Childrens sailing lessons at Mooloolaba, Queensland, Australia

Sunshine Sailing Australia is Australia's leading sail experience provider. We operate from Mooloolaba on the magnificent Sunshine Coast and Scarborough in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.

We enable & encourage young and adult sailors to learn to sail safely, competently, & competitively. We start at the basics, move on to more advanced sailing techniques & then on to racing. Once a good solid foundation has been achieved we move on to the more advanced & intensive race clinics in performance dinghies & Hobie 16 cat sailing to prepare the young sailor for the competitive but very social weekend club racing.

The junior sailor learns how to sail effectively & safely & starts to understand other fundamentals. Without realising, juniors will learn the art of communication, teamwork, & decision making; developing their confidence whilst having fun and meeting new friends in a safe & friendly environment.

We supply the training dinghies, life jackets, safety cover, logbook and sunscreen if needed.

Each course aims to have a minimum of 12 hours of ‘on the water’ activity. Each session also includes a theory lecture and practical onshore activities including rope work, rigging, sailing techniques, rules of the road, weather and tides, navigation and boat maintenance.

Once these programs are complete, juniors will be ready to sail or race from any sailing club around Australia.

This is a great opportunity for both parents and kids alike to be involved in the sailing scene. We encourage parents to participate & be a part of the sailing clubs in their area to build a strong & worthwhile future for the young sailors of today.

At the helm of Sunshine Sailing Australia is John Bankart, winner of the 2003 and 2007 Melbourne-Osaka double handed yacht races. John is one of only two Royal Yachting Association (RYA) Yachtmaster Ocean Examiners in Australia as well as a RYA Yachtmaster Offshore examiner.

John is an accomplished yachtsman, highly respected by his peers throughout the world. John has sailed over 130'000 sea miles worldwide, competed in 4 Sydney to Hobart yacht races, the infamous Fastnet, and was skipper of the yacht 'Maiden' racing around the world. John amoungst other things is now preparing on the next sailing adventure, we'll keep you posted!!

As skipper/instructor for The Challenge Business [UK], John skippered 'Nuclear Electric' and trained the crews for the BT Global Challenge, the toughest around the world yacht race for amateurs.

John continues to contest major ocean races, campaigning to enter the worlds Solo Ocean Yacht Races in 2010-2012 and also working on his next Melbourne to Osaka in 2011.

John has put together a team of world class skippers and instructors including Warren Boadle and James Morris, our Senior Instructor and our Corpoarte Events manager, both having sailed extensively within Australia and abroad.

We are located at The Wharf Mooloolaba, Parkyn Parade on the edge of the Mooloolah River, meters from the sea and 100 paces from the best beach in Queensland.

Mooloolaba offers a unique shopping experience that is unrivalled by other holiday destinations. There is an exciting new shopping precinct with many upmarket retail stores and dinning, Mooloolaba has something to offer everyone. Mooloolaba's great accommodation, fashionable cafes and shops make it a top vacation and leisure spot for locals, Brisbane, out-of state and overseas visitors.

Mooloolaba is also well known as an excellent venue for state, national and international sailing events, as well as other water sports and social activities.

Our location provides sheltered waters for dinghies in the Mooloola River, yachts in the small bay and open ocean sailing in minutes. The Sandy Straits and Fraser Island are just to the north; Moreton Bay, its inland waterways and Gold Coast are just to the south; it's perfect for overnight courses.

We teach sailing to people from 7 to 77 years old, in dinghies and yachts, inshore and offshore, beginner to yachtmaster. All completed courses include certificate and logbook endorsed by the RYA, recognised nationally and internationally.