[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”Header” _builder_version=”4.24.2″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”||0px||false|false” collapsed=”on” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ _builder_version=”4.24.2″ _module_preset=”default” width=”90%” max_width=”2000px” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.24.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.24.2″ _module_preset=”96406f5b-b4ac-4dc6-a8ae-00edd33227f2″ global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.24.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/oceanseas.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Sabre-sailing-Logo.png” alt=”Sabre Sailing logo” title_text=”Sabre Sailing logo” _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ use_custom_gutter=”on” gutter_width=”2″ specialty=”on” padding_top_1=”0px” padding_top_bottom_link_1=”false” padding_top_bottom_link_2=”false” padding_top_bottom_link_3=”false” padding_left_right_link_1=”false” padding_left_right_link_2=”false” padding_left_right_link_3=”false” _builder_version=”4.24.2″ _module_preset=”default” inner_width=”90%” inner_max_width=”2000px” custom_padding=”0px|||||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/oceanseas.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Shaun-McKenna-Sabre-OTB-Sailing-yacht.jpg” _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” alt=”Shaun McKenna sailing his Sabre dinghy upwind at the 45th Australian Sabre Championship, McCrae Yacht Club, looking at camera” title_text=”45th Australian Sabre Championship \u2013 Shaun McKenna Racing Upwind” hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ specialty_columns=”2″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_row_inner _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”0px||0px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column_inner saved_specialty_column_type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_heading title=”The Classic Single-Handed Racer” _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_heading][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
I first sailed the Sabre as a junior, learning the nuances of single-handed racing in close fleets. Recently, I returned to the class, enjoying the challenge of racing a boat I once grew up with. Sailing out of Blairgowrie Yacht Squadron, which has long boasted one of the largest one\u2011design Sabre in Australia, the Sabre continues to offer intense, tactical racing and a strong sense of community. The experience has been a rewarding reminder of the skills and instincts I developed as a teenager and how they continue to influence my sailing today.<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider color=”#000000″ _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”10px||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
The Sabre Dinghy is a 12-foot 4-inch (3.76 m) single-handed sailing dinghy, designed in 1974 by Rex Fettell. Built for both simplicity and performance, the Sabre has become one of Australia\u2019s most enduring junior and adult development classes, offering a reliable, responsive platform that emphasises skill over equipment.<\/p>\n
With its manageable size and easy handling, the Sabre is perfect for sailors transitioning from beginner classes such as the Minnow or Sabre\u2019s contemporary, the Sabre, providing a natural progression to more tactical and strategic single-handed racing. Despite its modest size, the boat is capable of spirited competition in a wide range of conditions, from light inland breezes to choppy coastal waters.<\/p>\n
The Sabre class has a strong racing history, with national championships and state regattas attracting highly competitive fleets. Over the years, thousands of sailors have honed their skills in the Sabre, learning boat handling, tactical awareness, and fleet management \u2014 all of which have underpinned successful sailing careers in dinghies, keelboats, and offshore racing. Its long-standing popularity reflects a balance of accessibility, fun, and competitiveness, making it a favourite for clubs across Australia.<\/p>\n
The class also fosters community, with sailors often racing in their first serious single-handed competitions and forming lifelong connections through shared regatta experiences. The Sabre has produced numerous sailors who have gone on to achieve high-level success, demonstrating the class\u2019s value as a foundational stepping stone in Australian sailing.<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column_inner][\/et_pb_row_inner][et_pb_row_inner _builder_version=”4.24.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column_inner saved_specialty_column_type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.24.