Venue: Urunga Sail Training Club.
9 Bellingen Street, Urunga
Ever watched the horizon and sails bobbing up and down? Ever thought I’d love to just escape and be on the water? All sailing journeys need to start somewhere and trying it has changed many lives - like the new team of sailing Assistant and Full Instructors that completed their national Australian Sailing accreditation last year with the Urunga Sail Training Club.
“Our new Instructors mostly started with our basic Start 1&2 Sailing lessons that we hold 3 times per year, or with our school’s sailing programs, but these guys have shown exceptional sailing ability and leadership roles in mentoring and teaching sailing to others that do the courses,” said Derek Ridgley, Principal of the Sailing School.
The new 2025 Sailing Season started with Category 1-2 weather effects with the arrival of ‘Alfred’, torrential rain, flooding and flushing debris out of the Bellinger and Kalang Rivers, and turning the calm waters into muddy puddles of raging torrents. The Sailing school only just managed to complete the February course last weekend, and it was a non-sail day because the river conditions were still not ideal from flooding further up the valleys. The Urunga Sail Training Club is a volunteer organization, runs programs for people of all ages and abilities and has been teaching sailing on the Mid North Coast for the past 15 years. Beginning in May after the school holidays there will be a new 5-week course on Saturdays.
The course teaches how to confidently skipper and crew a sailing dinghy, basic sailing manoeuvres, reading the tides and weather conditions, boat parts and rigging, safe boat launching and retrieval, capsize recovery drills, understanding the ‘Rules of the Road’ and who has right of way on the water and more. The courses are for beginners and anyone wanting to brush up on their sailing skills - so no experience is necessary. The skills learnt can be transferred to crewing and sailing on larger boats.
Sailing is a wonderful sport for kids from 7 years and adults alike, as it encourages both mental and physical ability, promotes a healthy, active outdoors lifestyle. The sailing lessons have taught juniors and teenagers many valuable life lessons like decision-making, resilience, leadership, teamwork and communication in a fun, healthy environment and out from behind the screens and a wonderful way to explore our waterways.
Visit the website www.sailurunga.org.au or email urungasailtraining@gmail.com and they can send you the links to register for the course and more details, or phone 0427115892 (or) 0490349378
instructor training