This year Lake Cootharaba Sailing Club were excited to hear that they weresuccessful in the scheme with Whitworths (Whitworths Marine & Leisure) for their new Tackers Boats.  

Having recently made significant improvements in the learn to sail courses that had been dormant for a while, the Centre has had a resurgence in the Powerboat Program running Powerboat Handling & Safety Boat Operator courses and has made a good start with the Dinghy Program offering Start Sailing 1 and Start Sailing 2 courses, which have been very popular with families. 

With a new Discover Sailing Principal, Bruce Markey, on boardand a participation committee chaired by, James Hopkins, the club is fully invested in learn to sail programs and are over the moon to be able to start running Tackers! 

There has been a flurry of activity getting together a great team of instructors qualified and ready to deliver this additional program to encourage kidsinto sailing. Lake CootharabaSailing Club has a beautiful, safe sailing environment off the beach onto the picturesque lake.The team volunteered tohelp unpack and rig the new fleet ready to go and a new ‘Tackers space’ has been allocated under the clubhouse. Equipment for the Tackers games and new flags & banners are on order. 

Lake Cootharaba Sailing Club’s Commodore, Paul Armstrong, is stoked and said, “we are so lucky to have Bruce & Jamesas the driving force for thelearn to sail programs, especially Tackers. Without people like them, who have passion for our sport and want to see more people out on the water, we would not have been able to progress so well with our Discover Sailing activities."  

WORDS: Alison Turner

PICTURES: Lake Cootharaba Sailing Club