Actively Sailing - What to expect
At Cairns Yacht Club, we welcome people of all ages and experience levels to get involved in sailing through our educational workshops, training sessions and on-water activities. However, our facilities can't cater to everyone, so please review the information below carefully to determine if this is suitable for you.
- Sailing, like most water sports, is considered a Dangerous Recreational Activity.
- Sailing can be hard work, both physically and mentally.
- Vessel manoeuvres happen frequently and at pace, which will cause the boat to heel from side to side and heave to and fro. You need be physically agile and able to maintain your balance.
- Sailing can be busy and fast-paced at times, which can feel stressful.
When joining any sailing on water activities, you are signing up to actively participate in sailing the boat. This involves tasks such as:
- Moving safely about the deck of a moving yacht. The deck is likely to be heaving & slippery while underway, you need to be physically agile.
- Assisting with raising, lowering, and trimming the sails. This involves pulling or winching lines (ropes) with your arms and back, and gripping lines with your hands.
- Actively listening & following verbal directions, responding quickly at all times and staying calm (especially if there is an emergency).
Please help us keep everyone safe by letting us know if there is any reason you may be unable to undertake any of these tasks. To maintain a safe environment for everyone, we may need to refuse participation if someone is unable to safely meet the above activity requirements.
