




BEST WATERS
Best waters in Sydney to learn to sail – no choppy, busy harbour

GET FREE COPY
Get a FREE copy of Sail Like A PRO with your first sailing course

FLEXIBLE TIMES
Flexible sailing lesson times – 7 days a week, twice a day

EXPERIENCED INSTRUCTORS
Experienced and patient IYT sailing instructors

BROADEST RANGE
Broadest range of sailing courses in Australia
START
SAILING WITH US
TODAY!
Learn to sail in Sydney starts with AusSea Sailing School, Sydney’s premier IYT sailing school. AusSea Sailing School is a proud partner of International Yacht Training Worldwide (IYT), the global leader in sail training.
PACKAGE DEALS
PACKAGE DEALS
Bareboat Skipper Package
$5,995.00
Day Skipper Package
$2,580.00
International Crew Package
$3,225.00
Racing Package
$2,580.00
LEARN TO SAIL
You can learn to sail in Sydney today! At the moment we run inshore lessons with small groups of up to three students. The Level 1-3 sail courses all consist of 4 sailing lessons of 2 hours, a start sailing pack with our book Sail Like A PRO. All the inshore sailing lessons are taught on Botany Bay, the best waters in Sydney to learn to sail.

OUR BLOG
29
Aug
Prisoners of War (P.O.W.)
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Posted by
Team AusSea
There’s no better place to learn the rules of the 'road' than out on the water. During sailing lessons on the different waterways of Sy...
02
Sep
Dare to Prepare
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Posted by
Team AusSea
The key to a safe coastal passage is planning. Skippers and crew who plan their sailing trip thoroughly have an easier time of it at se...
07
May
There’s never a dull moment in sailing
-
Posted by
Team AusSea
Bouwe Bekking, a patron of our sailing school, turned his hobby sailing into a career. He’s is an eight time Volvo Ocean Race veteran, ...
19
Mar
Let’s Go Whale Watching
-
Posted by
Team AusSea
Sailing with whales in Sydney is an experience not to be missed! Every year, from May to September, thousands of Humpbacks and Sou...
FROM OUR INSTAGRAM
REVIEWS
- James M 20/04/16
Awesome way to learn to sail Marc is a fantastic sailing instructor and makes sure his students are learning throughout the lessons. I completed the Level 1 to level 5 courses and absolutely loved them. Sailing on Botany Bay, then progressing up to sailing out on the Pacific were unforgettable experiences.
read moreread less - Sarah Butler 20/08/19I have attended all of the sailing courses offered by AusSea Sail. Marc has always been a great teacher who has been very encouraging and throughly professional. I feel as though my passion for sailing has been fostered by AusSea sail. They have helped me with buying a boat and support my continued journey as a solo female sailor. I couldn't recommend them highly enough. The best sailing lessons in Sydney by far!read moreread less
- Al Garcia 05/12/20I started with Aussea having never sailed and took the introductory course through to the the bare boat skipper. I live on Sydney’s harbour but the thought of learning to sail in such a congested waterway scared me so much that I always delayed learning.
Botany Bay has been a great place to learn. I could make all the mistakes learners do without any consequences and with Marc’s guidance I improved.
The team at Aussea are totally professional and Marc is a great guy, great instructor and host.
