LATEST NEWS
80TH SAIL PAST & BLESSING OF THE FLEET Southport Yacht Club celebrated 80 years of tradition on the water with the Club’s 80th Sail Past & Blessing of the Fleet. The Broadwater came alive with colour and Club spirit as vessels took part in the traditional Sail Past, with crews embracing the occasion through colourful bunting, flags, themed outfits and decorated boats. A special thank you to Father Don Parker and Lieutenant Commander Sam Mairs for leading the Blessing of the Fleet and adding to the significance of this milestone occasion. Thank you also to our Sponsors, Members, Staff, Committees, Board and Volunteers, and to everyone who joined us on the water and onshore to celebrate 80 years of Southport Yacht Club and the opening of another yachting season. Here’s to another wonderful season on the water at SYC.
BREAKING OF THE FLAG & DA$H 4 CA$H Southport Yacht Club officially marked the beginning of the 2026 sailing season at Hollywell with the annual Breaking of the Flag, followed by a big day of racing for Da$h 4 Ca$h. Members, Flag Officers and guests gathered for one of SYC’s proud maritime traditions, with speeches followed by the ceremonial unfurling of the Australian Flag and firing of the cannon. With the 2026 sailing season officially underway, sailors then hit the Broadwater for the first racing event of the season, Da$h 4 Ca$h, with competition across the dinghy, catamaran and keelboat fleets. Thank you to everyone who joined us at Hollywell to kick off another season of sailing at SYC. Here’s to a fantastic season ahead!
DA$H 4 CA$H – RESULTS The 2026 Da$h 4 Ca$h brought plenty of action to the Gold Coast Broadwater, with sailors competing across the Dinghy, Optimist, ILCA, Catamaran, Paper Tiger and Keelboat divisions. Congratulations to all competitors and our 2026 placegetters! DINGHY OPEN
Line Honours – XXXXX – Emerson & Ross
1st – FAST & FURIOUS – Stuart Waters
2nd – CAN DO – Martin Haltsbaum
3rd – XXXXX – Emerson Wheeler & Ross Beedle OPTIMIST
Line Honours – HIJACKED – Jack Mcguire
1st – HIJACKED – Jack Mcguire
2nd – ZIG ZAG – Lyla Greenwood
3rd – BOWSER – Jasper Moore ILCA 4
Line Honours – FROSTIER – Teegan Mitchell
1st – FROSTIER – Teegan Mitchell
2nd – RIPPLE – Evie McGuire
3rd – MAVERICK – Xavier Edmondson ILCA 6 & 7
Line Honours – IT’S A BREEZE – Joe Thompson
1st – SLIPPERY TOO – Matthew Sinnamon
2nd – DOMINATOR – Alistair Kelly
3rd – IT’S A BREEZE – Joe Thompson CAT OPEN
Line Honours – G8 – Nicholas Flint
1st – G8 – Nicholas Flint
2nd – RAMPAGE – Leo Sparshott CAT DIVISION 2
Line Honours – HOT N SPICY N – Daniel Thompson & Lincoln Holtz
1st – HOT N SPICY N – Daniel Thompson & Lincoln Holtz
2nd – SHEET SHOW – Sunny Mara
3rd – THRILLER – Angus Hortz PAPER TIGERS
Line Honours – CHECK M8 – Rodney Bonner
1st – CHECK M8 – Rodney Bonner
2nd – RUMPLETEASER – Phil Kellond-Knight
3rd – WAYWOOD – Wayne Greenwood KEELBOAT
Line Honours – GUSTO – Angus Jackson
1st – GUSTO – Angus Jackson
2nd – ARGO – Graham Chapman
3rd – NO COMMENT – Kip Rossouw Congratulations to everyone who joined us on the water and helped make the 2026 Da$h 4 Ca$h a great day of racing!
