Junior Sailing: Boating's Future

'Fun, fitness, cameraderie and competition are just some of the benefits of the junior sailing programs.' . Click Here to view large photo

While the industry powers that be ponder how to grow boating, Southport Yacht Club under the guidance of Sailing Manager, Shane Smith, is harnessing the enthusiasm of young people to introduce them to sailing and grow them through the ranks from recreation to racing.

Surveys show that adult boat owners, those in the prime or twilight of their lives enjoying the view from a flybridge cruiser, had their first taste of boats and boating at an early age. It might have been a couple of days every summer holidays or religiously through a Club or camp, but one thing is certain: kids are the grass roots of the boating industry and its future.

Shane Smith, who himself started boating as a six year old at Southport Yacht Club, is dedicated to growing the ranks of sailing, with the byproduct of converting this expertise and experience in to boat ownership.

As he explains: "Back then there was no club coaching, advanced training or help readily available. Now that I work for the Club, I see a great opportunity to offer help and training to our juniors and we, as a Club, are working towards providing Queensland and Australia with the next potential Olympic and World Championship winning sailors."

Out on the Broadwater. - .. Click Here to view large photo

Junior sailing has been operating within SYC for more than 20 years.

"I've been with the club for three years and we have developed a new program that has seen kids of all ages introduced to the sport, giving them access to all levels of training from basic to advanced racing," says Shane.

From the facilities at Hollywell, north of Southport, it now offers courses of Funsail (basic introduction to sailing), Basic Sailing, Holiday Kids Camps and Advanced coaching for high level sailors and has around seven schools involved, both private and public.

The Club coaches are all qualified Yachting Australia instructors, most graduates or beneficiaries of this junior development program in past years. "They use the skills and experience they have attained to fast track the learning with the most current training procedures," says Shane, adding that most of the Club's coaches have competed in National and World Championships within the past few years.

"We pride ourselves on having active sailors as coaches so that they are continually well skilled on their subject."

The main aim of the Club is to "provide children with the opportunity to try the sport out without a large financial commitment".

"Once the kids are keen to continue, they go through our basic sail program learning all aspects of sailing in junior classes of Sabot or Optimists. The skills they learn in these boats can then be used as the kids develop their ability and start to race within the club racing structure."

Exposure to sailing at a young age has immense impact on kids. Besides the obvious good fun and fitness, children learn the skills required, respect for the water and environment, as well as in some cases, progressing to boat licenses and marine education qualifications.

"They have a ball," says Shane. "Then when they get older, they will always have great memories of sailing and there's the seed sown for them to return to boating in some form with their own families."

Training camps are fun and fertile ground for the competitive sailors of tomorrow. - .. Click Here to view large photo

US research reveals that unless people have experienced boating by the time they are 18 years old, they are unlikely to take it up later in life. If this is true, focusing on young people should be a long-term priority for the boating industry.

Shane is an advocate for the benefits both physical and in terms of character development that sailing endows young people.

"It's a sport that equips children with life skills and it is an environmentally friendly sport with limited ecological impacts. Sailing provides children with a fun way to meet new friends, it's also one of the only sports that people of any age or gender can participate in."

More at www.southportyachtclub.com.au/welcome/page36.php

by Jeni Bone