This has been a great experience for me and In my humble opinion I think that if your serious about learning to sail you need to call Marc. Thanks Aussearead moreread lessPriscila C 01/10/16I loved the classes and learned a lot practicing. Everything starts to make sense when you're controlling the boat. I didn't understand much when I was reading about sailing on the internet. I got the point when I actually went to the water with Marc and practice it! I recommend the course to everyone that has a minimum of interest in sailing!!! …
read moreread less - Damien Mason 15/07/20Not surprisingly most of the reviews here have 1 or 2 reviews to their name - and are likely fakes. This place isn't terrible, but Marc's interpersonal skills aren't quite up to scratch. He doesn't appear terribly bright and he's not terribly friendly either. Saying that he's pretty cheap because he does group sessions. If asked I wouldn't recommend him over the lots of other options available. 6 of you will be crammed into an old 24ft boat to sail around with not a great deal of explanation. I have no doubt he's a great solo sailor, but I wouldn't put him on a crew that needs a tight team.read moreread lessMatthew Avenell 05/12/19From initial inquiry through to the ICC qualification in quick time, Marc and Melodie made scheduling around my availability a breeze. Marc's even temperament, patience and dry sense of humour in what is a very hands on course, made learning all the more enjoyable. I now know everything, well not quite, but certainly equipped with the tools to stay safe and keep learning. Have even bought a boat and intend sailing from Brisbane to Sydney in the new year. A cost not factored when starting out, so be warned. If you have little to no experience sailing keelboats and wish to challenge yourself, AusSea Sailing is definitely a great way to start. If this sounds like a plug, it is. Thanks Marc, see you next year and great course!read moreread less
- Peta Nicholas 01/02/21My family and I did a lesson on Saturday morning, the teachers were great and we had an amazing time and learned a lot. I would 100% recommend to anyone interested in giving an intro to sailing a go. None of us had any experience and we all got a lot out of it.read moreread less
- PFS Group 07/04/20Marcs ability at sharing his vast sailing knowledge with his students is invaluable. Marc recognizes exactly where you are in your sailing capability and manages to increase your knowledge by presenting you with challenges that he knows you are capable of without realizing yourself. In a step by step process he maintains a steady growth in your sailing ability in a fun but professional manner. Marc gives you the knowledge to become a safe responsible skipper and obviously has a love of sailing that he is keen to share with his students. I would have no hesitation in recommending AusSea sailing school to anyone interested in getting out on the water.read moreread lessBrian L 21/03/17
Great classes! - lots of practice! Came from the States and spent a week with Marc on the Level 1-4 and the Bareboat Skipper Course. Learned A LOT from a great instructor. From jibbing and tacking in Botany Bay to reverse motor figure-8s, Marc is a great instructor who'll get you up to speed and keep you quite entertained with some witty remarks. Highly recommended!
read moreread less - Mark Woodhouse 05/10/20Marc is a passionate and experienced sailor but more importantly he knows how to teach sailing. He brings out your potential through practical no nonsense insights delivered in a very matter of fact way that sticks. I did the full ICC Bareboat Skipper course and feel well equipped now to charter a boat and be safe. Ask Marc to share a few of his sailing stories but beware of that razor sharp, dry sense of humor:-)read moreread lessR Rix 14/04/21I had a great experience learning all aspects of sailing in quiet Botany Bay, away from the chaos of Sydney Harbour with its ferries, many recreational boats, race boats and general marine traffic.
On the final day I had the joy of sailing back into Botany Bay in perfect conditions, with a dolphin escort. It was a magic end to a great course.
Marc is a calm, intuitive and knowledgeable teacher, and took extra time to correct some bad habits I had gained previously, and improved my confidence in all aspects of handling a yacht correctly and sailing safely and "in the groove". I'm now looking forward to confidently going out on my own. If you have ever wanted to sail, this is a great school to go with.read moreread lessspeery2016 05/07/16The only place to sail I am new to sailing and Marc at Aussea Sailing School has been apart of my journey from the very beginning. A fair and honest teacher full of knowledge and experience who creates a safe yet challenging environment for sailors of all levels of experience. Aussea Sailing School, on Sydney's stunning Kogarah and Botany Bays, is the perfect place to explore the world of sailing. Whether you're just trying it out or ready to commit to a full series of lessons Marc can provide you with the approach you are after. There is no better place to start your sailing journey than with Marc at Aussea Sailing School.
read moreread less - Brian L 01/01/70
Great classes! - lots of practice! Came from the States and spent a week with Marc on the Level 1-4 and the Bareboat Skipper Course. Learned A LOT from a great instructor. From jibbing and tacking in Botany Bay to reverse motor figure-8s, Marc is a great instructor who'll get you up to speed and keep you quite entertained with some witty remarks. Highly recommended!
