Welcome to Manly Skiff Club Junior Division
Our Junior division is one of the leading divisions in the classes we sail within Australia. We sail through Summer every Sunday out of Manly and have a great community culture within the club.
Below are some FAQ’s to assist you with any information enquiries. Please feel free to contact us at manly16sjuniors@gmail.com
We look forward to welcoming you at our Club.
When do you sail?
Juniors sail on a Sunday from mid Sept to the end of March. During this period there are breaks for holidays, weekends away for state championships and a national championship regatta in December. The state and national regattas are encouraged, but up to boat as to whether they enter.
What Junior classes of boats sail at Manly?
Our entry class is the Manly Junior. Sailors typically range from 8 – 13yrs old. After this we step kids up into the Flying 11. In this Class sailors range in age from 12 – 16yrs. We have a good mix of male and female sailors across both classes.
The Manly Junior or ‘MJ’ is a 2.6 metre (8 ft 8″) sloop rigged training boat with a main, jib and spinnaker and is suitable for both learning to sail and race.
The Flying Eleven is designed as high performance racing skiff. It is an excellent a follow-on boat for Sabots, Manly Juniors & other junior classes.
Do I need experience?
We encourage all interested kids to do a learn to sail course first. While not necessary if you are crewing with an experienced skipper, it is highly recommended, particularly for the younger kids to build confidence and water/boat awareness.
At this stage our Learn to Sail program is not operating, however we highly recommend Learn to Sail at Manly Yacht Club, which is next door to the Skiff Club.
How do I get involved?
Reach out to our Junior Chair Ryan Thomas or drop down to the Club on a Sunday during the sailing season. MJ’s are on the water from 10.20am to 12pm and F11’s from 1.30 – 3pm. Best time to meet MJ’s is 9 – 10am and F11’s is 12 – 1pm.
If you have a boat, you can join up and start racing. If you are looking for a boat, we can help point you in the right direction. If you are looking to crew or skipper someone else’s boat, we can put your name on our available crew register.
How do parents become involved?
Junior sailing is run by parent volunteers. We encourage parents to get involved on the start boat, rescue boats or in other support activities. However, if you are unable to volunteer, no pressure, as we want your kids sailing. All we ask is that your child is old enough to not need supervision off the water if you drop and run 😊.
Coaching?
We are lucky enough to have a Club coach who provides on water training on Sundays. We also run optional training one afternoon after school each week between Nov – Jan for interested boats.
What is the cost of sailing?
Season sailor registration is $125. Boat storage costs also apply if you choose to leave your boat at the Club.
Learn to Sail
Manly Sailing is located next door to the Skiff Club. A great first start for young sailors from 7 years old to try sailing Contact Details here
