LATEST NEWS
HAMILTON ISLAND RACE WEEK 2026
Southport Yacht Club was well represented at Hamilton Island Race Week 2026, with SYC boats and crews taking on a week of racing in the Whitsundays and bringing home some fantastic results across the IRC, PHS and Multihull divisions. Congratulations to all of our SYC competitors, with several podium finishes and three overall division wins among the results. IRC – SUPER40 TOUCHE42 – Greg Watson SFR – 7th Overall ORC – 8th Overall IRC – 8th Overall PHS WILD THING 100 – Grant Wharington Hamilton Island Blue – 1st Overall MARITIMO 100 – Bill Barry-Cotter Non-Spinnaker Grey – 1st Overall AIRBENDER – James Ward EHC – 22nd Overall MULTIHULL MIYU – Terry Robinson OMR – 1st Overall EHC – 7th Overall TAO – Mick Hodgins Hamilton Island White – 8th Overall HAPPENSTANCE – Gregory Tobin Hamilton Island White – 11th Overall Congratulations to all of our SYC sailors and crews on a fantastic week of racing at Hamilton Island!
SYC SAILORS ON GLOBAL STAGE
2026 O’PEN SKIFF WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
SYC Member Nate McCarthy coming an impressive 3rd Male and 5th Overall in the U17 Silver Fleet at the 2026 O’PEN SKIFF WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS in Calasetta, Sardinia, Italy
ILCA 4 UNITED KINGDOM NATIONALS
Congratulations to SYC Member Addison Greenwood competing in the ILCA 4 UK Nationals at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy. With a massive fleet of ILCA 4’s Addison finished 18th Female and 3rd Australian overall. An impressive result for her first overseas regatta in the ILCA 4.
Addison was using the ILCA 4 UK Nationals as a lead in event for the ILCA 4 Worlds starting today. Addison will join fellow SYC members Evie McGuire and Harry Hogan (also an SYC Coach) at this event. We wish them all the best and will do a post for that event once it’s complete.
2026 49er JUNIOR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
SYC members Emerson Wheeler and Ross Beedle competing at their first Worlds onboard a 49er being an Olympic Class.
Finishing 45th overall and 3rd Australian boat in a very competitive fleet. The boys had some fantastic results over the 10 race series with a 6th and a 7th in the mix, two races they did not compete in which affected their overall result.
Great to see SYC members representing the club on the world stage, particularly in an Olympic Class. We wait in anticipation for the boys next move. Receiving coaching at SYC from 49er great Joel Turner and GC Sails co owner we are sure Emerson and Ross are just getting started.
ILCA 4 World Championships
From the Gold Coast to Aarhus, Denmark three Southport Yacht Club sailors have proudly represented Australia against the world’s best young ILCA talent at the 2026 ILCA 4 Youth World Championships.
A demanding championship tested the international fleet with strong winds, disrupted racing and challenging conditions on Aarhus Bay and our SYC sailors stepped up.
FEMALE DIVISION:
EVIE MCGUIRE
65th Overall | #2 AUSTRALIAN
ADDISON GREENWOOD
136th Overall | #5 AUSTRALIAN
MALE DIVISION:
HARRY HOGAN
52nd Overall | #1 AUSTRALIAN
For Harry, Evie and Addison, Denmark also marked their first-ever World Championships a major milestone as they begin making their mark on the international stage.
Congratulations Harry, Evie and Addison.
The future is bright. The next generation is coming!
UPCOMING EVENTS
THE YACHT SALES CO. SAIL PARADISE REGATTA 2026
FRIDAY 2 – MONDAY 5 OCTOBER
Entries are now open for the 17th Sail Paradise Regatta, returning to the Gold Coast this October. Four days of racing, great competition and the Gold Coast as your backdrop – get your crew together and join us for one of Southport Yacht Club's signature regattas. ENTRIES ARE NOW OPEN – ENTER HERE
2026 DA$H FOR CA$H SUNDAY 6 SEPTEMBER | GOLD COAST BROADWATER Get ready for a fast and fun day of racing as Da$h for Ca$h returns to the Gold Coast Broadwater! Open to Dinghies, Multihulls and Keelboats, Da$h for Ca$h brings sailors together for some friendly competition with cash prizes for 1st, 2nd and 3rd Line Honours across the divisions. And the more boats that enter, the bigger the cash prize pool! EARLY ENTRY – $55 UNTIL 1 SEPTEMBER Late entry – $95 from 1 September Get your crew together, challenge your mates and get on the start line. ENTER DA$H FOR CA$H
2026 QLD PAPER TIGER CHAMPIONSHIPS SATURDAY 26 – SUNDAY 27 SEPTEMBER 2026 The 2026 Queensland Paper Tiger Championships are coming to Southport Yacht Club for two days of championship racing on the Gold Coast Broadwater. Paper Tiger sailors are invited to join the fleet for a great weekend of racing and competition. ENTRIES CLOSE: Friday 18 September 2026 at 5:00pm ENTER HERE
GCCM GOLD COAST MACKAY YACHT RACE A SUCCESSFUL 2026 RACE TO MACKAY The 2026 GCCM Gold Coast Mackay Yacht Race saw 25 boats take to the start line off Cavill Avenue, heading north on the 520 nautical mile race to Mackay. Fast conditions produced some impressive speeds across the fleet, with 21 boats completing the race and Wild Thing 100 leading the fleet into Mackay. Congratulations to all competitors and our 2026 podium finishers. LINE HONOURS 1st – WILD THING 100 – Grant Wharington Elapsed Time: 38:14:20 2nd – WILD OATS X – Phil Harmer Elapsed Time: 39:14:17 3rd – KOA – Andy Kearnan Elapsed Time: 45:42:53 IRC OVERALL 1st – MISTRAL – Rupert Henry 2nd – TOUCHE42 – Greg Watson 3rd – SALTWATER WINE – Thomas Woods PHS OVERALL 1st – MISTRAL – Rupert Henry 2nd – TOUCHE42 – Greg Watson 3rd – BALANCING ACT – Tony Craner ORC OVERALL 1st – TOUCHE42 – Greg Watson 2nd – BALANCING ACT – Tony Craner 3rd – SALTWATER WINE – Thomas Woods OMR 1st – MIYU – Drew Carruthers 2nd – OCEANS TRIBUTE – Guy Chester NAVIGATOR PRIZE WILD OATS X – Phil Harmer Just 4 minutes and 14 seconds from the original estimated finish time. HARBOUR MASTER AWARD The 2026 Harbour Master Award was presented by Regional Harbour Master Mackay, Craig Longmuir, to the crew of Marine Rescue Vessel 10 – Skipper Peter Mackedie and crew Ian Slattery, Mark Senyard, Ross Schulte and Thomas Clancy. The crew were recognised for their efforts in challenging conditions assisting KERB and her crew to safety in Mackay Harbour. VIEW FULL RESULTS Catch up on all race updates via the GCCM Gold Coast Mackay Yacht Race tracker, or rewatch the race start and commentary on the SYC YouTube channel.
