Flying Fish Sailing

About Flying Fish Sailing

Flying Fish Sailing is one of Australia’s longest-established sailing and Yachtmaster training schools, operating from **Middle Harbour Yacht Club in Mosman, Sydney**. From first-time sailors learning the basics to experienced skippers working towards professional Yachtmaster qualifications, Flying Fish offers a broad training pathway built around practical time on the water.

The school is an **RYA-approved training centre** and works with Australian Sailing, with courses covering recreational sailing, offshore sailing, professional yachting, marine safety, radio, powerboating and watersports.

## Sailing courses and training

Flying Fish has courses for almost every stage of the sailing journey. Complete beginners can start with a sailing taster or RYA Start Yachting course before progressing through Competent Crew and Day Skipper training. More experienced sailors can continue towards Coastal Skipper and RYA Yachtmaster qualifications.

Training options include:

- Sailing taster and introductory experiences - RYA Start Yachting - RYA Competent Crew - RYA Day Skipper - RYA Coastal Skipper - Yachtmaster Coastal, Offshore and Ocean training - Yachtmaster Fast Track programmes - Offshore sailing and qualifying passages - Dinghy sailing and racing skills - Powerboat and NSW boating courses - ACMA marine radio training - Offshore Safety and Sea Survival - Yacht maintenance and engineering training - Professional sailing and instructor pathways

For sailors who want to progress quickly, Flying Fish is particularly well known for its **Yachtmaster Fast Track programmes**. These combine practical sailing, navigation, theory, offshore passages and exam preparation into a structured pathway towards professional-level qualifications.

## Sailing Sydney Harbour and beyond

Flying Fish is based at **Middle Harbour Yacht Club at The Spit**, giving students direct access to Middle Harbour and the wider Sydney Harbour sailing area. Beginners can develop their skills in relatively sheltered waters before progressing towards more challenging harbour and offshore sailing.

Training is not limited to the harbour. Advanced courses and offshore programmes can take sailors along the **New South Wales coast and further up Australia's east coast**, with passages to Tasmania, Lord Howe Island and the Whitsundays.

Flying Fish also runs dedicated adventure and mileage-building passages, giving sailors a chance to experience longer watches, navigation, offshore conditions and life aboard while building useful sea miles towards higher-level qualifications.

## Sydney to Hobart and adventure sailing

For sailors interested in offshore racing, Flying Fish also offers opportunities connected with major sailing events, including the **Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race**. Its broader adventure programme includes offshore passages designed to develop practical seamanship, teamwork and experience at sea rather than simply completing a classroom-based qualification.

This makes Flying Fish an interesting option for sailors who want to move beyond recreational harbour sailing and start building genuine offshore experience.

## The team

Flying Fish has an established team of RYA-qualified sailing instructors, Yachtmaster Instructors and examiners. **Andy Fairclough** is the Founding Director, while **Russell Bonner** has served for many years as Operations Director of Flying Fish Australia.

The instructional team includes specialists across yacht cruising, offshore sailing, dinghy sailing, powerboating and marine engineering. Several instructors also hold senior qualifications such as RYA Yachtmaster Examiner, Cruising Instructor Trainer and AMSA maritime qualifications.

Flying Fish traces its international training history back to the early 1990s, with its first Yachtmaster programme in Sydney running in **1996**. Today the Sydney school trains recreational sailors alongside people preparing for careers in professional yachting.

## The training boats

Liveaboard courses such as Competent Crew in the Whitsundays use **Beneteau First 40 cruiser-racer yachts**. These cruiser-racers combine responsive sailing performance with accommodation below deck, making them suitable for everything from introductory sailing and Competent Crew courses to offshore training and Yachtmaster preparation.

The school also uses **Beneteau First 40s** within its more advanced and offshore training fleet.

Students train in small crews aboard the school's yachts. This gives sailors plenty of opportunities to helm, trim sails, handle lines, navigate and take an active role in running the boat rather than simply watching an instructor.

For Australian sailors, Flying Fish stands out for the breadth of its training pathway. You can arrive having never sailed before, learn the fundamentals on Sydney Harbour, progress into coastal and offshore sailing and, if that is where you want sailing to take you, continue all the way towards **RYA Yachtmaster and professional yachting qualifications**.

Services and expertise

• Sailing academy / training

Service area: Sydney Harbour and Middle Harbour; offshore passages along the NSW coast and to Tasmania, Lord Howe Island and the Whitsundays

Confirm availability, scope and pricing directly with the business before making arrangements.

A closer look