read moreread lessLakeisha McGuirk 02/02/23Had a great experience learning to sail with Marc! He was very relaxed and patient. I appreciated how much hands on sailing there really was in this course! Botany bay is also the perfect place to learn with calm waters and not too many other boats to worry about! Would absolutely recommend to anyone who is interested in learning to sail!read moreread less - Nisha Kanthan 03/06/20Highly recommend these guys for all your sailing needs. Marc is very knowledgeable and able to pass on his knowledge in a simple and meaningful way. Being on the water and doing what you are learning immediately really facilitated my learning and acquisition of the required skills. Both Melodie and Marc were very helpful and flexible with my limited availability and I feel a lot more comfortable on the water after completing Levels 1-5 in a variety of weather conditions.read moreread lessJon R 20/08/19An exceptional place to learn to sail. A strong focus on practical, on water learning with patient, highly experienced instruction.
The courses build gradually based on the progress of the individual, introducing new concepts and techniques at the right time to keep students just on the edge of their comfort zone.
I started out here having never sailed before and the school has given me the skills and confidence to safely skipper a boat out on the open water, along with lots of frank, honest and valuable advice.read moreread less - Diver T 19/10/15
Just excellent From delivering our sailboat to her new home and the following lessons, Marc provided a totally custom fit package and tailored it perfectly. Extremely knowledgeable and relaxed, he knows how to create the perfect experience, keep it fun and keep you on your toes! It has been a joy to learn to sail with him and we can't recommend AusSea Sailing highly enough.
read moreread lessTom Molyneaux 15/04/20It feels like more than 4 weeks ago that I was dodging boats and bouys in Botany Bay and then sailing up to Sydney to dodge ferries, 18 footers and cruise ships. I took the ICC Bareboat Skipper Course with AusSea and it was everything I could have wanted - a well run course with a focus on the essentials, a great experience in a lovely part of the world, a great confidence builder. We had great weather - which helps - and I went home with a stories to tell including seeing the Ruby Princess docking etc... The world has certainly changed since then. I would recommend AusSea if you are looking to improve your sailing or learn to sail - Marc is a good instructor/coach who adapts very well to different people - we had a good mix of experience and backgrounds on-board.
Cheers
Tom Mread moreread less - Jadi 01/09/18
“Living the dream starts here” Me, my boyfriend and my best friend completed the five levels up to the International Bareboat Skipper Course (Level 5) between September 2018 and January 2019. We started with an introductory class which made us super excited about sailing (I recommended to everybody)!!! After that, we signed up straight away for all the 5 courses. The booking/payment was easy. Melodie and Marc were great with us and there was not a moment where we felt pressured or stressed out. They were awesome trying to accommodate us and our schedules in the best way they could. They are incredibly friendly and easy going. With Aussea, each class was gold and completely different from the one before. Marc is super experienced, and I must say, extremely patient. He was able to understand each of us and to change the way of teaching in base of our different “ways of learning”. I never felt unsafe, he was there with us all the time, ready to ”fix” the little mistake we were making. The learning curve I saw in us was awesome, I almost wouldn’t believe how fast we were learning. Now, at the end of the 5th level I can say that I feel confident jumping on a boat and go sailing around the world. Thank you Aussea, I am sure we will keep in touch for a while. Jadi
read moreread lessFred Smeaton 21/08/19My wife and I undertook sailing instruction from level 1 through to offshore and International certificate of competency with Marc at AusSea Sailing School. His ability to calmly pass on his knowledge and genuine passion for sailing were certainly factors that contributed to us becoming addicted to the sport and eventually purchasing our own yacht.
