LATEST NEWS
JUNIOR SAILOR SELECTED FOR OPEN SKIFF WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
Congratulations to Nathaniel McCarthy on qualifying for the Open Skiff World Championships in Calasetta, Sardinia, Italy this July!
Nate has had an incredible 2025/26 season, including becoming a three-time consecutive winner of the Maroochy Head of the River and being named a finalist for Australian Sailing Youth Sailor of the Year at just 14 years old.
On July 22, Nate will head to Italy to compete against 153 sailors from 11 nations on the world stage. We are incredibly proud of his achievements and wish him the very best of luck for the championship.
Good luck, Nate!
If you wish to support Nate on his journey: https://asf.org.au/campaigns/nathaniel-mccarthy/nate-s-2032-olympic-dream
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.
NEW RACE MAP WHITEBOARDS
Out with the old, in with the new. Larger, Shinier whiteboards have been installed at Hollywell! These now include a permanent map of the entire Broadwater and channel markers etched onto them, making for easier, faster and more accurate race briefings.
Fantastic conditions on Saturday were embraced with 10 starters and 9 finishers in our final 25/26 season special event. Results are now live and Race Presentation will be tonight (Thursday) after a rather soggy twilight race. Special mention goes to:
Steven Humphries ‘Stealth Mode’ Greg Watson’s ‘’Touché42’
Lea Foster ‘Circe’ Greg Watson’s ‘’Touché42’
Lee Randall ‘Black Diamond’
David Rose ‘Wedgetail’MARITIMO 6-DAY CRUISE
The Maritimo 6-Day Cruise has come to an end, and what a fantastic week it was on the water! From our opening BBQ at Paradise Point to a scenic run up the Coomera River for coffee at SYC Oxenford, the fleet made the most of every nautical mile. We wrapped things up with a BYO BBQ at Dux and a relaxed lunch at Tipplers—the perfect way to cap off the journey. A massive thank you to our sponsors for making the trip even more memorable:
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Maritimo
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Precision Marine Maintenance
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Spectrum Marine
SAIL OUR WAY – LADIES DAY!
ON THE HORIZON
COMING UP AT OTHER SEQ CLUBS…
SYC is proud to support Special Events from our fellow South East Queensland Clubs! Here’s what’s coming up:
WYNNUM MANLY YACHT CLUB
UPCOMING EVENTS
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:
CRAB ISLAND CLASSIC
SATURDAY 6th JUNE
Kicking off our first Inshore & OTB special event of the 2026/27 season is our annual Crab Island Classic on the Broadwater. Entries are now open here. Don’t miss it!
FLAT ROCK YACHT RACE
SATURDAY 6th JUNE
Kicking off our first special event of the 2026/27 season, our offshore fleet heads north instead of south on a 67 nautical mile journey to the northern tip of North Stradbroke Island. There lies Flat Rock, just off the coast of Point Lookout, and marks the half way turning point for this race. As Race 1 of our Coral Sea Pointscore Series. Entries are now open here. Don’t miss it!
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
Entries have grown to 30 so far, surpassing last year’s starting line fleet! Southport Yacht Clubs’ flagship ocean race; the 520nm GCCM Gold Coast Mackay Yacht Race is fast heading towards its 3rd year, with a start on Thursday 30th July and Welcome party on Tuesday 28th July. We also welcome the Reichel Pugh 66, Wild Oats X into the fleet, as well as the return of New Zealander Brian Petersen and his Alan Andrews TP52, V5. Who else will be racing back to back from Sydney, or taking advantage of the free berthing right through to Hamilton Island Race Week?
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:
ACADEMY NEWS
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 in July!
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!
School Holiday Sailing Now Open!
Looking for an exciting outdoor activity these winter school holidays? Our School Holiday Sailing Program is now open for bookings!
June 29th – July 10th
Monday to Friday
Half Day and Full Day options available
Whether your child is brand new to sailing or looking to build on existing skills, our holiday programs are packed with fun, adventure, and time on the water.
Register here:
https://fareharbor.com/embeds/book/southportyachtclub/items/575498/calendar/2026/06/?full-items=yes
SAILOR OF THE WEEK:
Bonnie Moot (Tackers 2)
This week’s Sailor of the Week is Bonnie Moot. Bonnie first joined us through a Future Stars Scholarship after participating in our School Sailing program and has made remarkable progress in a short period of time.
Bonnie quickly picked up Optimist sailing and progressed through our Tackers 1 program with confidence. She is now comfortably solo sailing in Tackers 2 and is well on her way to joining our Tackers Fleet (Level 3) program. Her enthusiasm, determination, and willingness to learn have been fantastic to watch, and we’re excited to see where her sailing journey takes her next.
Well done, Bonnie!
ON THE LAKE AT OXENFORD
– by Ashlea Kernahan
Week 5 was a fantastic session for our sailors, with perfect conditions and light winds across the lake. The calmer conditions allowed our sailors to really focus on refining the skills they have been developing throughout the term, and it was great to see their confidence continue to grow on the water.
This Sunday, our Tackers 2 and Tackers 3 sailors will be making their way to Hollywell Sailing Squadron to experience the next step in the Southport Yacht Club sailing pathway. The day will provide an insight into what sailing at Hollywell looks like, while also giving families the opportunity to enjoy the beautiful waterfront atmosphere and bistro.
Our June Adult Learn to Sail course kicks off this Sunday and is nearly at capacity, with just one spot remaining. We’re excited to welcome another group of sailors to the water and help them begin their sailing journey.
For those looking to learn to sail this winter, our July Adult Learn to Sail course remains on promotion for $395, reduced from the usual $440. There has never been a better time to get started.
Play On! Voucher Reminder
Don’t forget that $200 Play On! Vouchers are accepted at the Southport Yacht Club Academy and can be used towards eligible sailing programs.
Vouchers are valid until 19 June, so be sure to redeem yours before they expire.
Whether you’re looking at Kids Learn to Sail, Teens Learn to Sail, School Holiday Sailing, or Tackers programs, now is the perfect time to put your voucher to good use and get out on the water!
UPCOMING ACADEMY PROGRAM:
Adult Learn to Sail – June
Oxenford Watersports Centre
Sundays – June 7th, 14th & 21st
https://www.oxenfordwatersportscentre.com.au/events/345200
Adult Learn to Sail – July
Oxenford Watersports Centre
Sundays – July 5th, 12th, 19th
https://www.oxenfordwatersportscentre.com.au/events/354818
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 2
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/
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!
RACING RESULTS 2025/26
CLUB RACING
Latest Division Coverage: