skills and covers navigation, interpreting weather & environmental conditions, basic boat maintenance, assessing risks on-board, and actions to be taken in an emergency.

Important boat handling skills & techniques to enable you to berth alongside a pontoon, pick up & leave a mooring, come-to & weigh anchor, heave-to, and sail backwards.

You are really starting to become an inshore mariner!

Course Info:
Course Length: 4 x 3.5-hour practical sessions
Minimum Age: 16 years
Maximum number of crew on a boat: 5 (4 students + 1 Instructor)
Cost: $375 per person (weekend)

Start Skippering Syllabus

develop your sailing

Included in course fee:

Minimum of 12 hours instruction by qualified instructors
Use of personal safety equipment including life jacket
NCYC Training Membership – valid for three months from course commencement date
4 x NCYC Carpark day parking permits
Upon successful completion, a nationally recognised Australian Sailing certificate.

Spinnakers

The Spinnakers course is a further and specialised step on the Australian Sailing accredited pathway to learning to sail a small inshore keelboat.

Using a third sail when sailing across or downwind ultimately helps you get to your destination sooner!

Knowing how to use spinnakers is a highly regarded crewing skill and one of the key elements of a Bow-person or Trimmers role on a boat.

This course is recommended for those who have completed the Start Crewing and Start Helming courses and have had further sailing experience/time-on-water. Also suitable for those who have established sailing skills.

Course Description
This course covers all the skills required to hoist, trim and drop a symmetrical spinnaker.

Upon completion of the course, participants will understand how to hoist a spinnaker and set using either a spinnaker pole or by ‘floating’.

You will learn how to correctly trim the spinnaker to get maximum benefit from the extra sail area on various angles of wind including pole position & height.

Spinnaker trim when gybing, and how to gybe the pole will be covered and then you will learn how to drop the kite quickly and efficiently so it’s ready to go back up again without any tangles!

The course also covers asymmetrical spinnaker theory.

Course Info:
Course Length: 4 x 3.5-hour practical sessions
Minimum Age: 16 years
Maximum number of crew on a boat: 5 (4 students + 1 Instructor)
Cost: $375 per person (weekend)

Spinnakers Syllabus

Extend your sailing

Included in course fee:

Minimum of 12 hours instruction by qualified instructors
Use of personal safety equipment including life jacket
Use of specialised training equipment
NCYC Training Membership – valid for three months from course commencement date
4 x NCYC Carpark day parking permits
Upon successful completion, a nationally recognised Australian Sailing certificate.

Start Racing

The Start Racing course is a further specialised step on the Australian Sailing accredited pathway to learning to sail a small inshore keelboat.

Designed for sailors who have a good level of general sailing experience and now wish to develop their racing skills.

Course Description:
On one of our Force 24 inshore keelboats, you will learn about the racing rules of sailing, course racing flags & sound signals, skills & tactics of racing, as well as gain an understanding of what is expected of a racing crew on a small boat.

The course aims to teach you about sail and boat speed optimisation, as well as the tactical skills to get around the race course as fast as possible!

The course will cover basic racing equipment, understanding teamwork, basic rules of racing, and crew communications.

Course Info:
Course Length: 4 x 3.5-hour practical sessions
Minimum Age: 16 years
Maximum number of crew on a boat: 5 (4 students + 1 Instructor)
Cost: $375 per person.

Start Racing Syllabus