LATEST NEWS
EAST COAST CHAMPIONSHIPS 2026 – SYC ACADEMY RESULTS
Congratulations to our SYC Academy sailors who recently represented Southport Yacht Club at the East Coast Championships 2026 hosted by Woollahra Sailing Club.
Our Youth Squad delivered an outstanding performance throughout the regatta, with all three of our ILCA 4 sailors securing Top 10 finishes in a highly competitive fleet.
ILCA 4 Results
Addison Greenwood sailing Addictive – 2nd Overall & 1st Female
8th – Evie McGuire sailing Ripple
9th – Xavier Edmondson
Optimist Open Results
5th – Jack McGuire sailing Hijacked
19th – Lyla Greenwood sailing Wizz Fizz
A fantastic effort from all of our sailors, competing against strong fleets and representing Southport Yacht Club with skill, determination, and sportsmanship. We are incredibly proud of their achievements and look forward to seeing them continue to develop throughout the season.
2026 WIVENHOE WINTER MARATHON – SYC ACADEMY RESULTS
Congratulations to our SYC Academy sailors who competed in the 2026 Wivenhoe Winter Marathon at Brisbane Valley Sailing Club on 6th–7th June.
The annual marathon attracted a strong fleet from across Queensland, with sailors taking on two days of endurance racing in challenging and competitive conditions.
A standout result came from Daniel Thompson and Lincoln Hortz, who sailed their Nacra 4.5 Hot n Spicy to 1st Place in Division 3, an outstanding achievement in a highly competitive fleet.
SYC Academy Results
1st – Division 3
Daniel Thompson & Lincoln Hortz – Hot n Spicy (Nacra 4.5)
8th – Division 4
Jozee Fowler & Keira Ruch – Shake N Bake (29er)
8th – Division 3
Adam Hardy & Mariella Brady – Kit Kat (Topaz 14)
A fantastic effort from all of our Academy sailors, representing Southport Yacht Club across multiple classes and gaining valuable experience against strong competition. We are incredibly proud of their results and look forward to seeing them continue to develop throughout the season.
SOLO TRANS TASMAN CHALLENGE STARTS THIS SATURDAY MAY 30!
The Solo Trans-Tasman Yacht Challenge originated in 1968 and is one of the world’s most demanding offshore races — where sailors take on the wild Tasman Sea alone. No crew. No rest. Just skill, resilience, and relentless determination. For days at sea, competitors battle shifting weather systems, towering waves, equipment failures, and the constant challenge of navigating one of the most unpredictable stretches of ocean on the planet. It’s a true test of seamanship, endurance, and mental strength.
SYC is proud to be the finish line of the upcoming Solo Trans Tasman Yacht Challenge! At 10:00am AEST this Saturday 30 May 2026, the courageous fleet will set off from the stunning Bay of Islands, starting from Opua Cruising Club for the very first time in the event’s history. From there, 15 solo sailors will race 1,170 nautical miles across the Tasman Sea to finish at the Southport Yacht Club. Check out the event website here!
Local QLD sailor Peter Elkington is taking on the challenge with his Young 11 ‘Pacman’, as are two entrants in our GCCM Gold Coast Mackay Race later in July: Sharon Coate with her monohull ‘Vixen Racing’, and Guy Chester with his multihull ‘Oceans Tribute’! At half the distance, warmer climate and more crew to share the load, our Mackay race will seem like a walk in the park after completing the Solo Trans Tasman!
Best of luck to all competitors and well done to the Organising Authority Opua in New Zealand for hosting this fantastic race.
Track the fleet LIVE from this Saturday via the official website here.
NEW RACE MAP WHITEBOARDS
Out with the old, in with the new. Larger, Shinier whiteboards have been installed at Hollywell! These now include a permanent map of the entire Broadwater and channel markers etched onto them, making for easier, faster and more accurate race briefings.
