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Space Coast Sailing Education Foundation

Promoting Sailing Opportunities for All Individuals Since 2016

About SCSEF

The primary objective of the Space Coast Sailing Education Foundation (SCSEF) is to benefit the residents of the Space Coast by educating the public about sailing, and by offering deserving individuals, including disadvantaged youths, veterans, and the disabled, the opportunity to learn the sport.  Specific activities include offering scholarships to allow underprivileged youth to enroll in youth sailing education courses, and arranging events to allow residents to have the opportunity to experience sailing.

You can support SCSEF by donating here ! We appreciate your support.

Space Coast Sailing Education Foundation – C/O Melbourne Yacht Club

1202 River Drive – Melbourne, FL 32901 – 321-514-2525

[email protected]

Learn to Sail with Melbourne’s 

Most popular sailing school, blue water sailing school.

• FUN INTRODUCTORY SAILING EXPERIENCES
• practical SAILING LESSONS
• Quality ONLINE Video COURSES
• Adventure Sailing & Racing
• Cruises and skippered charters

Check out our offerings and find your next sailing adventure

Gift Vouchers Available

Discover the joy of sailing in these four-hour, low cost introductions to life on the water.

Experience Sailing

Experience sailing @ sunset.

Two-day (9am-5pm) introductory courses are the perfect start to sailing.  Take all three and receive the International Crew qualification.  Package price $1200 .

Learn to Sail

Competent crew.

Gain internationally recognised qualifications charter overseas and train in an immersive liveaboard context.

Yachtmaster Coastal Skipper

International certificate of competence (icc), international crew, international bareboat skipper.

Challenge yourself on a remarkable adventure around Tasmania, to the Whitsundays or in the Mediterranean.

Queensland Coastal Cruise

Sydney to mooloolaba, greece 2025.

Join our crew for some of the world’s most exciting yacht racing regattas!

Geelong Festival of Sails

Petersville regatta – blairgowrie, twilight racing.

Bespoke, flexible training and cruises. Corporate events, team-building and leadership development.

Private Sailing Lessons

Cruises and skippered charters.

Online courses for VHF (Short Range) and MF/HF Long Range marine radio make getting your licence flexible, quick and easy. Online AMC exams. AMC accredited.

MF/HF Marine Radio Online Course

Vhf marine radio online course, marine radio exam.

Sailing offers some of the most amazing experiences in the world.  Learn to sail and a whole new world opens up!

Sail the Mediterranean or Whitsunday Islands. Race in iconic regattas, cruise the coast or even circumnavigate the world. When you sail, a whole new world of freedom and adventure are yours. 

Accessing the world of sailing can feel intimidating and overwhelming. There is a great deal to learn before you can handle a boat and crew safely with skill and confidence. Our students constantly rate us for our welcome, teaching style, calmness and hospitality.

At Blue Water Sailing School you not only learn to sail, but enjoy our resources, community and support to join the world of sailing. 

Contact Tim

To discuss your training needs:, gift vouchers.

Give the gift of sailing! 

Ideal for Experience Sailing afternoons or credit towards any of our sail training or adventures. Purchase, pay and download from our online shop here.

Go From Zero to Hero

Many of our trainees begin with no sailing experience, but they have a dream – to sail the Whitsundays, explore the Mediterranean or even sail the world. For some, it becomes an obsession.

We love taking people from zero to hero, as quickly and easily as possible. And, our pathway give you a taste of the sailing life along the way.

Going from Zero to Hero is not without its challenges. There’s lots to learn, it can be physically challenging and the responsibility can be overwhelming. But, we are here to guide you each step of the way and offer expertise, resources and support to make your dreams a reality. 

At the end, you will be confident, skilled and experienced – ready to own a own boat or charter on your own.

Internationally Recognised

Inte rnational Yacht Training  is the most internationally recognised boating standards system in the world. It offers the widest range of courses, ISO quality management and is truly international. 

