Project
Anchored Youth

Why we're looking at this

Melbourne teens went through the longest series of COVID-19 related lockdowns in the world, and there's growing evidence it's left a mark on their mental health.

We're developing a research study to look at whether intentional structured time outdoors restores health — and whether being on the water adds something special that being on land doesn't. The study compares recreational sailing, land-based outdoor activity, and everyday indoor leisure, so the answer holds up beyond one type of programme.

What the research already says

Sailing and outdoor recreation have a real, if incomplete, evidence base behind them — genuine gains in self-esteem and resilience, a well-supported physical workout, real but modest safety data, and honest gaps this study is designed to help close.

Read about the Science of Sailing

Early days, on purpose

This project is still being designed. We're talking with sailing clubs, outdoor education providers, and researchers to shape a study that's practical and realistic — before anything goes to ethics approval or formal recruitment.

If that's a conversation you'd be interested in, we'd love to hear from you.

Aurora Sailing & a leading Melbourne University

The study is led by SP as part of her Master's research at a leading Melbourne university, working alongside the university's health sciences faculty and Aurora Sailing, a Melbourne youth sailing and outdoor education initiative based at Port Melbourne Yacht Club.