Who we are

The government of South Africa, through the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture  (DCAS) and South African Sports Confederation and Olympic and Paralympic Committee (SASCOC) recognise only one federation to represent each sporting code in the country. South African Sailing (SA Sailing) is the recognised National Federation representing the interests of sailing in all its forms in South Africa.

While SA Sailing does organise regattas and the associated administration (it represents South Africa at World Sailing and provides stewardship of the International Racing Rules that allow us to race here) it has a far more important and often unrecognised role of administering sailing at the discretion of Government.

SA Sailing is structured in such a way as to ensure that the interests of all its members are addressed and that everyone is able to make representation and be heard through the regional structures - the Regional Executive Committees, their sub committees, e.g. Dinghy Committee, Keelboat Committee, Youth etc, which in turn are entitled to be represented on each of the National Standing Committees and Council.

The National Standing Committees and their areas of concern are:

• Inland & Offshore
• Sailing Management
• Community and Recreational sailing
• Performance and Training
• Finance and Administration
• Marketing & Communication
• Constitutional Committee
• Appeals Committee

SA Sailing Values

• Excellence
• People Focus
• Respect, honesty, ethic and integrity
• Transformation of our society through sailing
• Team Work

SA Sailing Brand Priorities

• Safety for all participants
• Access to water, equipment and facilities.
• Establish an inclusive community across all disciplines of sailing
• Transformation, diversity, gender equality
• Sailing accessible to and enjoyed by person with all physical abilities.
• Recognition for a culture of good governance.
• Focused and committed attention to growing and promoting the sport to new and existing participants across all sailing disciplines.

SA Sailing Objectives

• Consolidate the constituency of SA Sailing by including the disciplines of Board Sailing, Kite Boarding and Wing Foiling as disciplines in SA sailing.
• Consolidate access to water and amenities for all disciplines of sailing.
• Establish, and where in place, consolidate relationships with authorities and governing bodies whose spheres of influence impact on sailing.
• Increase access and opportunities for ALL South Africans, including women, persons with disabilities, youth, children and the elderly to sport and recreation opportunities.
• Harness the socio-economic benefits of sport.
• Promote and ensure recognition of the constitutional right to sport.
• Create employment opportunities with career pathways for instructors and coaches
• Skills development to support the Maritime industry.
• Highlight and promote the benefit sailing offers to South African Tourism
• Highlight and promote the benefits that sailing offers to peripheral industries and commercial enterprises.
• Community enrichment through sailing and its related industries.
• Introduction and development of sailing in new communities to ensure a national footprint and access for all

Sailing Strategic Plan

SA Sailing lays out its Strategic objectives over a 5 year period. This plan is developed around key areas and outlines the key areas of focus for the period.

For details on the full plan please visit the Strategic Page. The SA Sailing’s Development plan is the details of how this will be achieved

Sailing Governance

The SA Sailing Governance Page hosts all SA Sailing guiding documents, policies and plans and this is were you will find items like

• SA Sailing Constitution and its By Laws
• Annual reports and financial statements
• SA Sailing Membership Fees Notice
• Government Policies and regulations
• SA Sailing Policies
• SA Sailing plans can be found on their respective pages through out the website as they relate.

Sailing Pathway for life

SA Sailing in line with Government, International Olympic Committee and World Sailing (international Federation) adopted the Sports for life model in 2011 as its basis for the SA Sailing National Training Program(NTP). Internationally this model has been the preferred model for sailing. Broken down into 10 stages, it covers the basic path that one can follow in sailing. See graphic below (annexure A or https://www.sailing.org.za/what-we-do/ntp/ )

Given the various disciplines within sailing, the SA Sailing Pathway has been developed to show the path for each of these. These pathways have been overlay with 3 programs that support each stage of the pathway. That being

• Let’s Go Sailing!
• Learn to Sail Program
• Sailing for Life
• Train to Compete Program

The NTP maps out the SA Sailing Long Term Development plan for Participation, coach and official development.

Enabling sailing for life across all sailing disciplines for all South Africans