NAVIGATION AND CRUISING EVENTS Next Cruising Event Next Navigation Event
RACING RESULTS 2025/26
CLUB RACING Latest Division Coverage:
ACADEMY NEWS
SAILOR OF THE WEEK: Sailor of the Week – Luca Cern (Kids Learn to Sail) This week's Sailor of the Week is Luca Cern from our Kids Learn to Sail program. Luca showed a fantastic attitude during our opening week, embracing the challenging conditions with enthusiasm and a willingness to learn. He listened carefully during theory sessions and was eager to get involved throughout the day. We're looking forward to watching Luca continue to grow in confidence and develop his sailing skills over the coming weeks. Well done, Luca!
SAILING AT OXENFORD – by Ashlea Kernahan We’ve reached the final week of Term 3 for our Teens and Kids Learn to Sail Level 1, 2 and 3 sailors, and what a fantastic term it has been! It has been great to watch our sailors build their confidence, develop new skills and continue progressing on the water each week.This weekend, we’ll wrap up the term with our Pirate Themed End of Term Celebration. Family and friends are invited to join in the fun, get out on the water with our sailors and enjoy a BBQ as we celebrate everything our sailors have achieved throughout the term. Over at Hollywell Sailing Squadron, our next Adult Learn to Sail course kicks off this weekend. We’re excited to welcome another group of beginner sailors to experience three Sundays of learning to sail on the beautiful Broadwater. School Holiday Sailing is also just around the corner, with our September program getting ready to kick off at Oxenford. It’s always one of our busiest times at the centre, and we’re looking forward to welcoming plenty of new and returning sailors for some school holiday fun on the lake. We also have Father’s Day at Hollywell coming up, with families able to enjoy sailing alongside the Father’s Day buffet. It’s the perfect opportunity to spend the day by the water, enjoy breakfast together and add a little sailing into the Father’s Day celebrations
SCHOOL HOLIDAY SAILING IS BACK! Our September School Holiday Sailing sessions are now open for bookings at Oxenford Watersports Centre! Dates: September 21st – October 2nd Days: Monday to Friday Half Day: $65 per sailor Full Day: $95 per sailor Whether they’re trying sailing for the first time or coming back for more fun on the lake, our School Holiday Sailing sessions are a great way to keep the kids active and out on the water these holidays. Book your session here: https://fareharbor.com/embeds/book/southportyachtclub/items/575498/?full-items=yes
Father’s Day at Hollywell Celebrate Dad by the water this Father’s Day – Sunday, 6 September at Hollywell Bar & Dining. Enjoy a Hot & Cold Buffet Breakfast overlooking the Broadwater before making a day of it with a morning sail! Father’s Day Buffet Breakfast Adults – $39 per person Children 12 years & under – $19 per person Children 2 years & under – FREE Breakfast sittings: 7:30am | 8:00am | 8:30am | 9:00am | 9:30am Each sitting is limited to 30 guests, so bookings are essential. https://events.humanitix.com/hollywell-fathers-day-buffet-breakfast Take Dad Sailing ⛵ Add something a little different to Father’s Day and take Dad sailing on the Broadwater! $75 per hour Up to 4 people included Available from 9:00am Enjoy a sail before or after breakfast, then stick around for lunch at Hollywell Bar & Dining with our normal menu, daily specials and live music from 12pm–3pm. Book your Father’s Day sailing experience here: https://fareharbor.com/embeds/book/southportyachtclub/items/753666/calendar/?full-items=yes
Upcoming Academy Programs School Holiday Sailing – Spring Oxenford Watersports Centre Monday to Friday – September 21st to October 2nd Half Day & Full Day sessions available https://fareharbor.com/embeds/book/southportyachtclub/items/575498/?full-items=yes Adult Learn to Sail – Beginners Sundays Hollywell Sailing Squadron Sundays – August 30th, September 6th & 13th Three-day beginner course – no experience required https://www.oxenfordwatersportscentre.com.au/events/345202 Adult Learn to Sail – Beginners Saturdays Hollywell Sailing Squadron Saturdays – September 19th, 26th & October 3rd Three-day beginner course – no experience required https://www.oxenfordwatersportscentre.com.au/events/345204 Adult Learn to Sail – Level 2 Open Water Sundays: September 20th, 27th & October 4th Time: 9:00am – 3:00pm Location: Hollywell Sailing Squadron 1 Marina Crescent, Hollywell QLD 4216 Cost: $500 https://www.oxenfordwatersportscentre.com.au/events/357925