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Australian Sailing Courses
The national body’s own scheme, and the one most Australians actually start on. It separates into Tackers for children, OutThere Sailing for teenagers, a dinghy pathway and a keelboat pathway — plus powerboat, Safety & Sea Survival, instructor and coach education alongside.
The core sailing pathways
These are small-boat pathways. They build excellent sailors, and they are the cheapest and most widely available training in the country — but none of them is a cruising-yacht qualification. Sailors heading for charter, ownership or offshore usually cross to the RYA or IYT cruising schemes after the keelboat pathway.
Kids
Tackers is built around fun and water confidence first, sailing skill second — which is why it works.
Teens
For teenagers who have outgrown Tackers but do not want an adult qualification yet.
Dinghy
The fastest route to wind awareness and sail balance, and the standard entry to club racing.
Keelboat
A stable training boat, no capsizing, and a natural bridge toward larger yachts.
Safety, powerboat and instructing
Australian Sailing also runs the Safety & Sea Survival course and its refresher — a prerequisite for many offshore races and worth doing long before you need it — plus powerboat courses that matter more to sailors than they sound, since most training and rescue work happens from a tender.
The instructor pathway is the domestic route into teaching, and the one most Australian sailing instructors take before adding RYA or IYT credentials.
Every Australian Sailing course, explained
Tackers Sailing Courses
Australian Sailing’s junior program, built around fun and water confidence first and sailing technique second.
OutThere Sailing for Teenagers
For teenagers who have outgrown Tackers and are not ready for an adult course.
Australian Sailing Dinghy Courses
The most widely available learn-to-sail route in the country, and the fastest way to real wind awareness.
Australian Sailing Keelboat Courses
Start Crewing, Start Helming, Start Skippering — a stable boat and a natural bridge toward yachts.
Australian Sailing Safety & Sea Survival
Two days on what to do when it goes seriously wrong offshore, including a liferaft session in the pool.
Australian Sailing Powerboat Courses for Sailors
More relevant to sailors than the name suggests: nearly all rescue and support work happens from a powerboat.
Australian Sailing Instructor Pathway
The domestic route into teaching, and where most Australian sailing instructors begin.
Learning as an adult, or booking for a child?
The three-question finder separates the two, and points at the schools running Tackers and Start Sailing near you.