We now live on our boat full time and are presently cruising the Indonesian Archipelago. The skills we learned with AusSea Sailing have not only stayed with us, but held us in good stead, whether we’re sailing the flat calm waters of a lagoon or the open ocean.read moreread less - JoeWollongong 24/10/15
Sail Away! For the absolute best sailing school and expert instructor you just can't beat Marc van Dinther & Aussea Sailing School. Marc has bucket loads of patience, a great sense of humour, explains everything in a clear manner and makes learning to sail great fun -just as sailing should be!
No stuffy classrooms or large impersonal schools here, just hands on practical lessons on a splendid little yacht on beautiful Botany Bay, with an excellent and highly skilled teacher.
What on Earth are you waiting for? 🙂read moreread lessRyan Walshe 26/11/19What started as a journey with Marc and AusSea sailing in the hope of learning enough basics to safety navigate my way around an under prepared sailing charter to the Whitsunday Islands, finished with an ICC licence and a life changing love of sailing.
I can’t say enough about Marc, Melodie and AusSea Sailing. From their location to the efficiencies of the administration and the unprecedented brilliance of Marc the instructor, the entire setup is excellent in every way. Marc is super experienced, super calm, and an all-round great guy to get to know. Without knowing it Marc will test your sailing instinct natural ability, temperament and even your personality in a crew.
Having finished my AusSea sailing journey my only regret is that I won’t get the chance to sail with Marc again.
If you want to learn to sail and learn what it means to sail, AusSea sailing is the best in the business.read moreread less - Priscila C 27/10/16
I loved the classes and learned a lot practicing. Everything starts to make sense when you're controlling the boat. I didn't understand much when I was reading about sailing on the internet. I got the point when I actually went to the water with Marc and practice it! I recommend the course to everyone that has a minimum of interest in sailing!!!
read moreread lessLeila Thompson 19/03/20My husband and I did courses 1-3 with Marc over a period of 6 days. We were so impressed with his knowledge and his very effective teaching style. We learned so much and were able to apply everything we learned to our own boat. We highly recommend AusSea and will be back again in the future for more lessons.read moreread lessJohn Wilson 15/12/20Marc is a fantastic sailing teacher, he has a professional, effective and enjoyable training style. I have went from a define beginner to a good sailor over the last few months with Aussea sailing school. There's always more to learn however Marc has put me well on the right track and I also had a fantastic time learning as well. Thanks Marc and Aussea sailing school!read moreread less - Jadranka Nappi 20/08/19Great school. I did up to the ICC and I enjoyed every single lesson. Marc is a great instructor, he passed on all his experience and he was clear, ready to answer to all our questions and fix our mistakes with patience and professionalism. He also made the courses super fun! We learnt in a great environment and I highly recommend the school to everyone!read moreread lessCarmela Harivel 08/12/21Marc was very professional throughout the whole skipper course. He's always kept it fun, challenging and especially hands-on. The crew was fully involved in any action! The most important thing, after my course I feel confident to handle a yacht by myself. Thank you aussea for the amazing opportunityread moreread lessChristopher Nolen 29/08/19This would be the best training course I have ever done. Marc is a highly competent instructor with great support from Melodie.
Being based on Botany Bay allows you to focus on sailing skills rather than collision avoidance, but still has some tight manoeuvring requirements.
The courses cover everything from leaving the dock till you return, open and enclosed waters skills, through to racing.
When you are sailing off the coast with your instructor sitting on the rail it shows that the instructor has faith in his teachings and students abilities.
