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.

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:

NAVIGATION AND CRUISING EVENTS

Next Cruising Event

Next Navigation Event

SAILOR OF THE WEEK:

Zachary Spalding (Tackers 3)

This month we’re celebrating Zachary Spalding from our Tackers 3 group. Zachary has continued to show fantastic progression on the water, building confidence in his solo sailing and continuing to challenge himself each session.

His enthusiasm for sailing and positive attitude around the group make him a pleasure to have on the water, and we’re excited to continue watching his skills develop throughout the term. Keep up the great work, Zachary!

ON THE LAKE AT OXENFORD

– by Ashlea Kernahan

Week 3 was another fantastic session on the water despite a few patches of rain throughout the day. It’s been amazing to watch how much confidence our sailors are gaining each week, with many now feeling comfortable sailing solo and really starting to get the hang of things.

Our sailors have continued practising their launching and retrieving skills, along with working through capsize drills to build confidence and independence on the water. It’s great to see their resilience and willingness to take on new challenges each session.
Our May Adult Learn to Sail participants also experienced a wet and windy session last weekend, but they absolutely nailed it. The group has progressed incredibly well over the course, and they’re ready to wrap up their final session next week. We’ve been very impressed with how quickly they’ve adapted to the conditions and developed their sailing skills.

We’re also continuing our special sale for the June and July Adult Learn to Sail courses. For a limited time, courses are available for $395 instead of $440 — the perfect opportunity to jump onboard and give sailing a go this winter.

HOLLYWELL PATHWAY HIGHLIGHTS

Hollywell Pathway Highlights

It’s been fantastic to see our sailors continuing their journey beyond Oxenford and progressing through our Hollywell programs:

• Ollie Beck and Andy Liu have joined the ILCA Team
• Henry Campbell has stepped up from Optimist into the ILCA Team
• Gemma-Kate Hitchens and Orlando O’Sullivan have progressed from Teen Fleet into the ILCA Team

We’ve also seen some exciting personal milestones:

• The Harris Family, Ethan and Charlie Harris, launched their new 420 for their first day on the water
• Sean McEntee and Matilda Stubbings from our Teen Fleet have begun training in the Nacra 4.5

It’s incredible to see so many sailors taking the next steps in their sailing journey and embracing new challenges.

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!

CLUB RACING

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