The Pelican dinghy is the premier
training
dinghy for junior sailors in
Western Australia
and has been sailed at South of Perth
Yacht Club
for over 40 years. It is still considered the best two-man dinghy for young sailors with competent swimming skills to commence their sailing
training
. The Pelican can be sailed by boys and girls from 8 to 16, although some older children may be restricted by physical size rather than age. Girl sailors are at no strength disadvantage in a Pelican and compete very sucessfully with the boys.
All newcomers to the sport and to the Club are encouraged to complete a GISBS (Get into Small Boat Sailing) course run in the Club’s Sailing Academy Puffin Pacers. This gives participants the opportunity to assess if they wish to continue sailing without any major financial committment at the outset. Once this has been completed, they can then move into the Pelican Section
training
programme conducted by the Club coaches.
Second hand Pelicans sell for between $500 and $3,000 depending on their condition, age and hull type, i.e. wood or fibreglass. Pelicans are advertised for sale on the Club’s Junior Notice Board. The cheaper, older wooden boats are perfectly adequate for the first two years of
training
, however new fibreglass hulls are available locally from an authorised Pelican Sailing Association builder and cost approximately $4,000 to complete. The Club also has some Pelicans it hires to children for a restricted period whilst they consider the purchase of their own boat. With a boat ready to go, children can move straight into the Pelican Section
training
programme which is a comprehensive, structured programme, fully supervised by trained and certified coaches. The programme takes non-sailors through a series of skill based stages, both theoretical and practical, until a satisfactory level of competence is achieved both from a sailing and safety aspect.
Training starts with on-the-beach theory, followed by practice on the river and encompasses the rules of racing and race tactics with each sailor being allowed to advance at their own pace into the three structured
training
groups. These are:
Bronze Fleet
for beginners who have undertaken a GISBS course, which gives them a thorough grounding in the basic parts of a dinghy and theory of sailing combined with elementary boat handling
Silver Fleet
for more advanced sailing techniques, spinnaker handling and introduction to racing.
Gold Fleet
for the regular racers who need advanced skills, particularly relating to strategy and tactics of racing and the rules of racing.
Registration forms can be obtained from the club office. After registration,
training
commences each Sunday morning with a briefing at 9.00am in front of the Junior Clubhouse. Following the briefing the sailors breakup into their groups and await specific instructions about the days
training
from their coach. Once sailors have reached the required level, they are eligible to compete in Club races which are held every Sunday afternoon throughout the season. These take place on a selection of predetermined courses on the
Swan
River
within the vicintiy of the Club.
