Pace Yourself Sail Training

Proudly supported by
Community Bank Elwood

Elwood Sailing Club is proud of our history competitive and recreational sailing of off the beach monohulls and catamarans. Our purpose is to continually improve the skills of our members and the community to enjoy water-based recreation safely and enjoyably, while respecting the enjoyment of others.

A key component of our skills development program is our “Pace Yourself Sail Training” program which we offer to novice sailors and new club members at no additional fee on the same days as our club racing days.  We encourage people who may have no sailing experience to join and learn the basics of sailing a dinghy.  Our  program is run entirely with club members volunteering time using our club’s fleet of dedicated training dinghies and safety equipment and asupport boats.

Our training boats isuffer accelerated rates of wear and tear in the hands of novice sailors as they come to grips with what works and importantly, what doesn’t.  We owe a big THANK YOU to Bendigo Bank or their continued generous support of our Pace Yourself Sail Training program helping us to keep the fleet in good and safe order.

Pace Yourself 2026-27

Want to learn to sail “off the beach” in a safe and supported environment on the beautiful Elwood foreshore?

The Elwood Sailing Club Pace Yourself program is an adult training group for novices to develop the basic skills and knowledge to safely sail a dinghy in light to moderate winds, while enjoying the facilities and other opportunities provided by our club.

The principle is “learning by doing” and at your own pace using our training fleet of Pacer dinghies with some opportunities to experience other types of boats.

In the 2026-27 season we are having two primary intakes on 24 October 2026 and 16 January 2027 with a nominal 8 x 3 hour sessions on Saturday mornings.  Participants are welcome to continue through the entire season provided sufficient boats are available.

What does success look like?

  • You are having fun sailing and learning new skills.
  • You can identify safe operating conditions and dress appropriately.
  • You can independently rig/de-rig a Pacer and make ready for the water.
  • You know the most common sailing knots and where they are used.
  • You can launch, tack, gybe, safety-stop and land a dinghy safely in light weather.
  • You can execute a two person capsize recovery.
  • You know the principles of and can execute safe towing.
  • You know the basic “Rules for the avoidance of collision at sea” for dinghy sailing.
  • You are keen to join the club races and learn more.

Pre-Requisites:

  • Water Confidence
  • You are a financial member of Elwood Sailing Club
  • You can use WhatsApp for communication and coordination

Dates and Times for instructed sessions:

  • Aligned to our club racing days, from 8:30am to 11:30 am
  • Please arrive early to help set up and ensure we start on time
  • 8 days scheduled first and second half of the ESC sailing season, weather dependent
  • Additional dates may be available on an ad hoc basis

2026 Dates

Saturday 24 October
Saturday 31 October
Saturday 7 November
Saturday 14 November
Saturday 21 November
Saturday 28 November
Saturday 5 December
Saturday 12 December

2027 Dates

Saturday 30 January
Saturday 6 February
Saturday 20 February
Saturday 27 February
Saturday 13 March
Saturday 20 March
Saturday 3 April
Saturday 10 April

Enquiries

For course enquiries and additional information please contact training@elwoodsc.com