Your Principal Instructor

Blue Water Sailing School Principal is Tim Foster. Now based in Melbourne, Tim has been sailing for over 40 years. He is a commercially certified skipper and RYA Yachtmaster Instructor, with a Yachtmaster (Offshore), Sea Safety and Survival, Safety Boat Handling, YA Dinghy Instructor, Cert IV in Training and Assessment and many other qualifications. Former Commodore of the  Dobroyd Aquatic Club  where he won several club championships, divisional winner of the  Geelong Festival of Sails  and currently sailing at the  Royal Yacht Club of Victoria  and   Sandringham Yacht Club .

Professional Sailing Instructors

RYA and IYT qualified sailing instructors, with 40+ years of sailing experience each, numerous other sailing qualifications and racing success.

Online Learning Specialist

Tim has over ten years' experience is online learning development and instructional design in the Australian tertiary sector.

International Certification

IYT Worldwide is the trusted standard of excellence in yacht training, maritime certification and safety around the world. IYT operates more boating courses with more government approvals through more schools, in more countries than any other boating organisation in the world.

Meet 'Boomer'

‘Boomer’ is a Beneteau 40.7, an ideal and very popular training vessel.  Certified by AMSA for training and cruising, she is a comfortable, safe and exciting platform for sail training. We love the roomy cockpit, wide gunwales and high boom. With all new sails, rig, engine and various upgrades she is well-maintained and feels like new. And she’s fast! She offers three double berths and two additional berths in the saloon. Now featuring a Nespresso coffee machine! If you want to learn to sail in Melbourne in comfort and style then hop on board!

Learn To Sail

Learn to sail at the Royal Yacht Club of Victoria.  Royals welcomes new sailors and new Members. People of all backgrounds, ages and abilities are encouraged to learn to sail – no prior experience is necessary.

If you are interested in a learn to sail course, contact us for more information about our programs. We are more than happy to discuss the many sailing opportunities available at the Club. Royals offers courses to help get to grips with both  keelboat learn to sail  and  dinghy learn to sail  If you are not sure where you should start your sailing journey, please contact us and we can make a recommendation based on your preference and ability.

You can find out more about trying sailing by contacting our Sail Training Development Manager on (03) 9391 1277 or by email at  [email protected]

DISCOVER SAILING

Discover Sailing is a campaign initiated by  Australian Sailing  (formerly Yachting Australia). It is designed for people who are new to sailing. RYCV takes part in the campaign by running Discover Sailing Days on a regular basis. We also offer Discover Sailing experiences to all those who are interested.

If you’re trying sailing for the first time there are some  handy tips  which will help to ensure your safety and enjoyment.

DISCOVER SAILING DAY

Discover Sailing Days are a great opportunity to try sailing for the first time.  Best of all, they’re completely free of charge! Royal Yacht Club of Victoria hosts regular Discover Sailing Days, which are open to all members of the community.

Trained Instructors and volunteers, who sail regularly from the Club, will provide you with all of the required safety equipment. Let us show you just how much fun sailing can be.

Our Club bar and restaurant will be open so bring your family and make a day of it!

To keep up to date on when the next Discover Sailing Day will take place. Like RYCV on Facebook or contact the office by calling (03) 9397 1277 or emailing  [email protected] .

DISCOVER SAILING EXPERIENCE

A Discover Sailing Experience is ideal for people who are new to sailing and want to try it in a fun and safe environment. In the three-hour session, you will receive a briefing on safety and sailing before we head out on the water. You can expect a thrilling and enjoyable sail out on Port Phillip. Our fully qualified Australian Sailing (formerly Yachting Australia) instructors will be on hand at all times.

Upon returning to the shore you will be invited back to our club house to debrief from the day’s sailing and discuss further sailing opportunities. The Discover Sailing Experience is a great team building activity and is the perfect day out for partners, friends, families and work colleagues.

The cost for this experience is $120 per person for a 3-hour session, with all safety gear included.