Fantastic conditions on Saturday were embraced with 10 starters and 9 finishers in our final 25/26 season special event. Results are now live and Race Presentation will be tonight (Thursday) after a rather soggy twilight race. Special mention goes to:
Steven Humphries ‘Stealth Mode’ Greg Watson’s ‘’Touché42’
Lea Foster ‘Circe’ Greg Watson’s ‘’Touché42’
Lee Randall ‘Black Diamond’
David Rose ‘Wedgetail’MARITIMO 6-DAY CRUISE
The Maritimo 6-Day Cruise has come to an end, and what a fantastic week it was on the water! From our opening BBQ at Paradise Point to a scenic run up the Coomera River for coffee at SYC Oxenford, the fleet made the most of every nautical mile. We wrapped things up with a BYO BBQ at Dux and a relaxed lunch at Tipplers—the perfect way to cap off the journey. A massive thank you to our sponsors for making the trip even more memorable:
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Maritimo
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Precision Marine Maintenance
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Spectrum Marine
SAIL OUR WAY – LADIES DAY!
ON THE HORIZON
COMING UP AT OTHER SEQ CLUBS…
SYC is proud to support Special Events from our fellow South East Queensland Clubs! Here’s what’s coming up:
WYNNUM MANLY YACHT CLUB
UPCOMING EVENTS
SAILING SPECIAL EVENTS
Heaps of updates as we head into a brand new season of sailing. All special events are now live in our online CALENDAR! These are also visible on the Australian Sailing QLD Events Calendar.
Offshore, due to inter-club calendars in SEQ, our Flat Rock Yacht Race on 6th June is now Race 2 of the Queensland Offshore Sailing Championship Series.
Inshore, the annual Crab Island Classic for OTB Cats and Keelboats is also coming up on June 6th. Entries open soon!
Entries into our 17th SAIL PARADISE Regatta are also NOW OPEN! Scroll down for more details.
Southport Yacht Club holds annual and biennial special racing events across our 5 divisions, with Perpetual Trophies dating back many decades! Special Events feature our dedicated media team, offering footage of all the on-water action to watch on the day after racing as well as to download and share on your socials. These events are open to both SYC members and racers from other yacht clubs, keeping the competition fresh and welcoming sailors to our Gold Coast waterways. Check out what’s coming up here:
THE YACHT SALES CO. SAIL PARADISE REGATTA 2026
FRIDAY 2nd – MONDAY 5th OCTOBER
Entries are now open for the 17th Sail Paradise Regatta! 2026 incorporates the Australian Yachting Championships. Get your entry in here. Don’t miss it!
GCCM GOLD COAST MACKAY YACHT RACE
Entries have grown to 30 so far, surpassing last year’s starting line fleet! Southport Yacht Clubs’ flagship ocean race; the 520nm GCCM Gold Coast Mackay Yacht Race is fast heading towards its 3rd year, with a start on Thursday 30th July and Welcome party on Tuesday 28th July. We also welcome the Reichel Pugh 66, Wild Oats X into the fleet, as well as the return of New Zealander Brian Petersen and his Alan Andrews TP52, V5. Who else will be racing back to back from Sydney, or taking advantage of the free berthing right through to Hamilton Island Race Week?
Indulge yourself for 2 minutes with this short film punching out what you don’t want to miss out on for 2026. You may even see a few familiar faces!
For all the details visit www.goldcoastmackay.com, and click the picture to view the Launch Film:
ACADEMY NEWS
SYC SAILORS ON GLOBAL STAGE
Nate McCarthy to represent AUSTRALIA in ITALY
Our Cock of the Broadwater Champion from recent years, Nate McCarthy, has just been selected for the Australian team at the 2026 O’pen Skiff World Championships to be held from July 25th to 31st, 2026 in Calasetta, Sardinia, Italy!
Congratulations to Nate for making the team and best of luck in July!
AU Junior Sailors Selected for ILCA 4 World Championships
A huge congratulations to Addison Greenwood, Evie McGuire, and Harry Hogan, who have been selected to represent Australia at the ILCA 4 World Championships at the Aarhus International Sailing Centre this August.
The talented trio will compete against the world’s best youth sailors, joining a fleet of competitors from 46 countries in one of the most prestigious junior sailing events on the international calendar.
This achievement is a testament to their hard work, dedication, and commitment to the sport, and we couldn’t be prouder to see them representing both Australia and our sailing community on the world stage.
Congratulations Addison, Evie, and Harry on this incredible accomplishment. We wish you the very best of luck in Denmark and look forward to following your journey and cheering you on from home!
School Holiday Sailing Now Open!
Looking for an exciting outdoor activity these winter school holidays? Our School Holiday Sailing Program is now open for bookings!
