Skills and confidence for junior sailors

THE Ballaarat Yacht Club has seen fourteen young people join its two Tackers learn-to-sail programs these school holidays.

Each morning, from Monday, 11 to Friday, 15 January, trained volunteers guided seven to 12 year olds through the basics of sailing, Tackers One, in a fun and safe yachting environment.

On the same days during the afternoon, children of the same age were welcome to join the Tackers Two course, to build on the skills experienced and gained in the morning sessions.

Ballaarat Yacht Club vice-commodore and training coordinator Wayne Lodge said the week-long program may have started hot and ended with rain, but the participants had a lot of fun.

“The kids got to learn the fundamentals of sailing, including the boat parts,” he said.

“They learnt safety elements of safe drive, which is the one thing they really do need to walk away from Tackers with.

“Our two young volunteer instructors did a great job. Joel and Alex are both regular sailors with the Ballaarat Yacht Club, and Joel started in Tackers himself.”

The budding sailors who completed the morning course will now have the ability to travel up and downwind while following a safety boat, steer with tiller extension under towing paddling power, sail with tiller extension, tie a figure-eight knot, undertake push and pull – or tack and gybe – turns, and navigate a figure-eight course.

Those who took part in the afternoons of tricks and techniques will be able to gybe a boat safely, get out of irons independently, sail up and downwind around a triangular course with correct reaching, use the tiller extension in the right manner, and turn the boat 360 and 720 degrees.

Another Tackers program will be run by the BYC during the next school holidays.