Welcome to Manly Skiff Club Junior Division
One of the leading junior divisions in Australia. We sail every Sunday through summer out of Manly, with a strong community culture around the club.
Our Junior Division is one of the leading divisions in the classes we sail within Australia. We sail through summer every Sunday out of Manly and have a great community culture within the club.
Below are some FAQs to help with any questions. Feel free to contact us at manly16sjuniors@gmail.com. We look forward to welcoming you at our Club.
FAQs for new families
When do you sail?+
Juniors sail on Sundays from mid September to the end of March. There are breaks for school holidays, state championship weekends away, and a national championship regatta in December. State and national regattas are encouraged but up to each boat as to whether they enter.
What junior classes of boats sail at Manly?+
Our entry class is the Manly Junior — sailors typically range from 8 to 13 years old. After this we step kids up into the Flying 11, where sailors range from 12 to 16. We have a good mix of male and female sailors across both classes. The MJ is a 2.6 m sloop-rigged training boat with main, jib and spinnaker, suitable for both learning to sail and racing. The Flying Eleven is a high-performance racing skiff and an excellent follow-on from Sabots, MJs and other junior classes.
Do I need experience?+
We encourage all interested kids to do a learn-to-sail course first. It’s not strictly necessary if you’re crewing with an experienced skipper, but it’s highly recommended for younger kids to build confidence and water awareness. Our own Learn to Sail program isn’t currently operating — we recommend Manly Sailing (next door to the Skiff Club).
How do I get involved?+
Reach out to our Junior Chair Tim Lees, or drop down to the Club on a Sunday during the sailing season. MJs are on the water from 10:20am to 12pm and F11s from 1:30pm to 3pm. Best time to meet MJs is 9–10am and F11s is 12–1pm. If you have a boat, you can join and start racing. If you’re looking for a boat we can point you in the right direction, and if you want to crew or skipper someone else’s boat we’ll add you to our available crew register.
How do parents become involved?+
Junior sailing is run by parent volunteers. We encourage parents to help on the start boat, rescue boats or with other support activities. If you can’t volunteer there’s no pressure — we just want your kids sailing. All we ask is that your child is old enough not to need supervision off the water if you drop and run.
Coaching?+
Coaching is included in the annual registration fee at no extra cost. Coaches are provided on Sundays for safety and development for all abilities. In addition to Sunday coaching, we run after-school training for Manly Juniors on Tuesdays and Flying 11s on Wednesdays.
What is the cost of sailing?+
Season sailor registration is $150. Boat storage costs also apply if you choose to leave your boat at the Club.
Learn to Sail+
Manly Sailing is located next door to the Skiff Club — a great first start for young sailors from 7 years old. Visit manlysailing.com for details.
Manly Sailing is located next door to the Skiff Club — a great first start for young sailors from 7 years old to try sailing. Contact details here.