Adults Discover Sailing
Discover the joys of sailing on Sydney Harbour!
Join one of the RSYS Sailing Academy’s Discover Sailing courses and experience the beauty of our Harbour whilst developing your skills and making new friends. Whether you’re a nervous novice or looking to brush up on your skills, we offer courses for sailors of all experience levels!
Our Keelboat Discover Sailing courses are open to RSYS Members and non-members with four levels available to take you from your first sailing experience to being a skilled skipper looking for their next adventure. These course are conducted on our Club’s fleet of dynamic Elliott 7s keelboats which provide a stable platform that allow you to discover sailing without the fear of capsizing. Up to 5 sailors will be on-board the Elliott 7s with you including our friendly and enthusiastic Australian Sailing qualified Instructors.
Our courses are held on Wednesday mornings (Ladies of the Sea) and Sunday mornings (Open Courses). Both offerings follow the same Australian Sailing Discover Sailing program. The Ladies of the Sea courses on Wednesdays are open to women only and provide a friendly environment for participants to discover keelboat sailing. The Open courses on Sunday mornings are open to sailors of all ages, genders and experience levels.
Adult Keelboat Pathway
Both the Ladies of the Sea and Open Discover Sailing courses follow the same keelboat pathway. This pathway comprises 4 levels (+ 2 ‘Skill Building’ levels) and is designed to provide participants with the confidence, knowledge and skills to crew and skipper a keelboat.
Start Crewing: The first step on the Keelboat pathway introduces you to the basics of sailing on a small keelboat, including boat handling, safety and sailing theory.
Start Helming: This course develops both your sailing theory and practical skills to confidently take control on the helm; it continues to develop your skills as a crew.
Skill Building: The ‘Skill Building’ level is designed to give sailors more time on the water to practice and solidify their skills before progressing up to the next level. This is a good option if sailors don’t have the opportunity to build up their experience elsewhere between the pathway levels (Crewing, Helming).
Start Skippering: This course will advance your sailing skills and safety knowledge to enable you to skipper unsupervised in sheltered waters.
Spinnakers: This courses introduces you to the fun and challenge of using an asymmetrical and/or a symmetrical spinnaker.
Each level comprises 5 sessions including classroom and on-water time. Spinnakers courses are run based on expression of interest.
Upcoming Adult Discover Sailing courses
Ladies of the Sea (LOTS) courses are open to female sailors of all ages and experience levels, both Members and non-members. Sessions take place on Wednesdays.
Open courses are open to all adult sailors of all ages and experience levels, both Members and non-members. Sessions take place on Sundays.
Notes:
All courses are booked via Australian Sailing’s platform RevSport.
Select the appropriate type of course via the menu on the left side of the page.
You will be asked to enter your child’s Australian Sailing Number (don’t enter yours!)
Forgotten your Australian Sailing Number? click here
Course booked out? Can’t find what you are looking for?
If the course you were attempting to register for has booked out, add your details to our Expression of Interest form to be notified when the next courses open.
If you are cannot find a course, would like some help or would like to complete the Start Spinnaker Course, please use the contact details below to reach out to a staff member of the Academy.
Additional Discover Sailing Courses
These courses are open to RSYS Members only.
Adult Discover Laser Sailing
Discover the joys of sailing solo on one of our Club’s Laser dinghies over 5 Sundays. This new Discover Sailing course is open to RSYS Members only and focusses on developing participants’ dinghy sailing skills.
If you are interested in participating in a Discover Laser Sailing course, please complete an Expression Of Interest using the link below.
Adult Discover Laser Sailing: Register Interest Here
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I wear on a keelboat course?
Wear clothing that can get wet: board shorts/activewear, a long sleeve sports top (similar to what you would wear at the gym) and a spray jacket. We also recommend you bring a change of clothes, a towel and sailing gloves. Enclosed shoes and a hat are essential.
We provide PFDs (life jackets) for all course participants.
Can I park at RSYS?
The underground car park is generally available to Members only. There is some 4 hour parking in the surrounding streets, otherwise please take an Uber or public transport (Milsons Point train station or Kirribilli Wharf).
How do I book and pay?
To register for all our courses, Members and non-members need to click on the course link above. This will take you to RevSport, the Australian Sailing booking platform.
You will be asked for an Australian Sailing number. If you cannot remember your AS number or do not have one, please follow the prompts on the booking page.
You can pay for our courses by credit card.
Can I use the Club facilities?
You may change and shower in the change rooms opposite the training room and you may grab a coffee or lunch in the Careening Cove Anchorage (our casual dining bistro). We ask that non-members do not walk through the clubhouse.
I’d like to sail yachts
Brilliant! Novices are encouraged to seek a spot on a Twilight boat
I’d like to Join RSYS
Wonderful! Please contact us!
