Sailing School
Learning to Sail at NSC
Join Learn-to-Sail Waitlist Here if the course you're looking for is full/finished.
Note: In the case of over-subscription to our courses, we may offer alternative times/dates/arrangements. We will always do our best to get as many people sailing as possisble, but with limited boats and volunteers, you may need to meet us halfway in order to make that happen!
At Northbridge Sailing Club, we offer training for beginners of all ages. The sailing school is run by enthusiastic volunteers who are passionate about sharing their love for sailing. We will guide you throughout your first season and beyond, helping to improve your skills throughout your sailing journey at NSC.
All activities at NSC require participants to first sign up as members. Membership fees are not inclusive of training with the sailing school, which incurs supplimentary fees as set out below. Click here or navigate to our "Membership" page for information on membership fees - for reference, most participants in sailing school training will be suited to membership categories 1, 2 or 5. Northbridge Sailing Club is a not-for-profit organisation; prices are set to be as affordable as possible for our members while covering costs.
This season (Sep 2024-Apr 2025), we are offering several pathways for complete novices:
Adult Learn to Sail
Starts 15 March - Click here to register
Whether you're new to sailing, or need a refresher before getting back on the water, this intensive course will build fundamental sailing skills from the ground up. Held over 3 weekends on both Saturday and Sunday afternoons from 12:30-4:30pm between 15/03-29/03, the goal is to get you sailing independently by the end of the course. You will be able to apply the fundamental skills you learn to any kind of boat, big or small, and can pursue any pathway at NSC following the course. Notably, winter yacht racing will be starting shortly after the course end!
Price: $400. Membership Fees have been waived for this course.
Family Learn to Sail - Course Finished
Fun for the whole family! For ages 7+, jump in a boat along with your kids and one of our fantastic instructors and learn the ropes together! This course brings kids up to speed with the current cohort of Junior learners, ready for integration into the Junior Learn to Sail program every Sunday. It's also a stepping-on point for parents who are keen to get on the water with their kids and learn something new.
Following this course, all participants have a pathway to integrate into the NSC sailing community: whether the kids want to work their way up to Green Fleet in and optimist dinghy or crew on a Flying 11, or mum and dad want to start racing competitively, or the whole family wants to go for weekly leisure sails, there will be both coaching and boats available to you for the whole season (Sep-Apr).
As with the Junior LTS, we request that participants come equipped with life jackets, suitable waterwear (wetsuits if cold), rain/spray jackets and water shoes.
Private Lessons - Always Available
Our instructors are volunteers, and teach our Learn-to-Sail courses for free, out of the goodness of their hearts. However, when courses are over-subscribed or don't fit in with your schedule, many of them are happy to earn some money giving private lessons at a time that works for you. Participants are required to first become a club member, at which point you can use your login details to hire a boat ($6/hr) and engage an instructor to teach you (ordinarily around $30-$40 per hour, depending on your arrangement). If you are interested, please shoot me an email (training@nsc.asn.au) and I can put you in contact with an instructor to negotiate.
Live-in 2025! (20/01-24/01) - Course Finished!
Full for Beginners (spots available for experienced sailors) Join Learn-to-Sail Waitlist Here
Our legendary Summer Camp is one-of-a-kind among Sydney's Sailing Clubs. Kids aged 7-16 of all skill levels (including absolute beginners) are welcome. Participants spend the day sailing and exploring middle harbour, then sleep overnight in the clubhouse (supervised) to wake up in the morning and start all over again! It is an unrivalled highlight in the club's calendar, and will be the highlight of your child's Summer Holidays. For more information click here.
Junior Learn to Sail (September 2024) - Course Full!
For kids aged 7-14, our program takes absolute beginners and turns them into confident, independent sailors, ready to join the club's Flying 11 and Green Fleets. Training runs every Sunday Morning from 9am-12:30pm, and graduation from the sailing school into higher fleets will be managed by instructors based on each student's rate of progression/skill acquisition - this generally takes around 10 weeks. During this period, the club provides all boats and training equpiment, but we ask that you equip your child with an appropriately sized life-jacket, a full-length wetsuit, a rain/spray jacket and water shoes.
Parents should be aware that once graduated from "Learn-to-Sail", sailors in the Green Fleet need to have their own boat: a fibreglass "optimist" dinghy (a fantastic Christmas/Birthday present!). The club has several available for purchase or to rent (on a per half-season basis) at very attractive prices - email rearcomm@nsc.asn.au to make an enquiry.
Price:
- $600 per child. Includes coaching for the whole season (7 months!), including Green Fleet. Excludes Membership (required).
- There is also an option for a trial period until the end of September for $200 (plus membership), if you'd like to dip your toes into sailing before comitting to a whole season. However, please be aware that in the event of over-subscription, preference will be given to season sign-ups.
A second Junior LTS intake will be run in late January 2025 - details coming soon!