JOIN / RENEW
Mon-Tues: Closed, Weds-Sat: 11am–11pm, Sun: 12–6pm
Mon-Tues: Closed, Weds-Sat: 11am–11pm, Sun: 12–6pm
Skiff sailing is the heart and soul of our Club. 16ft Skiffs are high performance carbon racing machines with a three-person crew with two on trapeze and large masthead asymmetrical spinnakers. The Club has one of the strongest fleets in Australia. The Club also has a fleet of 13ft Skiffs as an intermediate and affordable entry level Skiff popular with Youth sailors typically 13 to 23 years of age as a stepping stone when moving up from Junior Classes before then moving into 16ft Skiffs. The 13ft Skiffs race on Saturdays with a start shortly after the 16’s.
2023/24 Season
2023/24 Season
SailSys
Youth and Senior sailing at Middle Harbour 16’s is in 13 and 16 foot skiffs which are high performance craft and very exciting boats to sail and watch. Each boat is a step up in difficulty from the Poppies all the way through to the 16’s, which ensures a continual challenge and enjoyment at every stage of the sailor’s development.
The opportunity to sail on different boats and with a variety of sailors adds to the fun and is a great way to learn. Juniors often end up in the bow of a 16footer at some point, and the Club has many ways to support them into their sailing future
Junior Sailing takes place on Sundays at our Club and we welcome complete novices as well as more
experienced kids from as young as 6 years of age into the Poppie / Optimist Class before progressing
into Manly Juniors and Flying 11’s. Families without a sailing background are made to feel welcome
and love the community vibe at our Club.
Founded in 1902 at the Spit, the skiff club is the longest established club in Mosman. As the name suggests, the pinnacle of the Club’s sailing fleet is the 16 footer, a fast and exciting racing skiff with a crew of 3. The path to 16’s starts with the Club’s commitment to the development of junior sailors.
MH16’s actively recruits juniors to enjoy regular sailing at the Club. Starting with kids from the age of 6, the Club’s Junior Sailing Program provides support to junior sailors from their very first “sit in a boat” all the way through to launching into the world of high-performance senior sailing.
All our junior sailing programs are delivered with the supervision and guidance of experienced adult sailors. We provide no obligation free trials and as an introduction to sailing. Once you join the club, there is a clear pathway for all our sailors to enjoy and we actively promote social and competitive sailing pathways.
Or “Poppies” as they are commonly known are our ‘Learn to Sail’ boats. They are stable, near-indestructible and owned by the club. Young kids and brand new sailors can stay in these training boats until they are ready to progress to our ‘Learn to Race’ program. They are the perfect beginner platform, and experience has shown that within a couple of sessions the kids will be able to navigate simple courses and understand the core skills of sailing.
Manly Juniors are sporty intermediate training boats and are the first boats sailors learn to race. Why do we race? To measure our performance, to improve our skills, and because it’s just plain fun.
MJ’s have a crew of two. Sailors can choose to sail with a friend or their teammate from the ‘Learn To Race’ Program.
Before we throw our learn to sail kids into races, we coach and train them on how to handle a larger 2 sail boat with confidence.
After teaching them how to sail a course, start a race and work together we finally introduce a third sail, the spinnaker to round out the “Learn to Race” program.
Most MJ’s sailing at the Club are privately owned boats and the club does own some MJ’s which it rents to members to get started in the class.
Our MJ Race Fleet Program includes 2 divisions, Novice and Open racing at the same time. This allows our boats to race against each other as well as working to progress to next stage.
These are the high school of sailing, and they are sailed on bigger courses and in stronger wind. Flying 11’s can provide some really exciting sailing. The skill level in the Flying 11 fleet is usually quite spread, the younger kids coming to terms with the power of the bigger boat, and the older bigger kids just “sending it”.
Again, crews of younger and older kids sailing together, or friends going round together are both options. Some Manly Junior skippers also crewed in Flying 11’s in the same season for double the action on a Sunday which can be highly beneficial to quickly advancing their sailing skills.
We also endeavour cater for parents who want to go out onto support boats and watch their kids sail. It’s a fantastic way to spend a few hours on a Sunday. Parents’ upskilling including earning boat licences is also encouraged and assisted.
Paddlers using the lower deck facilities of the Club must be members of the Club. For enquiries regarding membership or ski storage please enquire here.