LATEST NEWS
GCCM GOLD COAST MACKAY YACHT RACE
ENTRIES CLOSE THIS FRIDAY!!
Whilst the race has attracted 34 entries, we’ve had a few recent drops so the start line is looking strong in the mid 20’s. Southport Yacht Clubs’ flagship ocean race; the 520nm GCCM Gold Coast Mackay Yacht Race is coming up fast into its 3rd year, with a start on Thursday 30th July and Welcome party on Tuesday 28th July. This week we welcome SYC’s own Vice Commodore of Sail Wayne Kirby’s Alpha Tauri to the fleet!
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:
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:
1st: Chris Noyes ‘Aramex Shining Sea’
2nd: Greg Watson’s ‘’Touché42’
3rd: Tony Craner ‘Balancing Act’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.
Offshore, we have our signature 3rd GCCM Gold Coast Mackay Yacht Race fast approaching in late July, following the Noakes Sydney Gold Coast race. Inshore, the annual TK Robertson for OTB dinghies is also coming up on June 28th.
Entries for MACKAY close this Friday!
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!
RACING RESULTS 2025/26
CLUB RACING
Latest Division Coverage:
ACADEMY NEWS
SAILOR OF THE WEEK:
Madeline Desmarchelier (Tackers 2)
This week we’re celebrating Madeline Desmarchelier from our Tackers 2 group.
Madeline has shown fantastic progress throughout the term, developing strong confidence and independence on the water. Her solo sailing skills have continued to improve each week, and she has consistently demonstrated a positive attitude and willingness to challenge herself.
We’re excited to see Madeline continue her sailing journey as she moves into our Tackers Fleet program next term. Her dedication and enthusiasm for sailing have been wonderful to watch, and we can’t wait to see what she achieves next.
Well done, Madeline!
SAILING AT OXENFORD
– by Ashlea Kernahan
We’re now into the second and final week of our Winter School Holiday Sailing Program, and it has been another fantastic holiday period on the water. So far, we’ve welcomed over 210 young sailors to Oxenford Watersports Centre, with participants enjoying everything from their first taste of sailing to building on the skills they’ve developed in previous programs.
It has been wonderful to see so many new and familiar faces enjoying their time on the lake, making new friends, and growing in confidence each day. Our instructors have loved watching the sailors challenge themselves while having plenty of fun on the water.
As the school holidays come to a close, we’re excited to shift our focus to Term 3, with our Kids and Teens Learn to Sail programs kicking off next weekend. We’re looking forward to welcoming all of our returning sailors, along with those joining us for the very first time.
Our July Adult Learn to Sail participants also hit the water for their first session last Sunday. The group enjoyed a fantastic introduction to sailing, and it was great to see everyone quickly building confidence and picking up the fundamentals. We’re excited to continue their sailing journey over the coming weeks.
Adult Learn to Sail – August
Oxenford Watersports Centre
Sundays – August 2nd, 9th, 16th
https://www.oxenfordwatersportscentre.com.au/events/345201
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/
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 later this month!
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!