I would recommend AusSea Sailing School to anyone whether novice or improving skills.read moreread less - Robert Medanic 05/03/23Learning to sail with Marc and the team at AusSea has exceeded our expectations. The ever changing and diverse weather conditions within Georges River and the open space of Botany Bay combined with Marc's wealth of knowledge and sailing experience, provides the perfect conditions for a truly incomparable learn to sail program anywhere in Sydney.read moreread less
- Laryssa Sena 26/09/22Such a good experience! I initially bought the level 01 as a gift to my partner and at the end we did the whole
Course! The instructor Mark, is really really patient and respect your time to learn everything you need, he also facilitates the best time that works for you each lesson. If you are thinking about joining a sailing school, Aussea is the place!! Just go for it!!read moreread lessKenneth Barnard 24/07/20Marc van Dinther delivers the real “sail like a pro” experience. His hands on approach with both novices and experienced sailors is a plus. He was able to identify and fine tune my lack of experience and shortcomings into an enjoyable outing out on the water. After completing three courses we are now set to undertake our first bareboat charter holiday. I believe AusSea has given us the necessary tools to enjoy our dream holiday.read moreread lessMaria Lizura 08/12/21I've recently completed the ICC pathway with Marc and AusSea Sailing School for the past year or so. I didn't have any prior experience in sailing and didn't really understand what was going on on the yacht during cruising and how everything was organised and controlled. I just had a dream of learning how to fly with the wind and jump on the waves on a beautiful sailboat.
Marc helped me significantly to make this dream come true, and I'm very grateful to him for that. We had plenty of practice in Botany Bay on a smaller but frisky J24 and then continued with 37ft Renegade with an offshore session and an overnighter to Sydney Harbour and back to Kogarah Bay.
I got plenty of practical experience handling a yacht in different weather conditions, understood the physics of sailing and the structure of a keelboat, and learned a lot of sailing terminology, but most importantly, the meaning behind it and its application. We've covered a lot of safety on boat topics, all the steps of planning a passage, abiding by the road rules, and different ways of getting into the groove. It was also so enjoyable to listen to all the fantastic stories (sometimes scary, but most of the time hilarious and always fascinating) Marc told us about his extensive experience out on the big blue during our overnight stay in Middle Harbour, what an old sea dog! What's also important to mention is that Marc is very calm and patient with his students and ready to answer all your questions even if there are asked for a thousand times.
There's always more to learn, and I'm not sure yet where sailing would take me: closer to the breathtaking racing or more relaxed cruising over the world (I want it all and now haha), however, with the help of AusSea Saling School sailing has become my live-long passion no doubt here.
If you've ever wanted to sail, I would highly recommend going to AusSea Sailing School. Thanks, Marc and Melodie, for making dreams come true!read moreread less - Brian Lo 21/03/17Came from the States and spent a week with Marc on the Level 1-4 and the Bareboat Skipper Course. Learned A LOT from a great instructor. From jibbing and tacking in Botany Bay to reverse motor figure-8s, Marc is a great instructor who'll get you up to speed and keep you quite entertained with some witty remarks. Highly recommended!read moreread lessDaniel Laroche 03/03/23I would highly recommend Ausseeasailing to anyone who is remotely interested in sailing, the team are so helpful and have made the experience so enjoyable. A great location and instructional learning environment has helped us to understand the many nuances of sailing.
My wife and I enjoy every moment we ar on the water.read moreread less - Natasha Egan 01/10/19Wow. I am having the best time at this wonderful school. Marc is a great teacher, who teaches to the individuals, not just the group.
My partner and I are about halfway through the inshore skipper course and I can't believe how much we have learned already.
We have sailed in different conditions and at different times. And once with dolphins. Each lesson we learn new skills while practicing, cementing and building on the skills from previous lessons.
