YACHTING NEWS

RULES NIGHT 2025

Date: From 6pm, Monday 17th March (St Patrick’s Day), in the Compass Room, SYC Main Beach

Come along and learn the new sailing rules for 2025 from Mark Gallagher, as well as a refresher on the SYC Handicapping from Russell Birse.

No RSVP required, please just turn up on Monday!

SYC MEMBERS TAKE ON THE 18″ SKIFF CHAMPIONSHIP ON SYDNEY HARBOUR!

This weekend sees the commencement of J J Giltinan 18 Skiff Skiff Championships on Sydney Harbour which are widely acknowledged as the Formula One on Water World Championships.

Club Members Joel Turner and Michael Spies have both joined the Shaw and Partners 18:Foot Skiff Team.Skippered by leading female sailor Emma Rankin,Joel has assumed the Sheethand role and Spies will be Shore Manager.Ironically this is the 30th anniversary of his last of his two victories in this prestigious International championship when he skippered Winfield Racing .

Turner recently was part of the Finport team that finished 2nd in the recent 18 Ft Skiff Australian Championships.This solid form transferred to last weekends debut in Shaw and Partners with a 4th place.With added support from Maritimo the new team along with skilful forward hand Brando Buyink instantly gelled into team and are looking forward to some solid results against the competitive International,Interstate and Local competitors.

Members can support their fellow SYC members and follow the action live by watching the superb coverage on 18 Footers TV on YouTube .The action starts with this Friday’s Invitation race followed by the championships races on Saturday,Sunday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday and the final races the following Saturday and Sunday.Any Members who happen to be in Sydney during the Championships may wish to watch the action on the spectator ferry hosted by the Australian 18’ Sailing League.Get you tickets early for this great day out on the harbour.

Both Joel and Michael are looking forward to passing their recent experiences with our Junior Sailing members at Hollywell upon their return.

UPCOMING SYC SPECIAL EVENTS

TWO-HANDED RACE

New Date: Saturday 29th March 2025

The fastest growing racing division is on again in March! Sponsored by Evolution Sails.

Find out more and enter on the event page here.

DINGHY TROPHY MARATHON RACE

Date: NEW DATE TO BE ADVISED

The final OTBD special event! Sponsored by CNM Fire.

Find out more and enter on the event page here.

LADIES DAY RACE

Date: Saturday 26th April 2025

The final special event of the Sailing Calendar is our Ladies Day race! Sponsored by Aviso Broking.

Find out more and enter on the event page here.

GOLD COAST MACKAY YACHT RACE 2025

Date: Friday 1st August 2025

With 6 months to go, we’re officially opening entries to the sequel race that kicked off in spectacular style in 2024. Check out the brand new highlight reel that has just dropped on our Youtube, just click this picture:

ENTRIES NOW OPEN!

Find out more and enter on the event page here.

SYC ACADEMY

Sailing at Oxenford
By Ashlea Kernahan

This week marked our fifth session of Term 1 at Oxenford, and we were excited to see sunny weather, though the high winds made for an big day on the water! Our sailors took full advantage of the conditions, getting plenty of practice in.

With the gusty winds, our sailors had the opportunity to work on their tacking and capsizing drills. It was a fantastic chance for them to hone their skills in challenging conditions, and everyone handled the wind with confidence and determination. We’re excited to see even more progress in the coming sessions!

Sea Survival Safety Course – Completed This Week
The Sea Survival Safety Course was successfully completed on Thursday and Friday!
The course is designed to help offshore skippers and crews develop awareness of their responsibilities, offering practical strategies for coping with emergencies at sea. It also familiarizes sailors with safety and emergency equipment – its purpose, deployment, and use. This course is ideal for cruisers or anyone wanting to learn more about safety on the water.

On Thursday, 10 sailors joined us at Oxenford for a flare demonstration, learning how to use them safely and effectively. On Friday, participants headed to the Pimpama Aquatic Centre, where they had the chance to deploy life rafts, gaining valuable hands-on experience. We loved providing this essential training.

Adult Learn to Sail Course
This Sunday, our Adult Learn to Sail course kicked off with a fantastic first session, with over 20 participants hitting the water! Despite the high winds, our adults were determined and handled the conditions like pros. They absolutely killed it, showing great enthusiasm and skill.

We’re excited to see their progress over the next two sessions and look forward to helping them develop their sailing abilities. It’s going to be an exciting journey for all of them, and we can’t wait to see how they continue to improve!

Sailor of the Week – Seaforth Maskalans
This week, we’re excited to celebrate Seaforth Maskalans as our Sailor of the Week!
Seaforth first joined us at our Summer on the Lake 2025 event and immediately fell in love with sailing at the Academy. Since then, he has continued to shine, joining our Teens Learn to Sail course and absolutely killing it on the water.His dedication, enthusiasm, and rapid progress have truly impressed the team. We can’t wait to see Seaforth continue to develop his skills and grow as a sailor. Keep up the great work, Seaforth!

This Week in Yachting – 13th March 2025

YACHTING NEWS

UPCOMING SYC SPECIAL EVENTS

SYC ACADEMY

RACING RESULTS 2024/2025

SYC Special Events:

Club Division Results:

Cancel reply