Bookings can be made as a group, or individually if you would like to meet others who are new to sailing. Click for upcoming dates

LEARN TO SAIL COURSES

If you are new to sailing.  One of our Learn to Sail courses could be what you are looking for, with options for Adult Keelboat , Junior and Youth learn to sail courses available

WHAT TYPE OF BOAT SHOULD I CHOOSE?

For those of you that already know how to sail but aren’t sure what type of boat is right for them, it may help to know the main differences between dinghies  and keelboats .

Dinghies are single or two-person light, planning hull, centerboard boats. They are easy to handle in light to medium winds and offer an exhilarating ride when the breeze comes up. Body weight is used to balance the boat against the wind.

Keelboats are larger than dinghies, typically being around 20-30ft in length. Many classes are much less physically demanding than dinghies, making them ideal for those who are less active or who have a disability.

DON’T HAVE A BOAT TO SAIL ON?

With many designs needing crews of three (or more) there are always owners on the lookout for reliable crew.  If you aren’t ready to buy your own boat, this is one of the most cost effective routes into sailing.  It is also a great way to work out what type of sailing is best of you.

If you are a more experienced sailor and/or you would like to get involved in club racing, we can introduce you to boat owners looking for crew.

For more information or assistance, contact the office at  [email protected]

If you already have sailing experience, club members  can also   hire out one of the Club-owned dinghies .   Get in some extra training or just go for a casual sail in Hobsons Bay! We don’t recommend this option if you are new to sailing.

BECOME A MEMBER

Becoming a member at Royal Yacht Club of Victoria not only welcomes you to become a part of the close sailing community.  It also grants you access to a number of great  benefits at the club .

Day Passes  are available for casual sailors, but if you are a regular visitor at the club you are encouraged to consider signing up for one of our many membership options.

Take a look at our  membership page  for more information on how you can join.

Have a question?

You can find out more about trying sailing by contacting our Sail Training Development Manager on (03) 9397 1277 or by email.

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Learn to sail

Always wanted to learn to sail?

Hobsons Bay Yacht Club Boating Academy  offers a range of Sailing courses for a variety of ages and any experience level. 

HBYC Boating Academy is an Accredited discover Sailing Centre, conveniently located close to Melbourne, providing a fun and safe learning environment with friendly qualified instructors.

$385 pp for all 12 hour Australian Sailing courses.

Courses on Offer

Mentoring program, junior sailing courses.

 HBYC now offers the chance for anyone who has completed a sailing course to be paired with an experienced skipper and participate in club events and practice the skills from their sail training. 

 Hobsons Bay Yacht Club offers Junior training, In the form of the Australian Sailing  OutThere Program, running Monday - Thursday 9:00 - 1:00 over the summer holidays. 

Adult Sailing Courses

One day discover sailing and refresher sessions.

We offer a large range of courses to suit any skill level from Start Crewing for those looking for a place to start to Start Racing for those who want to better develop their skills.

Discover Sailing Experiences are a great introduction to sailing in a fun three hour sail with a partner, group of friends, work colleagues, family, or as a way to try a new hobby and meet people. 

We are also offering flexible "Refresher courses" to those who want some time on the water with a qualified instructor, but do not need to take a full course. 

Power Boat Courses

 HBYC also offers courses on high powered motor boats to provide you with the skills to operate in confined spaces, and in in different wind and wave conditions.

Most clubs now require all those operating club boats to complete this training.  

Radio Courses

 HBYC is now offering marine radio operator Courses. You can learn how to operate VHF or HF for both coastal waters and offshore crewing and ocean racing.

First Aid Courses

This is a 4 hour Onsite Practical training session – With a heavy emphasis on CPR 

There is an online component which covers the knowledge and theory of First Aid, this gets completed prior to training day and takes between 1 – 1 ½ hours to complete.

You have the option to log in and out as your time permits to finish. You can do this on yo

You have the option to log in and out as your time permits to finish. You can do this on your Computer, Smart Phone, I Pad. 

Cost: $160pp (HBYC will invoice you after you register) *Race official and on water volunteers course fees will be covered by the club  

New To Sailing?

Need some general advice, frequently asked questions.

Please reach us at [email protected] if you cannot find an answer to your question.

It is possible to learn without sailing lessons, but professional instruction and a structured course makes it much easier and more enjoyable.

An accredited training center will also provide a suitable boat, responsive enough to let you know when you are doing everything well, without being too hard to handle.

All HBYC Sailing courses cost $385, for 12 hours of theory and practical training.

This provides the best introduction to the sport, ensuring you have all the fundamental knowledge and skill to build upon.

Your first HBYC Boating Academy course also includes 3 months of trial membership to help you make use of your new skills.

Hobsons Bay Yacht Club Boating Academy is an accredited Discover Sailing Centre, all HBYC courses are run through the Australian Sailing pathways by friendly, qualified Australian Sailing instructors. 

Yes it is possible. If none of the listed dates suit you, there are two options. HBYC boating academy may be able to schedule an addition course at the standard price for groups of 3 or 4.

Yes, providing that your boat is suitable and meets or exceeds the minimum required safety equipment requirements, HBYC Boating Academy can teach on your own boat.

$75/hr (Weekdays)

$90/hr (Weekends)

Copyright © 2024 Hobsons Bay Yacht Club - All Rights Reserved.

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For any inquiries, information, or special requests (such as enrolling in a course that is currently in progress), please contact us by email. Since we are often out of the office, emailing our training department ensures a quicker response.

Cancellations: Please note that courses cancelled up to 72 hours in advance will not incur a fee. However, cancellations made with less than 72 hours notice will be subject to a $75 charge.

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Royal Melbourne Yacht Squadron Pier Road, St Kilda Victoria, Australia, 3182

Postal: PO Box 2001, St Kilda West Victoria, Australia, 3182

37° 51.769’ S   144° 58.320’ E VHF Standby Ch 16, Squadron Ch 72.

Ph:  61 3 9534 0227 Email:   [email protected]

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The official Instagram account of Royal Melbourne Yacht Squadron 📍 St Kilda Harbour, 20-minutes from the CBD

Royal Melbourne Yacht Squadron respectfully acknowledges the Yaluk-ut Weelam Clan of the Boon Wurrung. We pay our respect to their Elders, past and present. We acknowledge and uphold their continuing relationship to this land and water on which we sail. RMYS values diversity and welcomes people of any culture, ethnic background, religion, age, gender, sexual orientation and ability to enjoy our club events and apply to become a member. © Copyright 2022. Royal Melbourne Yacht Squadron. All rights reserved.

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Come Sail Away

Whether in it for camaraderie or a challenge, melbourne yacht club sailors say it’s about the trip, not the destination.

Crossing the Crane Creek bridge in Melbourne, silver and white sticks extending beyond the height of a concrete guardrail are the first hint of what is hidden from view. Tucked into protected dock spaces, 40 boats are concealed despite their slips being a mere 65 feet from six lanes of busy traffic on U.S. 1. If leaving Melbourne’s historic downtown district, any southbound driver might wonder what lies below the height of mast spreaders.

Following World War II, Melbourne Yacht Club re-formed in 1947 as a club for those interested in both power and sail boats. Its four membership categories are designed to attract young members, beginning sailors and people who either own or crew on boats, providing them an affordable venue for social activities on land and water.

Competitive sailing has long been an important component in the club’s history. Following its revival, Motor Boating magazine mentioned its importance in a regional news update.

“The organization hopes to revive interest in boating in Melbourne. Old residents of the area recall more than 100 sailboats of all types which took part in the three-day racing program sponsored by the Melbourne Yacht Club in 1936,” the magazine stated.

