Discover Sailing and the Australian Sailing ‘learn to’ initiatives are crucial in providing people of all abilities the chance to try sailing. As part of Discover Sailing Month here at Australian Sailing, we will be showcasing clubs and Discover Sailing Centres that are holding Discover Sailing Days around the country, highlighting the benefits of organising and attending a Discover Sailing Day and attending a Discover Sailing Centre to learn how to sail.
Speers Point Amateur Sailing Club (SPASC) is a friendly, family-oriented club situated at the northern end of the beautiful Lake Macquarie in New South Wales.
SPASC is an accredited Discover Sailing Centre with qualified Dinghy Instructors who support their Junior Sailing Program in a safe and nurturing environment. They cater equally to their Monohull and Catamaran fleets and have two club Tasars and ILCAs that can be used at no cost for those wanting to try the dinghy classes. Regardless of experience level, SPASC will find a class to suit.
SPASC ran their first Discover Sailing Day in March, which aligned to their local Council’s ‘2023 Lake Mac Women in Sport Festival’, where they encouraged young girls and women to embrace sailing as a sport.
The club successfully promoted SheSails as an incredible 80% of the participants taking part were female. The event’s success also led to 7 new members joining (including Junior & Adult Learn to Sail registrations) out of 49 that had participated in the event, as well as an additional increase in membership due to those that participated sharing their great experience with others.
To align with Australian Sailing’s Discover Sailing Month, SPASC are running another Discover Sailing Day on the 26th of November. Catamarans and Tasars will be available to sail for participants, as well as O’pen Skiffs for Juniors. The event is free and is a fantastic way to have a great day out on the banks of the beautiful Lake Macquarie, showing just how fun, safe, accessible, and affordable sailing can be.
To successfully organise and promote the event, SPASC created a new flyer and promoted on their website and social media. They also added the event onto revSPORT.
SPASC noted, “We were fortunate to receive great support from Emma Humphries and her NSW/ACT Team. We found the ‘Discover Sailing Day – Club Step by Step Guide’ an excellent tool to ensure all SPASC members understood the process and benefits.”
Clubs can access the guide as well as a range of marketing resources here.
SPASC is looking forward to showcasing its family friendly club, maximising their great location and increasing membership through promoting their Junior & Adult Learn to Sail Programs during the event.
“It is an excellent concept to encourage anyone who has not experienced sailing to try sailing at no cost and find out how to get involved.”
For more information on the event, click here.
To find a course or Discover Sailing Day near you, click here.
