Avalon Sailing Club is active in the local community and enjoys a high profile with local schools, learn to sail groups, sailing camps, not for profit community groups and the like. The purpose of the club is “Fostering the encouragement promotion and teaching and above all enjoyment of sailing on the waters of Pittwater.” The key values which have been used to guide the strategic plan are: safety, fun, inclusiveness, family involvement and an informal, volunteer culture where lending a hand and having a go is what keeps the club alive. Avalon Sailing Club has an extensive junior sailing program, with the Sunday morning 'Blue' group for children 7-10 years old; a 'Red' group for those developing their skills; and Sunday afternoon 'gold' races are for the more experienced juniors. Coaching is performed by experienced teenage instructors, in conjunction with an adult mentor. There are over 100 sailors in our centreboard fleet, the large majority of them aged 16 and under. Sailing is a sport in which boys and girls can be equally competitive. Our junior sailing program has a very even number of participants and level of competition. Sailing is also a sport that is very appropriate to different levels of physical activity. Avalon Sailing Club has a variety of types of sailing: dinghy/skiff sailing appropriate to very able-bodies people; through to yacht cruising which is suited to less able people. The club recently constructed a new entry ramp to the clubhouse to allow for disabled access. The junior sailing program helps build a strong understanding of how juniors interact with the environment - including wind, waves, and tides. It also teaches children about how the environmental conditions can change quickly, and importance of safety precautions.