Yacht Clubs have a bad reputation. Many are still seen as stuffy, male, elitist places where an arcane pastime takes place. Not all yacht clubs are created equal though, and while there are some who doggedly stick to their old ways, there are others that realise that the sport of sailing depends on the way they engage with the community.
Sandringham Yacht Club (SYC) in Melbourne, Australia is celebrating a centenary of sailing and boating this summer. Events branded ‘Sail 2 C’ will mark the Official Opening of the 2011-12 sailing season on October 2.
As well as celebrating the club’s history, the event is designed to secure its future by attracting members and members of the public. A large proportion of SYC’s 2,500 members are expected to attend along with sailing fans and prospective members.
SYC Commodore Steve Richards said:
“Sail 2 C is a ‘showcase’ event and our aim is to attract young people to sailing for both serious and casual racing, as well as to illustrate the opportunities for all ages to participate in wider sailing and boating activities.”
The SYC is not the only institution celebrating a centenary. The Royal Australian Navy celebrating its Centenary of Issue of Royal Warrant on the day, with band and sailpast.
Other activities will include the Ronstan Regatta open to all dinghy sailors, followed by a team racing display and a kite boarding demonstration.
In addition to on-the-water events, the club will also host Matt Allen as a guest speaker. The immediate Past Commodore of the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, Allen began his sailing career in dinghies at SYC and has gone on to contest 22 Sydney Hobart’s, with a second on line in 2006 and third in 2007 and 2008, among his many successes.
Ian Whitbread, Sail 2 C co-ordinator said:
“His kind of sailing life is what we are promoting; our future is in young sailors. The Club is working hard to accommodate the needs of sailors of all ages from as young as seven years old in our junior Optimists and Cadets, our vibrant J24 match racing fleets, through to top flight high-tech grand prix racing yachts.”
Some of the Club’s most recognised grand prix racers are: Scarlet Runner (Rob Date), Calm (Jason Van der Slot/John Williams/Graeme Ainley), Cougar (Alan Whiteley), Terra Firma (Nicholas Bartels) and most famously, Challenge, owned by legendary veteran, Lou Abrahams, who has contested 44 Sydney Hobart’s (a record at the time) and won two of them overall.
“We value our older sailors, such as Lou and John Stenford, who is in his 90’s and still regularly races aboard Amicus. Then of course there are the likes of record-breaking Jesse Martin, who fulfilled his dream of sailing single-handed non-stop around the world; people youngsters can look up to and be encouraged by.”
And there are plenty of young sailors to be inspired. Sandringham Yacht Club is a Registered Training Organisation that is attended by over 2,000 school children a year.
One of the most forward-thinking clubs in Australia, the state-of-the-art clubhouse has a resturant that is open to the public. While some old-school yacht club members might shudder at the thought of opening the doors to anyone, the practise increases the revenue of the club as well as exposing the public to the club.
It’s also great to see that racing is a large part of the programme. SYC also hosts the largest Olympic and invited classes regatta in Australia; Sail Melbourne, the first leg of the ISAF Sailing World Cup, held annually since 1994.
