Sailing School
Learning to Sail at NSC
Join Learn-to-Sail Waitlist Here if the course you're looking for is full/finished.
At Northbridge Sailing Club, we offer training for beginners of all ages. The sailing school is run by enthusiastic young sailors who are passionate about sharing their love for the sport. The clubhouse is situated on the calm waters of Middle Harbour, in an area with low levels of marine traffic - a perfect nursery for new sailors. NSC is special for its unique culture and community-centric atmosphere. We are not-for-profit organisation run by volunteers who take great pride in our little club, which produces a disproportionate number of world class athletes/boat-designers/olympians/you name it. Our instructors all learnt to sail at NSC as kids, and now continue the long tradition of giving back to the community. We are inclusive, and passionate about sharing our sport with newcomers - feel free to come down any Sunday (between September and April) and talk to some of our friendly members.
Open Day 2025 is on 31 August - come down for info on our offerings, a joyride on a sailboat, and a free sausage sizzle!
All activities at NSC require participants to sign up as members. Membership fees are not inclusive of training with the sailing school, which incurs supplimentary fees as set out below. Click here or navigate to our "Membership" page for information on membership fees - for reference, most participants in sailing school training will be suited to membership categories 1, 2 or 5. Northbridge Sailing Club is a not-for-profit organisation; prices are set to be as affordable as possible while covering costs.
This season (Sep 2025-Apr 2026), we are offering several pathways for complete novices:
Junior Learn to Sail - begins 7th September
For kids aged 7-14, our program takes absolute beginners and turns them into confident, independent sailors, ready to join the club's Flying 11 and Optimist fleets. Training runs every Sunday Morning from 9am-12:30pm for the whole season (Sep-Apr), and graduation into higher fleets will be managed by instructors based on each student's rate of progression/skill acquisition - this generally takes around 10 weeks. We ask that you maintain a 100% attendance rate for the first few months of learning, as these sessions will be particularly formative. During this period, the club provides all boats and training equipment, but we ask that you equip your child with an appropriately sized non-inflatable lifejacket (Whitworths, Zhik), a full-length wetsuit, a rain/spray jacket and water shoes.
Parents should be aware that once graduated from "Learn-to-Sail", sailors in the junior training fleets need to have their own boat: a fibreglass "Optimist" dinghy (a fantastic Christmas/Birthday present!). The club has several available for purchase or to rent (on a per half-season basis) at attractive prices - email rearcomm@nsc.asn.au to make an enquiry. Otherwise, check out the NSC noticeboard in the clubhouse, or the website, or other forums for 2nd hand sales (facebook, gumtree). Boat storage is available on site at the club for an annual fee of $320, or half season for $190, subject to availability. Those first couple months go faster than you might think, so please be prepared to become boat-owners in the near future!
Price:
- $700 per child. Includes coaching for the whole season (8 months!). Excludes Membership (required).
- There is also an option to purchase a trial period until the end of September for $200 (plus membership), if you'd like to dip your toes into sailing before committing to a full season. However, please be aware that in the event of over-subscription, preference will be given to season sign-ups.
A second Junior LTS intake may be run during our Live-in Camp in late January 2026 if capacity allows - details to be released in December.
Family Learn to Sail intake 1 - 3rd-6th October
Family Learn to Sail intake 2 - Every Sunday in November
Our popular Family Learn to Sail (FLTS) course is designed for parents/guardians and their kids aged 7+ to learn the ropes together on beautiful Middle Harbour. Much like our iconic Live-in Summer Camp, it is an offering unique to NSC which you will find nowhere else in Sydney!
The course fee not only covers the initial program, but includes complimentary training for the entire duration of the season (until April 2026) for kids and adults alike, representing incredible value and a highly supportive pathway for your learning journey.
At the conclusion of the FLTS course, all participants will have the opportunity to integrate further into our friendly sailing community at NSC. Kids are encouraged to join the Junior pathways in an Optimist or a Flying 11, while parents can build experience in a Pacer, Laser, Tasar or NS14 in the Continuing Adult Trainee Sailors program, "CATS" - all at no extra cost. Or the whole family can combine forces and venture out onto the bay for weekly leisure sails. Whichever pathway floats your boat, you'll have vessels and training support available to you once you complete the course.
As with the Junior LTS, participants must come equipped with their own NON-inflatable life jackets (Whitworths, Zhik) and suitable water wear including a secure hat and long-sleeve rash vest for sun protection, water shoes, and a wetsuit if it's cold (boardshorts or swimming leggings are fine otherwise).
Adult Learn to Sail
Hang Tight! We're still organising dates for this course in the 2025-26 season :)
Whether you're new to sailing, or need a refresher before getting back on the water, this intensive course will build fundamental sailing skills from the ground up. Held over 5 sessions, the goal is to get you sailing independently by the end of the course. You will be able to apply the fundamental skills you learn to any kind of boat, big or small, and can pursue any pathway at NSC following the course. The course fee is inclusive of guided training and support for the whole season in our Continuing Adult Trainee Sailors program: "CATS".
Price: $400 (plus Membership)
Private Lessons - Always Available
Our instructors are volunteers, and teach our Learn-to-Sail courses for free, out of the goodness of their hearts. However, when courses are over-subscribed or don't fit in with your schedule, many of them are happy to earn some money giving private lessons at a time that works for you. Participants are required to first become a club member, at which point you can use your login details to hire a boat ($6/hr) and engage an instructor to teach you (ordinarily around $30-$40 per hour, depending on your arrangement). If you are interested, please shoot me an email (training@nsc.asn.au) and I can put you in contact with an instructor to negotiate.
Live-in 2026! (19/01-23/01)
Our legendary Summer Camp is one-of-a-kind among Sydney's Sailing Clubs. Kids aged 7-16 of all skill levels (including absolute beginners) are welcome. Participants spend the day sailing and exploring middle harbour, then sleep overnight in the clubhouse (supervised) to wake up in the morning and start all over again! It is an unrivalled highlight in the club's calendar, and will be the highlight of your child's Summer Holidays. For more information click here.
Note: In the case of over-subscription to our courses, we may offer alternative times/dates/arrangements. We will always do our best to get as many people sailing as possisble, but with limited boats and volunteers, you may need to meet us halfway in order to make that happen!