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ASA 102: Keelboat 2
Develop more precise sail trim, boat balance and small-keelboat handling.
Develops sail trim and keelboat-handling ability beyond the introductory stage.
- Who it suits
- ASA 101 holders not yet ready for a cruising yacht.
- What it is not
- Rarely offered in Australia. Treat it as unavailable unless a school confirms otherwise.
Primary source: American Sailing certifications. Course structures and prerequisites can change; confirm the current version with the training body and school.
The course in context
ASA 102 gives early-stage sailors time to improve the quality of their boat handling. It is useful when you can get around a sailing area but do not yet feel consistent with sail trim, smooth turns or keeping the boat balanced. It is a skills-development course, not simply a compulsory number to collect on the way to cruising.
Before you start
American Sailing lists ASA 101 as the prerequisite. The published standard describes a roughly 20–30-foot keelboat, daytime sailing and winds up to 20 knots. That is the scope of the standard, not a promise that a course will deliberately sail in the strongest permitted conditions.
Skills you will develop
Sail shape and power
Move beyond pulling a sheet in or letting it out. Learn what changes to the mainsail and headsail controls are trying to achieve and how to notice whether an adjustment improves the boat’s response.
Boat balance
Explore the relationship between sail power, heel and helm. The aim is a boat that feels controlled, rather than using large steering movements to compensate for poor trim.
Coordinated manoeuvres
Practise turns and crew roles with attention to line management and recovery. Repeating a manoeuvre with a clear debrief is more useful than merely completing it once.
Training and assessment
The course combines practical handling with a written knowledge assessment. Ask how the instructor shares helm and trimming time, whether the boat has a tiller or wheel, and how the sailing area supports repeated exercises. Course duration and daily scheduling are provider-specific.
Questions to ask the school
- Is the focus small-keelboat handling or cruising systems?
- How many students share the helm?
- Would ASA 102 or ASA 103 better address my current gaps?
Related learning
Before and after
Other American Sailing courses
ASA 101: Keelboat 1
American Sailing’s entry certification, on a small keelboat in moderate conditions.
ASA 103: Coastal Cruising
The first cruising-boat certification: auxiliary power, day passages, moderate conditions.
ASA 104: Bareboat Cruising
Cruising skills for multi-day bareboat sailing; charter acceptance depends on the operator.
ASA 105: Coastal Navigation
The shorebased navigation certification: charts, plotting, tides, passage planning.
ASA 106: Advanced Coastal Cruising
Plan and lead extended coastal passages by day and night, with stronger navigation, watchkeeping and crew-management skills.
ASA 107: Celestial Navigation
Sextant work: sight taking, sight reduction, fixing a position without electronics.
ASA 108: Offshore Passagemaking
The top of the ASA cruising pathway: extended offshore passages and real self-sufficiency.
ASA 110: Basic Small Boat Sailing
The small-boat entry point, below the keelboat pathway.
Which course should you actually book?
Three questions — your experience, the boat you want to sail, and your goal — give you a starting course and the schools that teach it near you.