June 29th – July 10th
Monday to Friday
Half Day and Full Day options available
Whether your child is brand new to sailing or looking to build on existing skills, our holiday programs are packed with fun, adventure, and time on the water.
Register here:
https://fareharbor.com/embeds/book/southportyachtclub/items/575498/calendar/2026/06/?full-items=yes
SAILOR OF THE WEEK:
Elise Slaven (Tackers Fleet)
This week’s Sailor of the Week is Elise Slaven from our Tackers Fleet group.
Elise has been sailing exceptionally well throughout the term and has shown tremendous growth in confidence. While she was initially nervous about solo sailing during her Tackers 2 journey, she has continued to challenge herself and embrace every opportunity to improve.
It has been fantastic to watch her confidence grow both at Oxenford and now as she experiences sailing opportunities at Hollywell. We are incredibly proud of her progress and can’t wait to see what she achieves next.
Well done, Elise!
SAILING AT OXENFORD
– by Ashlea Kernahan
This week at Oxenford, the team from Australian Sailing held their Training in Focus workshop at Oxenford Watersports Centre, with over 30 instructors attending to renew their instructor qualifications and continue their professional development. It was fantastic to see so many instructors from across the region making use of our facility.
Although we did not hold our usual term sailing sessions this weekend, there were still plenty of sailing activities taking place. Our Tackers 2 sailors and their parents joined us at Hollywell Sailing Squadron on Sunday for a facility tour and pathway day. Families had the opportunity to explore the venue and head out on a coach boat to experience what the sailing journey looks like beyond Tackers Fleet (Level 3).
Our current Tackers Fleet sailors also joined our Junior Fleet group on the water, getting their first taste of open-water sailing. They sailed incredibly well, and it was fantastic for both sailors and parents to experience the next step in the Southport Yacht Club sailing pathway.
This Sunday, our Teens sailors will also be heading to Hollywell for a facility tour and pathway introduction, giving them a glimpse into the opportunities available as they continue to develop their sailing skills.
Our regular sailing sessions will recommence this Saturday for Week 6, as we begin preparations for our exciting End of Term Celebration.
Play On! Voucher Reminder
Don’t forget that $200 Play On! Vouchers are accepted at the Southport Yacht Club Academy and can be used towards eligible sailing programs.
Vouchers are valid until 19 June, so be sure to redeem yours before they expire.
Whether you’re looking at Kids Learn to Sail, Teens Learn to Sail, School Holiday Sailing, or Tackers programs, now is the perfect time to put your voucher to good use and get out on the water!
UPCOMING ACADEMY PROGRAM:
Adult Learn to Sail – July
Oxenford Watersports Centre
Sundays – July 5th, 12th, 19th
https://www.oxenfordwatersportscentre.com.au/events/354818
Homeschool Sailing – Term 3
Oxenford Watersports Centre
Thursdays 12pm-2pm– Start July 16th (8 Week Program)
https://southportyachtclub.com.au/kids-learn-to-sail/
Kids Learn to Sail – Term 3
Oxenford Watersports Centre
Saturdays 8:30am-11:30am– Start July 18th (7 Week Program)
https://southportyachtclub.com.au/kids-learn-to-sail/
Teens Learn to Sail – Term 3
Oxenford Watersports Centre
Saturdays 8:30am-11:30am or 12pm-3pm – Start July 18th (7 Week Program)
https://southportyachtclub.com.au/teens-learn-to-sail/
NSW OPTIMIST CHAMPIONSHIPS 2026 – SYC Academy Representation
Congratulations to our two SYC Academy sailors, Lyla Greenwood and Jack McGuire, who travelled to compete in the NSW Optimist Championships 2026 at Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club.
The regatta brought together a strong interstate fleet on Pittwater, with a full schedule of racing across the weekend. Sailors were tested across a range of conditions, requiring consistency, adaptability, and strong decision-making throughout the series.
A standout performance came from Lyla Greenwood, who placed 1st Overall Female and an impressive 4th in the Open Fleet, while Jack McGuire also delivered a strong result, finishing 11th in the Open Fleet.
A fantastic effort from both sailors, representing the Academy at a high level — we are incredibly proud!
RACING RESULTS 2025/26
CLUB RACING
Latest Division Coverage: