By Ian Grant.
Sunshine Coast dinghy sailing clubs have a proud history of producing Australian champions in the important junior classes.
The learn to sail program successfully introduced by the Mooloolaba Dinghy Club on the Mooloolah River has played an important role in several individual careers.
Naturally there is an element of fear when a young sailor steps into a Sabot for the first time but that is soon cast aside when they gain confidence and coordinate the required skills to sail free with the wind.
It’s a well known fact that the sailor who learns to develop their skills with sailing against wind and current on an estuary system similar to the Mooloolah, Maroochy and Noosa Rivers can master the demanding challenge of racing confidently and tactically smart on open water courses.
This has been proved in the past with talented teenage Sabot sailors like Matt Goulter, brothers Trent and Kyle Robson and the sailing sisters Fiona and Andrea Charlson winning Australian Championships.
Sean O’Rourke also continued with this impressive club performance program winning the Australian Sabot championship on the Port Denison course in Bowen while Lisa Charlson graduated from the learn to sail school to become a star performer under the coaching of Adrian Finglas to win the Women’s World 420 championship with crewmate Sarah Roberts-Thompson in South Africa.