On weekdays Angela Lambert is a mild-mannered Brevard school teacher. However, on weekends she handles the foredeck duties on a J-24 one-design boat, maintaining perfect balance while juggling a spinnaker pole. PHOTOS BY ROB DOWNEY

PLENTY OF STORIES Though the club might be considered small in membership, its sailing history and recognitions are remarkable. On a Friday night sitting at the clubhouse bar after a Rum Race you are likely to find any one or more of a cast of characters with stories to make you roar with laughter, cringe in terror or simply reply with, “Wow, you did that?”

Phil Spletter has crewed on a square-rigged ship for two Atlantic crossings.

A significant number have crossed The Pond under sail while performing deliveries, cruising or competing in the Trans-Atlantic Race. Among them is Phil Spletter, a 16-year member, who crossed twice aboard a 249-foot, three-mast, square-rigged ship as a crew member. He said those trips were his most memorable sailing experiences, with the second trip made in spring 2020.

While sailing is the most common interest among members, not to be overlooked are social benefits. Activities bring sailors together on land or at anchor. An example is the rafting party, when boating families agree on a rendezvous location and tie side to side in a long line, sometimes for a weekend of dining and conversation. Barbecue grills clamped to stern pulpit rails turn out all manner of feasts much of each day and evening.

Because racing is a significant interest, sailors were fortunate to count Dick Tillman as a member for decades until his passing in October 2020. His career included the Olympics, World and North American championships, a Rolex Sailor of the Year honor and authorship of several books. He told of his experience as executive director of the International J/24 Class Association in the 1980s, remembering a time when the Bermuda fleet invited the MYC J/24 fleet to Bermuda to compete in a weeklong event.

“In return, we invited them to come to Melbourne and visit the area and the Space Coast,” he once recalled. “The invitation was well-received with many Bermudians accepting to compete in a weeklong event hosted by MYC and the Eau Gallie Yacht Club.”

MYC Commodore Dave Noble has helmed his trailerable J-24 class boat in many regattas extending between Miami and Annapolis, Maryland.

KEEPS THEM RUNNING While boats provide fun, they are well-known for having sporadic appetites for maintenance and repair. Many MYC owners are willing and able to handle such needs themselves. But on occasions when special tools and expertise seem expedient, fellow member Grant Ball is likely to hear his phone ring.

Beyond the well protected harbor is one of the Indian River Lagoon’s widest deep sections on Florida’s east coast. PHOTO BY JACK BARA

Six miles south of the club, overlooking the Indian River, Ball’s fully equipped machine shop is adjacent to his boyhood home. His relationship with sailing began when his father was offered a 12-foot Optimist Pram that needed complete restoration. It seemed a good project for a father and young son.

“We finished the boat, but then came to realize teaching ourselves to sail just wasn’t going to work out,” Ball explained.

His father heard Melbourne Yacht Club offered lessons to youth sailors in boats just the same as the one they restored. Ball was 14 and soon became confident enough to take his high school girlfriend sailing. Grant and Debra Ball celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in July.

From blissfully sailing their tiny pram emerged future careers. Grant Ball eventually earned a 1,600-ton captain’s license while Debra Ball followed with her own 100-ton credentials. Between 1988 and 1999, the couple had positions together as captain and chief stew aboard four charter yachts of both sail and motor, ranging from 100 to 137 feet. Voyages extended from Vancouver Island, Canada, to Turkey and the Mediterranean with several trans-Atlantic crossings completed.

The couple no longer has such transient adventures, having exchanged them for a land-based life operating an all-service marine repair business. He often calls his wife to come from their home next door to assist with projects needing an extra pair of hands.

Sunrise greets about 40 MYC boats, each awaiting its owner and crew for another day on the Indian River.

SAILING LESSONS Like any sport, sailing depends on attracting new people and proper introduction is the first step to creating permanent interest. Fortunately, at most yacht clubs including MYC, there is a desire shared by young and old sailors to give back to the sport they love.

On a windy June morning, sailing students Kelli Leyte and Craig Brown enjoy the spray of cooling water coming off the bow of a 420 dinghy.

