We at the Oceania Sailing Federation are thrilled to share exciting news from our parent organization, World Sailing! They have just launched the World Sailing Academy, a brand new online learning platform designed to empower and educate our global sailing community.

This innovative initiative aligns perfectly with World Sailing's "Ready for the Future – 2025-2029" strategy, which specifically addresses the priority of leveraging digital platforms for global education and training. The World Sailing Academy is set to become a major resource for anyone involved in our sport, from budding sailors to seasoned administrators. For now, available languages are English and German but the website is a work in progress.

The Academy currently offers four valuable courses:

• Equity, Diversity & Inclusion: Fostering a welcoming and fair environment for all.
• Fundamentals of Race Management: Essential knowledge for officials ensuring fair competition.
• Safeguarding in Sport: Promoting a safe and secure environment for all participants.
• Sailing Specific Conditioning Exercises: Helping sailors optimize their physical performance.

More courses are planned for the future to ensure the platform continues to grow and offer a vast range of learning opportunities.

Beyond the initial courses, the World Sailing Academy also features "HUBS" for specific groups, including Coaches, Race Officials, Women in Sailing, Para Inclusive Sailing, Sustainability, Anti-Doping, and Safeguarding. For coaches, there are resources like Instructor Handbooks for Stage 1, 2, and 3, and information on Level 2 Club Race Coach and Level 3 Performance Coach certifications. The platform also includes a Photo Gallery showcasing technical courses in locations like the Solomon Islands and Uruguay, and events such as "Steering the Course 2023".

The World Sailing Academy's mission is to enhance knowledge and skills for individuals worldwide, regardless of their location. This directly supports OSAF's objectives of actively encouraging, promoting, and developing sailing at all levels throughout Oceania, and assisting in the development of sailing in countries and territories where it exists or where it does not yet exist. It also provides an excellent avenue for delivering the training and education programs we aim to create to support grassroots development for sailors.

We strongly encourage all NSOs, MNAs, clubs, sailors, coaches, officials, and administrators across the Oceania region to explore the World Sailing Academy. This is a fantastic opportunity to access world-class educational resources and contribute to the growth and advancement of sailing in our region and globally.

You can sign up through the World Sailing website or directly at https://world-sailing.learningsuite.io/auth. Registration is free.

We believe the World Sailing Academy will be instrumental in fostering a more knowledgeable, skilled, and vibrant sailing community across Oceania. We look forward to hearing your feedback and suggestions for future course topics!