SYC FINALISTS – 2026 QUEENSLAND SAILING AWARDS
Southport Yacht Club is proud to have an outstanding number of members, staff, programs and events named as finalists in the 2026 Queensland Sailing Awards. The awards recognise achievements and contributions across all areas of sailing, from performance on the water to coaching, volunteering, participation, promotion and innovation. Congratulations to our SYC finalists: MALE SAILOR OF THE YEAR
Joel Turner PARA SAILOR OF THE YEAR
Naomi Ooue YOUTH SAILOR OF THE YEAR
Nathaniel McCarthy VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR
Finn Griffin
Lois Rowe INSTRUCTOR OF THE YEAR
Justin Wise COACH OF THE YEAR
Hugo Ralph SHESAILS AWARD
Tomoko Nakanishi SPORT PROFESSIONAL AWARD
Kayla Boothby SPORT PROMOTION AWARD
Ashlea Kernahan
Adrian Bold INNOVATION AWARD
Summer on the Lake – Southport Yacht Club
Gold Coast to Mackay Yacht Race – Southport Yacht Club CLUB OF THE YEAR – CATEGORY A
Southport Yacht Club Congratulations to all of our finalists on this well-deserved recognition. We look forward to celebrating with the Queensland sailing community when the winners are announced at the Queensland Sailing Awards on Friday 11 September at Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron. View all 2026 Queensland Sailing Awards finalists
UPCOMING EVENTS
CASUAL ENTRY GPS TRAINING DAY & TRADITIONAL TRAINING DAYS
SATURDAY 12TH - SUNDAY 13TH SEPTEMBER
Entries are now open for the Casual Entry GPS Training Day & Traditional Training Days 2026, returning to Southport Yacht Club this September 12th–13th.
Two days of hands-on navigation training, great camaraderie, and full event prizes—casual entry is just $10 per vessel (or included with your season entry).
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 QLD FINN STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS 25–27 SEPTEMBER 2026 The Queensland Finn State Championships are coming to Southport Yacht Club this September, bringing the Finn fleet to the Gold Coast for three days of championship racing. With the event fast approaching, now is the time to get organised and join the fleet for a great weekend of racing on the Broadwater. 25–27 SEPTEMBER 2026 EVENT INFORMATION & ENTRIES
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
2026 JOHN McNAMARA MEMORIAL RACE SATURDAY 21 NOVEMBER 2026 Entries are now open for the 2026 John McNamara Memorial Race, taking sailors around Peel Island on Moreton Bay. Join us for this special annual race as we remember John McNamara and bring the fleet together for a great day of racing on the Bay. RACE AROUND PEEL ISLAND
SATURDAY 21 NOVEMBER ENTRIES NOW OPEN – REGISTER HERE
2027 AUSTRALIA SAIL GRAND PRIX | PERTH 20–21 FEBRUARY 2027 Planning a trip to Perth for SailGP? Limited VELA Beach Club and Waterfront Grandstand tickets remain for the 2027 Australia Sail Grand Prix. Queensland sailors heading west are encouraged to secure their tickets early to avoid missing out. SECURE YOUR TICKETS HERE
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:
This week’s Sailor of the Week is Josef Beck from our Kids Learn to Sail program. Josef only began sailing for the first time this term and has already made fantastic progress, completing his Learn to Sail levels and progressing into Fleet sailing. It has been great to see Josef build his skills and confidence on the water so quickly, and we look forward to watching him continue his sailing journey. Well done, Josef!
SAILING AT OXENFORD – by Ashlea Kernahan
That’s a wrap on Term 3 for our Kids and Teens Learn to Sail programs! It was fantastic to finish the term with our Pirate Themed End of Term Celebration, bringing our sailors, families and friends together for some fun on the water and a BBQ. Throughout the term, we’ve loved watching our sailors build their confidence, develop new skills and progress through their sailing levels, with a number now taking their next steps into Fleet sailing. Over at Hollywell Sailing Squadron, our September Adult Learn to Sail course is now underway, welcoming another group of beginner sailors for three Sundays of learning to sail on the beautiful Broadwater. Next up, School Holiday Sailing is just around the corner at Oxenford. Our September holiday program will welcome both new and returning sailors for plenty of time on the water across the school break.
We’re looking forward to another busy few weeks at the Academy!
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
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