Marc is very patient and fun and full of knowledge that he happily shares.read moreread less - Brian L 01/03/17
Great classes! - lots of practice! Came from the States and spent a week with Marc on the Level 1-4 and the Bareboat Skipper Course. Learned A LOT from a great instructor. From jibbing and tacking in Botany Bay to reverse motor figure-8s, Marc is a great instructor who'll get you up to speed and keep you quite entertained with some witty remarks. Highly recommended! …
read moreread lessCarl Wishneusky 08/03/18I had a terrific, informative and enjoyable week at Aussea recently, under the calm, capable and sure instructions of Marc. I can't recommend more highly this school for expert guidance at a good value. Anyone who has a passion for this most liberating, yet exhilarating of sports would do right to learn with Marc!read moreread lessJadi 01/01/19“Living the dream starts here” Me, my boyfriend and my best friend completed the five levels up to the International Bareboat Skipper Course (Level 5) between September 2018 and January 2019. We started with an introductory class which made us super excited about sailing (I recommended to everybody)!!! After that, we signed up straight away for all the 5 courses. The booking/payment was easy. Melodie and Marc were great with us and there was not a moment where we felt pressured or stressed out. They were awesome trying to accommodate us and our schedules in the best way they could. They are incredibly friendly and easy going. With Aussea, each class was gold and completely different from the one before. Marc is super experienced, and I must say, extremely patient. He was able to understand each of us and to change the way of teaching in base of our different “ways of learning”. I never felt unsafe, he was there with us all the time, ready to ”fix” the little mistake we were making. The learning curve I saw in us was awesome, I almost wouldn’t believe how fast we were learning. Now, at the end of the 5th level I can say that I feel confident jumping on a boat and go sailing around the world. Thank you Aussea, I am sure we will keep in touch for a while. Jadi …
read moreread less - WeMadeIt 19/08/15
Aussea training is the best! Marc at Aussea training is a relaxed, patient, informative and very humorous trainer. I recommend Aussea training for value for money and Marc well informed in what path you want to take, whether it is cruising or crewing on race boats and his aim is to get you there with the least stress and bad experiences possible. His aim is to make sailing a relaxing hobby instead of a nightmare and his patience is a virtue!!! Thoroughly enjoying my experience having never had anything to do with boating before. I thoroughly recommend Aussea Sailing School to start your yachting dream.
Maria L.read moreread less - Johanna Heanue 07/04/20I recently completed a number of courses with AusSea and highly recommend to anyone considering getting into sailing. I wasn’t sure how much I could commit to at the start but AusSea was perfect as we started out with a beginner course (4 sessions) and continued to add more and more as we loved it so much! Marc is an excellent instructor and his laid back style makes it easy to learn and feel confident on the water. Even as a beginner, you are hands-on from day one. Marc is there to step in if needed but gives you the chance to learn by actually doing it all yourself.
Melodie was fantastic in the customer service side, providing lots of information in advance, great flexibly with course dates and ease of payment & bookings.read moreread lessJadina16 20/01/19“Living the dream starts here” Me, my boyfriend and my best friend completed the five levels up to the International Bareboat Skipper Course (Level 5) between September 2018 and January 2019. We started with an introductory class which made us super excited about sailing (I recommended to everybody)!!! After that, we signed up straight away for all the 5 courses. The booking/payment was easy. Melodie and Marc were great with us and there was not a moment where we felt pressured or stressed out. They were awesome trying to accommodate us and our schedules in the best way they could. They are incredibly friendly and easy going. With Aussea, each class was gold and completely different from the one before. Marc is super experienced, and I must say, extremely patient. He was able to understand each of us and to change the way of teaching in base of our different “ways of learning”. I never felt unsafe, he was there with us all the time, ready to ”fix” the little mistake we were making. The learning curve I saw in us was awesome, I almost wouldn’t believe how fast we were learning. Now, at the end of the 5th level I can say that I feel confident jumping on a boat and go sailing around the world.
Thank you Aussea, I am sure we will keep in touch for a while.
Jadiread moreread lessKaren Papadimitriou 24/05/22My husband and I have had a fantastic time learning to sail with Aussea Sailing School. Marc is a patient teacher, full of knowledge and skills, delivered with a dry sense of humour. You can see his love for his boats and craft. We have finished our course and already miss our lessons. Having said that we have hired a beautiful yacht in Greece to practise our skills on in a few months - although I doubt she will be as frisky as Pinot.
We have told everyone we know about the fabulous time we had learning to sail and cannot recommend Marc and Aussea highly enough.
Come do a Try Sail with Aussea!read moreread less
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AUSSEA SAILING SCHOOL
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