For parents of children aged 4 to 12 starting sailing through the Australian Sailing Tackers programme, 2026/27 sessions. Covers each Tackers level, ages, prerequisites, what children learn, instructors, equipment and how to find and book a session.
Australian Sailing lists these Tackers courses:
Source: https://www.sailing.org.au/courses and https://www.sailing.org.au/news/tackers-program-kids-boats-fun
Little Tackers is the programme for children aged 4 to 6: fun and games at a Tackers centre, where children learn basic movement skills through play at a sailing club. Australian Sailing describes it as a beginner course of about 3 hours. It runs in small groups of no more than 6 children, with close supervision from qualified Tackers instructors. Children receive a Little Tackers completion certificate.
The only prerequisite listed is that the child is 4 to 6 years old.
Source: https://www.sailing.org.au/course-finder/60 and https://www.sailing.org.au/news/tackers-program-kids-boats-fun
Tackers Intro is a 3-hour beginner session for children aged 7 to 12 who are water confident. Australian Sailing calls it the ideal introduction to the Tackers programme, with fun, non-competitive on-water activities and a pathway to more sailing through Tackers. It suits children wanting an introduction to sailing, and anyone deciding whether to take a Tackers 1 course. Children receive a Tackers Intro completion certificate.
For younger or older siblings or friends, the page says to contact your local Tackers centre.
Tackers 1 is the beginner level: a recommended 20 hours for children who are water confident and aged 7 to 12. It teaches sailing basics through games on and off the water. By the end, children should be able to:
Children receive a Tackers 1 completion certificate.
Tackers 2 is the intermediate level: a recommended 20 hours for children who are water confident, aged 7 to 12, and have completed Tackers 1. It builds on the fun of Tackers 1 to progress sailing skills. By the end, children should be able to:
Children receive a Tackers 2 completion certificate.
Tackers 3 is the advanced level: a recommended 20 hours for children who are water confident, aged 7 to 12, and have completed Tackers 2. It builds on Tackers 2 with advanced sailing skills taught through games and on-water adventures, and introduces racing. By the end, children should be able to:
Children receive a Tackers 3 completion certificate.
Tackers Combined is a 40-hour course for children aged 7 to 12 who are water confident. It combines Tackers 1, 2 and 3 so children can progress individually while staying with friends. Participants reach the standard of Tackers 1, 2 or 3, and Australian Sailing describes it as a fun, safe and affordable way to get into sailing.
Sessions listed for 2026/27 include weekend courses at Bundaberg Sailing Club (October to November 2026), Term 4 2026 at the Royal South Australian Yacht Squadron, and a Tackers 1, 2 and 3 season at Largs Bay Sailing Club (24 October 2026 to 20 March 2027).
No sailing experience is required for the lower courses. Australian Sailing says no sailing experience is needed to attend them.
The prerequisite listed for Tackers Intro, Tackers 1, Tackers 2, Tackers 3 and Tackers Combined is that the child is "water confident" and aged 7 to 12. Little Tackers only lists the age (4 to 6). The course pages do not define "water confident" or set a swimming test.
From Tackers 2 up, children also need the skills, knowledge and experience from the previous level: Tackers 1 before Tackers 2, and Tackers 2 before Tackers 3.
Source: https://www.sailing.org.au/news/tackers-program-kids-boats-fun and the course pages at https://www.sailing.org.au/courses
Australian Sailing's course pages for Tackers 1, 2, 3 and Tackers Combined show a "minimum age" of 6, while the prerequisites and descriptions on the same pages say 7 to 12 years old. Tackers Intro shows a minimum age of 7. Little Tackers is for 4 to 6 year olds.
The pages do not explain the difference, so the published age range for Tackers 1, 2, 3, Intro and Combined is 7 to 12. For younger or older siblings or friends wanting to join Tackers Intro, the Tackers Intro page says to contact your local Tackers centre.
Source: https://www.sailing.org.au/course-finder/61, /63, /64, /65 and /1106 on sailing.org.au
Australian Sailing says Tackers courses are run by qualified, Tackers-endorsed instructors at accredited Tackers Discover Sailing Centres, and that all the equipment, including safe and entertaining small boats, is provided.
Little Tackers (ages 4 to 6) is run in small groups of no more than 6 participants, with close supervision from qualified Tackers instructors.
Source: Australian Sailing, https://www.sailing.org.au/news/tackers-program-kids-boats-fun and https://www.sailing.org.au/course-finder/60
Use the course finder on the Australian Sailing website. Each Tackers course page lists upcoming sessions at clubs across Australia, and you can search by location (within 5, 10, 25, 50 or 100 km) and by date. Each session shows its dates, times and venue, and has a "Register" link to book.
If no sessions are near you, Australian Sailing says to contact it: office@sailing.org.au, or via sailing.org.au/contact.
Sessions listed for 2026/27 run from October 2026 into 2027, for example Term 4 2026 and summer holiday programs. Most listings do not show a price; one Tackers 2 listing shows $490.
Source: Australian Sailing course finder, https://www.sailing.org.au/courses