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_button button_url=”https:\/\/www.sabre.org.au\/” url_new_window=”on” button_text=”Sabre Sailing Australia” _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”fb06e0ca-54c2-4917-96d4-976d882d5b78″ custom_margin=”||||false|false” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_button][\/et_pb_column_inner][\/et_pb_row_inner][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”Footer” _builder_version=”4.24.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_module=”698″ saved_tabs=”all” collapsed=”on” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.24.2″ _module_preset=”default” width=”90%” max_width=”none” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.24.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”e8f7c9fa-99e9-4120-a28d-ae5eb09e34d4″ header_2_font_size=”8vw” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_4,1_4,1_4,1_4″ _builder_version=”4.24.2″ _module_preset=”default” width=”90%” max_width=”none” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_4″ _builder_version=”4.24.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.24.2″ _module_preset=”37400340-c197-470e-b67e-4bab0a06f65d” header_4_text_color=”gcid-026ff79c-cfbd-4464-8301-81adff325a85″ custom_margin=”||0px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{%22gcid-026ff79c-cfbd-4464-8301-81adff325a85%22:%91%22header_4_text_color%22%93}”]<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”0e81406c-c520-4049-91ea-87dba7258cfa” text_text_color=”#000000″ link_text_color=”#000000″ custom_margin=”||10px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]shaun@mediastrategy.com.au<\/a>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”0e81406c-c520-4049-91ea-87dba7258cfa” text_text_color=”#000000″ link_text_color=”#000000″ custom_margin=”||10px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]+61 431 110 377<\/a>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_4″ _builder_version=”4.24.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”37400340-c197-470e-b67e-4bab0a06f65d” header_4_text_color=”gcid-026ff79c-cfbd-4464-8301-81adff325a85″ custom_margin=”||0px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{%22gcid-026ff79c-cfbd-4464-8301-81adff325a85%22:%91%22header_4_text_color%22%93}”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”0e81406c-c520-4049-91ea-87dba7258cfa” text_text_color=”#000000″ link_text_color=”#000000″ custom_margin=”||10px||false|false” link_option_url=”https:\/\/www.sailing.org.au\/official-finder\/shaun-mckenna” link_option_url_new_window=”on” global_colors_info=”{}”]Australian Sailing number: 639334<\/a>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”0e81406c-c520-4049-91ea-87dba7258cfa” text_text_color=”#000000″ link_text_color=”#000000″ custom_margin=”||10px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n World sailing ID: AUSSM76<\/a><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_4″ _builder_version=”4.24.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”37400340-c197-470e-b67e-4bab0a06f65d” header_4_text_color=”gcid-026ff79c-cfbd-4464-8301-81adff325a85″ custom_margin=”||0px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{%22gcid-026ff79c-cfbd-4464-8301-81adff325a85%22:%91%22header_4_text_color%22%93}”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”0e81406c-c520-4049-91ea-87dba7258cfa” text_text_color=”#000000″ link_text_color=”#000000″ custom_margin=”||10px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Blairgowrie Yacht Squadron (BYS)<\/a> [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_4″ _builder_version=”4.24.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”37400340-c197-470e-b67e-4bab0a06f65d” header_4_text_color=”gcid-026ff79c-cfbd-4464-8301-81adff325a85″ custom_margin=”||0px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{%22gcid-026ff79c-cfbd-4464-8301-81adff325a85%22:%91%22header_4_text_color%22%93}”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”0e81406c-c520-4049-91ea-87dba7258cfa” text_text_color=”#000000″ link_text_color=”#000000″ custom_margin=”||10px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Safety & Sea Survival Certificate<\/a> [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" SabreI first sailed the Sabre as a junior, learning the nuances of single-handed racing in close fleets. Recently, I returned to the class, enjoying the challenge of racing a boat I once grew up with. Sailing out of Blairgowrie Yacht Squadron, which has long boasted one of the largest one\u2011design Sabre in Australia, the Sabre […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1524","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"\nSailing body<\/h4>\n
Member<\/h4>\n
Offshore racing club of Victoria (ORCV)<\/a>
Rosebud yacht club (RoYC)<\/a>
RS Aero Class Association (Aust)<\/a>
Australian National Hobie Class Association<\/a><\/p>\nCertificates<\/h4>\n
Powerboat Handling<\/a>
Marine license, Victoria<\/a>
First Aid<\/a>
Introduction to Safety & Risk Management<\/a>
Keelboat Instructor Endorsement<\/a><\/p>\n