School Sailing Program
Experience Funcats Watersports
About
Based in the heart of Perth on the beautiful Swan River, Funcats Watersports has been getting people sailing since 1975. We specialise in safe, educational, and highly engaging water-based experiences for all ages.
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At the core of our fleet are Hobie Wave catamarans, renowned for their stability, safety, and ease of use. These boats are designed with beginners in mind, but still offer plenty of thrill and challenge for more advanced young sailors. Because catamarans have dual hulls, they are less likely to capsize, more comfortable to sail, and ideal for learning the basics with confidence.
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Funcats provides a hands-on, educational, and adventurous experience that not only teaches sailing skills but also encourages teamwork, problem-solving, and a love for the outdoors.
Let us show you how sailing can become a memorable and meaningful part of your school’s outdoor education program.
Our site is arguably the best in Australia for learn to sail programmes.
Our area of operation is speed limited to 8 knots and the water depth is very shallow, so it is quite rare for us to be sharing the water with other river users. On most occasions, the prevailing winds blow across our site, so we are able to ensure that when the time comes to head everyone home, we can do this with little fuss, and have students back on the bus in good time.
We believe adventurous education impacts on children's personal and social development, learning new skills, building their confidence and self-esteem, and also creates opportunities for children to learn about their natural environment in a safe and proper way
Why Choose Funcats?
50
Over 50 years of experience
Funcats currently works with over 14 schools in WA and has been in operation since 1975
All safety equipment provided
Safety equipment including life jackets will be provided and every participant is required to wear one whilst sailing
Certified sailing instructors
Our staff have formal instructor qualifications with Sailing Australia or the RYA
Instructor qualifications
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Working With Children's Check
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Senior First Aid Certificate
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Skipper Ticket
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Provide Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation
Testimonials​
"We wanted to extend our sincere thanks for what has been an outstanding sailing unit this term. The sessions were exceptionally well-organised, engaging, and thoughtfully delivered. It was clear that a great deal of expertise and enthusiasm went into the instruction, and the students not only thoroughly enjoyed themselves but also made remarkable progress throughout the term.
The new instructors have been fantastic – professional, approachable, and highly skilled. They struck a great balance between teaching technical skills and keeping the sessions fun and accessible for all students, regardless of ability. The variety of drills and activities kept the lessons dynamic, and we particularly appreciated how tailored the sessions felt to the group’s pace and needs.
In terms of feedback, we honestly wouldn’t ask for much to change! If anything, on our end we would love to embed the book you have created into our Outdoor Education program to assist students with picking things up quicker.
We’d love to continue with more of the same in Term 4 – high-quality instruction, a positive and supportive atmosphere, and an emphasis on both individual improvement and group cohesion.
Thank you again for a truly enjoyable and successful term of sailing."
Ursula Frayne
Perth, WA
We provide a fully tailored, professional and highly enjoyable sailing programme for school groups. We are able to cater for whatever your needs may be, from whole-term tuition to single-day programmes, and everything in between.
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Students will:
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Learn to work with others
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Learn a new and fun skill that they will keep for life
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Develop self-confidence
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Learn practical safety skills in and around water
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Our program teaches students:
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The names of the key parts of a sailing boat
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How to rig & prepare a boat to hit the water
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Boat handling skills
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How to helm and crew as a team
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Tacking and Gybing
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How to safely leave and return to the shore in different wind conditions
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Safety and common sense on the water
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Adjusting your sails to move more efficiently
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Going upwind, downwind and across the wind
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How to sail around a variety of different sailing courses
What we teach
No product
At Funcats, we always aim to go above and beyond, which is why we have created our Funcats workbook for school students to tick off the lessons they have completed.
These workbooks have received high praise from the schools we currently work with and have requested them to be a part of all future lessons moving forward. It allows schools to cover the sailing theory in the classroom and spend more time on the water with us!
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"...We would love to embed the book you have created into our Outdoor Education program to assist students with picking things up quicker." - Ursula Frayne.
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FAQs
Are the children sailing on their own?
Children will be sailing in a team of typically 2-4 students. We have qualified sailing instructors who give a thorough lesson, followed by on-water coaching where they coach from a fully equipped rescue dinghy.
What age is suitable for the sailing program?
