LATEST NEWS

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

Nate finishes the regatta in his final race with a 4th after leading most of the race in 5knots of wind. We can’t wait to welcome Nate home and see what his next adventure is and hope Nate and his Dad get a few days rest in Italy before heading home to resume his training.

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!

ON THE HORIZON

THE GAFFERS – VINTAGE YACHT REGATTA

The Queensland Cruising Yacht Club will once again host the Vintage Yacht Regatta from 17 to 19 July 2026, bringing together a unique fleet of classic timber yachts and the sailors who keep them sailing!

For more information, visit the race webpage at QCYC here.

UPCOMING EVENTS

SAILING SPECIAL EVENTS

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.

All special events are now live in our online CALENDAR and the Australian Sailing QLD Events Calendar.

Entries into our 17th SAIL PARADISE Regatta are also NOW OPEN! Scroll down for more details.

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

ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL EVENT FOR OUR BIGGEST OFFSHORE RACE!

On Thursday 30th July, a fleet of 25 boats punched the start line off Cavill Avenue, unfurled their kites and set off north for Mackay. This was a fast race, with many entrants recording new top speeds! Whilst there were a few unfortunate retirements, 21 boats completed the race – thankfully the welcome by locals was warmer than the weather!

Podium Results:

LINE HONOURS:

1st Place with an elapsed time of 38:14:20 : WILD THING 100, AUS1001, Grant Wharington

2nd Place with an elapsed time of 39:14:17 : WILD OATS X, AUS7001, Phil Harmer

3rd Place with an elapsed time of 45:42:53 : KOA, 52152, Andy Kearnan

IRC OVERALL:

1st Place on corrected time: 58:41:40 : MISTRAL, 1, Rupert Henry

2nd place on corrected time of 58:46:29 : TOUCHE42, 4037, Greg Watson

3rd Place on corrected time of 60:56:36 : SALTWATER WINE, N62, Thomas Woods

PHS OVERALL:

1st Place on corrected time: 63:58:13: MISTRAL, 1, Rupert Henry

2nd Place on corrected time of 64:52:59: TOUCHE42, 4037, Greg Watson

3rd Place on corrected time of 66:37:14 : BALANCING ACT, PC27, Tony Craner

ORC OVERALL:

1st Place on corrected time of 65:09:09: TOUCHE42, 4037, Greg Watson

2nd Place on corrected time of 66:37:14 : BALANCING ACT, PC27, Tony Craner

3rd Place on corrected time of 67:56:36 : SALTWATER WINE, N62, Thomas Woods

OMR:

1st Place on corrected time of 40:10:33 : MIYU, B101, Drew Carruthers

2nd Place on corrected time of 53:45:46 : OCEANS TRIBUTE, 7669, Guy Chester

NAVIGATOR PRIZE:

4 mins, 14 seconds from Original Estimate : WILD OATS X, Phil Harmer

HARBOUR MASTER AWARD:

Craig Longmuir – Regional Harbour Master Mackay awarded the Harbour Master Award for 2026 to the crew of Marine Rescue Vessel 10 ; Mr Peter Mackedie Skipper, Crew Members Ian Slattery, Mark Senyard, Ross Schulte and Thomas Clancy. These amazing hero endured outrageous conditions assisting KERB and its crew to bring them to safety into Mackay Harbour.

Full Results here

For all the Race Updates visit www.goldcoastmackay.com/livetracker,
To rewatch the start, check out the Livestream Commentary broadcast on the SYC YouTube channel here.

FLAT ROCK YACHT RACE 2026

The 2026 Flat Rock Yacht Race delivered a fantastic day of offshore racing on the Gold Coast, with competitors taking on the course in excellent conditions and close competition throughout the fleet. Flat Rock is our first 26/27 season offshore special event. Full Results here. Special mention goes to:

PHS, IRC and ORCap :

1st: Chris Noyes ‘Aramex Shining Sea’

2nd: Greg Watson’s ‘’Touché42’

3rd: Tony Craner ‘Balancing Act’

Thanks to XXXX for your generous support of the event. Check out the Highlight Reel here:

NAVIGATION AND CRUISING EVENTS

Next Cruising Event

Next Navigation Event

RACING RESULTS 2025/26

SYC Special Events:

Club Division Results:

CLUB RACING

Latest Division Coverage:

ACADEMY NEWS

SAILOR OF THE WEEK:

Juniper Kind (Level 2)

This week’s Sailor of the Week is Juniper Kind. Juniper has shown fantastic progress throughout his Learn to Sail journey, confidently solo sailing since the end of Level 1.

His confidence and skills have continued to grow throughout the term, and it has been great to watch his progression on the water. We’re excited to see Juniper back for Level 3 and watch him take the next step in his sailing journey.

Well done, Juniper!

SAILING AT OXENFORD

– by Ashlea Kernahan

We’ve reached Week 5 of Term 3, and our sailors have been doing incredibly well. It’s been fantastic to see their confidence continue to build each week as they develop their skills and become more independent on the water.

Next Sunday, August 23rd, our Level 2, Level 3 and Teens sailors will be heading to Hollywell Sailing Squadron for a pathway experience. Sailors and their families will have the opportunity to walk through the facility, see what the next stage of sailing at Southport Yacht Club looks like, and learn more about the opportunities available beyond their current programs.

We’re also getting ready for our End of Term Celebration, where all of our sailors will come together to celebrate another fantastic term of sailing. It’s always one of our favourite sessions and a great opportunity to recognise just how far everyone has come.

With spring approaching, School Holiday Sailing is also just around the corner! Daily sessions will run from September 21st to October 2nd, with plenty of opportunities for both new and returning sailors to spend their holidays out on the water.

Adult Learn to Sail – August
Oxenford Watersports Centre
Sundays – August 2^nd, 9^th, 16^th
https://www.oxenfordwatersportscentre.com.au/events/345201

Homeschool Sailing – Term 3
Oxenford Watersports Centre
Thursdays 12pm-2pm– Start July 16^th (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 18^th (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 18^th (7 Week Program)
https://southportyachtclub.com.au/teens-learn-to-sail/