Learning to sail for recreational cruising or to race is difficult without guidance, and teaching is an important club function. MYC maintains a fleet of seven 420-class double-handed dinghies and eight Optimist Prams for instructing children and adults. In addition to these club-owned boats for lessons, novice sailors have opportunities to crew on member boats for bi-weekly Rum Races. By arriving around 5 p.m. every other Friday in summer and by noon on Sundays in winter, people can often find an opportunity to join a crew and learn.

Subliminal aspects of learning to sail have subtle benefits that become apparent with progression of ability. Sailing is an athletic skill sport without the usual need for great physical prowess. One can be successful without running or even normal walking ability as proved by the significant role sailing is playing in the Wounded Warrior Project’s recovery program for military veterans.

The challenge of encountering a new environment governed by nature on a platform powered by wind is always faced with some level of intimidation. A person would not be normal if not wondering how it is possible to harness wind to power a sail. Why put oneself at the mercy of uncontrollable forces to employ one of man’s least efficient means of getting from Point A to Point B?

Corey Small, a former collegiate sailor, assists the novice students and serves as the main sheet trimmer on Bullrush.

As President John Kennedy once said, “We do these things not because they are easy but because they are hard.” Therein lies a fundamental purpose in sailing, for to meet difficulty head on and succeed is to feel exhilaration.

Eventually novice proficiency evolves to bring self-gratification for having overcome what had been feared. Sailing builds confidence and with each new success comes further inspiration to add more to the challenge — desiring more wind, learning new control lines to adjust, yearning to go faster. It becomes more than moving a boat through water from place to place.

The mind welcomes a passion to use wind, the simplest element in nature’s toolbox, to power craft nearly as old as mankind with greatest efficiency. Sailors at the Melbourne club, or any venue where sailors gather, describe similar attraction to a combination of factors leading them to water in sailboats.

Grant and Debra Ball traveled halfway around the world during various adventures as professionals on large charter yachts. They continue working in the marine industry with their fully equipped machine shop along the Indian River near Melbourne Yacht Club.

Making it all possible is the club’s board of directors. For Corey Small, teaching new sailors as director of Sailing Education is his prime focus. The thrill first began for Small when he joined the sailing team at the University of South Alabama in 2005.

“Sailing is about being present,” he said. “It forces you to slow down and be aware of your surroundings. It’s as much about the trip as the destination.”

After college, Small taught sailing on Albemarle Sound in Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. He bought a Hobie Cat 14 and would sometimes sail his boat the 22-mile round trip to and from work. Now he is employed as a systems engineer, leads a team of certified instructors and is the main sheet trimmer on a member’s Rum Race crew.

YOUNGSTERS WELCOMED Recently minted youth sailors are a welcome asset in assisting more seasoned volunteers by helping with rigging and sailing the 420 dinghies used for instruction. Thomas Schuerger and Jackson Bjorklund are among those and belong to the Space Coast Sailing Team where they participate in regattas on Florida’s east coast. The club also supports winter youth programs of the Space Coast Sailing Foundation in its efforts to begin sailors at young ages.

A student tightens the outhaul in preparation to launch the boat.

MYC education volunteers and employed instructors represent the heart and core of national and worldwide interest in sharing the sailing experience with its dramatically evolving developments of the past few decades. The diversity in sailing has become more evident than ever with development of foiling catamarans and now new, large monohull foiling race boats to be used in America’s Cup competition.

Yet, even with the technology of exotic materials and designs, there remains strong interest and respect for traditional designs. The heritage of wood schooners and sloops continues. Whether hulls be of wood or fiberglass, boat large or small, water fresh or salt, the passion of Melbourne Yacht Club sailors to hoist a sail and see how the wind blows goes on.

Photographer and writer Rob Downey has been working with the Indian River Media Group since 2006. He began his career in Connecticut in 1974 doing photo illustrations for textbooks. When he moved to Florida in 1981, he added advertising agencies, magazines and a variety of corporations to his client list. He is a former mayor of Melbourne Village.

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