The Flying 11 is an Australian designed high-performance skiff suitable for adolescent sailors. The Flying 11 is two-handed with a skipper and crew (“forehead hand”) who is often lighter and younger. Sailors are generally in the age group 12 to 18 years, although crew have been known to start as young as 9. The skipper steers the boat and adjusts the mainsail sheet and spinnaker while the crew adjusts the jib, sets the spinnaker pole and may also adjust spinnaker trim.

The Flying 11 is fast and exciting and will plane in wind above 10 knots. When the breeze tops 20 knots they are both a handful and an excitement machine, leading to kids coming ashore with grins from ear to ear and tales of “flying”. Skippers tend to have come from the junior classes such as Sabots or Manly Juniors while crew may be new to sailing or have some experience in the juniors.

Each weekend during the season at Lane Cove sees a fleet of a dozen boats fighting it out for points and to see who can have the most fun. Races start at 2:00 PM and boats are back and being washed down around 4:00 PM. The class is well known for commeraderie and pitching in to help each other. Parents help out as well and enjoy the company on the deck of the club.

During the course of the season many boats head off to various regattas both in the local area, across the state and occasionally interstate. Key regattas and dates will be posted as they come to hand.