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SA - Cruising Yacht Club of South Australia
Sail Our Way Case Study: South Australian Women's Match Racing Skipper Training Program 2025
Club: Cruising Yacht Club of South Australia
Contact: Lesley Jean Roberts | womensmatchracingsa@gmail.com
About the project
The South Australian Women's Match Racing Skipper Training Program is part of the Australian Sailing Green Fleet Club Participation initiative, designed to give women access to high-quality match racing coaching in Elliott 7 keelboats. The program ran from late September to December 2025, with ongoing sessions planned until April 2026.
Training sessions included 1–2 onboard coaches, a safety boat driver, and shore support, depending on the day, and ran from 4:30 pm until dusk. The program introduced participants to essential skills, including trimming, kite work, pre-start manoeuvres, navigation, docking, and helming in close quarters. The program catered to a wide range of experience levels — from women who had never taken a boat from a dock or trimmed a jib, to those seeking advanced match racing skills.
2025 Participation
- 56 women registered interest, with 15 students regularly participating.
- Students came from affiliated South Australian sailing clubs including Brighton & Seacliff Yacht Clu, Largs Bay Sailing Clu, Port Adelaide Sailing Club, Christies Sailing Club, Royal South Australian Yacht Squadron.
- The program ran with 2 onboard coaches, 3 safety boat drivers, and 4 shore support personnel, with additional administration and photography support.
Outcomes and impact
The program provided a structured, supportive environment for women to develop skills that would not otherwise have been accessible:
- Skill development: Participants progressed in helming, pre-start routines, and match racing techniques, with coaching plans for departures, navigation, and docking formalised as assessable standards.
- Confidence: Many students reported that this was the most fun and effective coaching they had ever received, feeling safe while being challenged.
- Retention: Students left motivated to continue in match racing, with one beginner signing up for further Sail Our Way events.
The squad has covered pre-start manoeuvres and will move onto Obstruction Rule 19, mark room, and kite work in the new year.
How the funding helped
The Sail Our Way grant was critical in making this program possible. CYCSA leases out their fleet of Elliotts at cost recovery rates, with strict skill assessments that none of the students would have met independently. The onboard coaches were essential for success, providing the expertise and support that allowed participants to access and safely sail the Elliott fleet.
Without the grant, this program would not have been supported, and the students would not have had the opportunity to develop these skills in a safe, structured environment.
