Australian Sailing is committed to providing programs that are fun, inclusive, safe, and develop life-long sailors for strong club membership and growth.  

To fulfil this commitment, the Club Participation Programs have recently been released for clubs to deliver this season and beyond. The programs are designed to enhance retention at clubs, enabling participants to move from Discover Sailing Centre programs (stages 1-3 of the sailor pathway) to Club Participation Programs (stages 4-6 of the sailor pathway), in a way that is seamless, structured, and allows sailors to continue progressing no matter what class of boat or board sailed.  

The Club Participation Programs are underpinned by further resources available from the Participation Hub, and are designed to provide the following outcomes: 

To assist clubs and their coaches with the provision of consistent delivery, maintaining high standards of coaching, and progressing participants through stage appropriate activity, we are pleased to provide the Club Participation Program curriculums, including the 7 core elements of which all the Club Participation Programs have been designed around.  

The curriculums include 20 individual session plans for both Green Fleet and Intermediate Fleet, as well as longer-term planning tools for Intermediate and Advanced Fleet delivery. Accompanying these resources are sailor progress sheets, which are available to download and track individual sailor progression throughout the season.  

The resources can be utilised by accredited coaches at Clubs, and through Class Association coaching programs, allowing consistent delivery based on best practice, with the sailor’s enjoyment, progression, and retention as the main priorities. Coaches are provided access to all the resources they are accredited for. 

An overview of the new curriculum resources now available to accredited coaches, delivering the Club Participation programs, can be found below: 

Green Fleet and Intermediate Fleet - 20 Session Plans: 

Within each level, the session plans and activity suggestions can be delivered in any order to suit the needs of the sailors and to achieve the best outcomes considering the weather and seas state on any day. 

The session plans are intended as a resource for newly qualified or less experienced coaches to deliver the programs at their club, or class association, and can be delivered in any class including dinghies, cats, keelboats, and Boards. 

It is intended that coaches use these session plans as a guide, overtime developing what works best for their sailors, and the environment they are coaching in. 

Green Fleet and Intermediate Fleet - 7 Program Elements: 

The 7 Program Elements cover the core areas of skill development, knowledge, and competencies that a sailor requires, to achieve stage appropriate development in any class, including dinghies, cats, keelboats, and Boards. 

The 7 Program Elements are intended as a resource for more experienced coaches, the activity ideas contained in this resource are a suggestion only, as coaches may have proven sessions they have delivered previously and are appropriate to the stage of development for the sailor.  

We encourage coaches to use and develop their own session plans to step sailors towards the competencies outlined in the sailor progress sheets and to align with these 7 program elements. 

The 7 core elements built into each program are:  

• Boat Handling Skills 
• Skills to go Fast 
• Racing Skills and Competition 
• Equipment and Disciplines 
• Personal, Mental, social skills 
• Sailing Playground, environment, and safety
• Club environment  

Green Fleet and Intermediate Fleet - Sailor Progress Sheets:  

The sailor progress sheets assist coaches to measure sailors progress across the program, the competencies align to the activities contained within the programs.  

Intermediate and Advanced Fleet - Season Planning Tools 

Available to utilise in conjunction with the Intermediate Fleet 7 Program Elements and Sessions Plans, or to assist with designing program sessions and scheduling for Advanced Fleet, are season plans, which detail key session requirements and scheduling, stepping sailors towards a competition goal.  

The season plans contain information and programming for both on water and off water activity and are based on a minimum time commitment from the sailor to help them achieve their competition goals at local or State level in the case of an Intermediate Fleet sailor, or at State or National Level at the Advanced Fleet stage. 

The desired minimum time commitment for the Intermediate fleet season plan is 220 hours of structured on and off water training and competition. 

The desired minimum time commitment for the Advanced Fleet season plan is 400 hours of structured on and off water training and competition. 

Advanced Fleet - Annual Planning Tool 

In addition to the season planning tool detailed above, we have also provided an annual plan for coaches and their sailors to utilise, along with example weeks which break down the plan into smaller sections and provide greater detail as to the envisaged delivery.  

The annual plan requires a higher level of commitment from the sailor undertaking the program, and again is based on a minimum time commitment to achieve the desired goals of the sailor. The likely driver for a sailor undertaking this level of commitment is to achieve a competition goal at a class national Championships. 

The desired minimum time commitment for the Advanced Fleet annual plan is 560 hours of structured on and off water training and competition. 

With a consistent approach to appropriate delivery, and a shared sport-wide understanding of the stages to a sailor’s development, we can truly begin to grow our sport, the individuals who are participating in it, and our Clubs.  

If you require any assistance or guidance with delivery of the Club Participation Programs, or with any of the resources available via the Participation Hub, please contact your local Australian Sailing Club Support Officer.