With a hot summer well and truly upon us, unfurling the sails and heading out onto the water has rarely looked more enticing. Coupled with the success of the sailing program at the Invictus Games Sydney 2018, and the number of quality veteran sailing programs around the country, it’s little wonder that there’s such high demand to get involved in the sport.

A Veteran Sailing Forum 

Last year, Veteran Sport Australia established a Forum to learn from and build on the different veteran sailing programs that are operating around the country. The idea behind the initiative is to make it easy for as many veterans as possible to get involved in the sport of sailing.

The Forum’s made up of veterans, sailing clubs and veteran sailing programs from across Australia, with Australian Sailing also involved. It’s already playing a leading role in driving new opportunities for veterans in the sport.

As an initial project, the Forum’s been developing an understanding of all of the different veteran sailing programs that are running, while also discovering the features that make each program successful.

The Forum has also been looking into Australian Sailing and RYA sailing instructor pathways. The intention is to help pave the way for veterans to be funded to take the next step on their sailing journey and help other veterans get involved in the sport. Watch this space!

ADF Veteran’s Regatta 

Both current and former serving veterans participated in the inaugural ADF Veteran’s Regatta in October last year hosted by RPAYC.

The day involved a series of short-course races, with teams competing for overall points. Sailing’s a major sport within the ADF and the Regatta was a huge success, connecting different groups for an enjoyable day on the water and finishing with having lunch together.

The day also proved to be a catalyst to introduce new former serving veterans to sailing.