SAILING Australia’s Tackers Program returned to Portland this week, for its annual three-day junior sailing program.

Local sailors from the ages of seven and up, in the Tackers and OutThere sailing programs, have spent Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday on the water, learning the basics and advanced techniques of sailing.

The weather was pleasant enough on Monday that the older teenage sailors in the OutThere program were able to go out of the harbour and sail on the open water, and while sailing time on Wednesday was limited due to the weather, the junior sailors have been able to take their skills to the next level.

“Tackers are 7-12 year-olds, so we use smaller, plastic boats with them, and then OutThere is the teenage program,” said instructor Jonathan Dunlop, who came down along with Oscar Henderson from the Boat Shed in Melbourne.

“They use slightly bigger boats, and can windsurf and learn to powerboat, which is pretty cool.

“The first day was pretty much all on the water, Oscar took OutThere pretty far out beyond the port which was cool.

“(Tuesday) was also really good, slightly on the windier side.

“The goal is to raise everybody’s skill level up, but the end goal is that they should be able to come down to the club independently, set up and sail by themselves, pack up and just know how to do everything.”

The Boat Shed’s Tackers program runs in Portland, Point Leo, Anglesea, Flinders and Barwon Heads, but Dunlop said the longer trip to Portland is worth it.

“It drives the club membership up when people know how to sail, and you see them progress every year, this is our third year here, which is really good,” Dunlop said.