Sailing the Whitsundays

Departs Saturday and Wednesday

Starlight departs on a regular schedule every Wednesday and Saturday at 09:00am for the Introduction to Yachting, 3 Day/2 Night Adventure and returns at 3:00pm on either the following Wednesday or Saturday.

Introduction to Yachting

Starlight is a sail training vessel and we make sure that you can get hands on during our 3 day and 2 night Intro to Yachting Adventure. Guests come from all around the world to see the Whitsundays under sail and we take our task of passing on the basics of sailing Starlight on to you. We want you to understand how our sailing vessel works and why we make the decisions we make from moment to moment. Our structured IYT Intro to Yachting introduces you to the lifestyle of cruising under sail and at the same time takes in the beauty of the Whitsunday Islands, tropical marine life and fringing reefs. At the end of the adventure with us, you'll be certified by IYT to assist as a crew member on a sailing vessel.

We know that many people who sail these waters for the first time are instantly hooked on cruising under sail, so we include the Intro to Yachting course for every guest, on every trip. We gaurantee you'll get more from a sailing adventure with us than any ordinary overnight sailing trip in the Whitsundays. Many people want to take it further after their Intro to Yachting adventure and we'd be happy to have you back with us for the next step as an International Crew Certification or even one of the various skipper certifications we can train you for.

The Whitsunday Islands

The Whitsunday Islands offer countless bays and anchorages, most with fringing coral reefs and beautiful beaches. It's known as the worlds premier cruising ground and sailors and yachts from all over the world talk about the Whitsundays as their favourite place to cruise. It's perfect for a relaxing sailing holiday while the crew pass on their sailing skills to you in a relaxed way. Starlight is registered as a Sail Training Vessel because we love to sail and cruise and enjoy sharing that knowledge and experience with guests. All our guests are curious about how the boat sails from each perfect anchorage to the next and so we include an internationally recognized, Introduction to Yachting Certification.

You'll get to pull on some lines, helm the vessel and learn the basics of how a sailing boat works. It's all in a relaxed manner and happens alongside all the normal day to day cruising life we enjoy onboard as we move between the reefs, beaches, bays and anchorages of the Whitsundays. After the cruise, if we ignite your passion for exploring by sea, you can take the next step into any number of certified courses we, and other sail training vessels offer.

Whitehaven Beach

Probably one of the most famous beaches in the world is Whitehaven Beach and Hill Inlet. Starlight, during it's sailing courses is often in this area and overnights there in the right conditions. It's hard not to be blown away by the crystal clear, azure sea touching the perfect fine white sand stretching for 7.5km and the sharp contrast against a deep blue sunny sky that is typical of the Whitsundays. Depending on weather conditions and the requirements of the sailing course onboard, we have two choices for our anchorage in most conditions. We can spend time tucked up at the southern end and you can take time out walking the beach at sunset, stopping to paddle in the water along the way, or we can spend time at the northern end in Tongue Bay. Although not as picturesque from the anchorage, Tongue Bay hosts the start of the short bush walk to the Hill Inlet lookout and the swirling sands and perfect beach of Hill Inlet.