Do I have to start in a dinghy?

No. This is probably the most persistent myth in sailing education, and it comes from a time when dinghies were simply the cheapest way into the sport.

The case for dinghies is real. A small boat responds instantly, so you feel the effect of every trim adjustment and every wind shift. You will develop wind awareness faster in a dinghy than anywhere else, and you will be sailing independently — making every decision yourself — within a couple of days.

The case against is equally real for some people. Dinghies capsize, which is part of the training rather than a failure, but it rules them out for anyone with mobility limits, cold-water concerns or simply no wish to swim. And a dinghy teaches nothing about diesel engines, anchoring, berthing or living aboard, all of which matter if your goal is a cruising yacht.

If your ambition is to charter a catamaran in the Whitsundays, spending a season in a dinghy is a pleasant detour rather than a step on the path. Start on the kind of boat you want to sail.