Welcome to the June update from the NSW & ACT Club Support Team. A couple of weeks ago we held the NSW Sailing Summit at Cruising Yacht Club of Australia. We had an excellent representation of clubs and class associations at this event - thank you to everyone who attended and contributed. The day featured a range of valuable discussions and presentations covering participation strategies, bringing sailing into classrooms through SailLAB, a Q&A with club leaders, child safeguarding, and the latest updates from Australian Sailing. You can view the highlights here. If you missed the Summit, the presentations are online here.  

Just last week, we held a SheSails Mentoring and Pathways Evening at Middle Harbour Yacht Club. The event created a powerful space for women across the sailing community to connect, share experiences, explore pathways into participation, and encourage more women to step into leadership roles within our sport. With over one hundred attendees and tickets selling out, it was a fantastic success. Thank you to our speakers for their insight, Middle Harbor Yacht Club for hosting, and SheSails Ambassador Nic Douglass for expertly leading the conversations. You can find photos and a report from the evening on our SheSails Facebook page.  

Also in this update: 

• Regional Advisory Committee nominations are open 

• Training in Focus LIVE – reminder to register for Instructors & DSC Principals 

• ACT Sailing Summit 

• Child Safeguarding in Sailing webinars 

• Zhik Youth Sail – save the dates and a new event! 

• Support for a member of the sailing community 

• Upcoming events 

Regional Advisory Committees – Call for Nominations  

Australian Sailing is calling for nominations for representatives of clubs to join the NSW or ACT Regional Advisory Committees. The Regional Advisory Committees represent the views of member clubs in their region, and advocate and promote sailing and Australian Sailing.  

A call for nominations for Representatives is now open with three (3) positions vacant on each committee (NSW & ACT). Each Member Club may nominate one (1) person, who is a financial member of the Member Club. Nominations close on 15th June.  

• NSW RAC – more information & nomination 

• ACT RAC – more information & nomination 

ACTION ITEM FOR CLUBS: Consider nominating a member of your club to join a Regional Advisory Committee.    

Training in Focus LIVE – last chance to register! 

Sunday 14 June 2026 – Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club   Training in Focus Live is Australian Sailing’s professional development event for Instructors and those who lead Discover Sailing Centres. Training in Focus LIVE offers a valuable chance for Instructors to network, deepen their skills and stay aligned with best practice for delivering Discover Sailing courses.

TIFL is a mix of seminars and practical sessions (on shore and on water), led by our team of training experts. Attendees will learn innovative ideas, practical techniques, and program insights to implement at their own club or Discover Sailing Centre to improve participation.   

TIFL is free for accredited Instructors & Discover Sailing Centre Principals and administrators. 

Register here.   

ACT Sailing Summit – coming up soon  

After a successful Sailing Summit in NSW a couple of weeks ago, we are looking forward to our next Sailing Summit at YMCA of Canberra Sailing Club on Saturday 27 June 2026. This will be another opportunity for ACT and southern NSW clubs to get together to share ideas and hear from Australian Sailing about the new Participation Plan for Sailing, the SailLAB STEM program, and other updates. 

Register here.   

Child Safeguarding in Sailing – Webinars for Clubs & DSC’s  

Child safeguarding is a critical responsibility for everyone involved in sailing. Committees, staff, instructors, and volunteers must understand their role in protecting the well-being of young participants and embedding strong safeguarding practices. Australian Sailing has upcoming webinars to support clubs with understanding what they need to know about Child Safeguarding – removing confusion around requirements, and practical approaches to implement risk management strategies. To make participation as accessible as possible, we are offering two online seminar format options.  

1. Weeknight series for volunteers on Wed 3 & Wed 10 June (2-part series). Register here. 

1. Business hours for club & centre staff on Thu 18 June (single session). Register here. 

We strongly encourage every club and centre that interacts with young people under 18 years of age to nominate relevant committee members, instructors, volunteers and staff to attend at least one of these webinar options.    

Zhik Youth Sail 2026 – save the dates and a new ACT event!

Zhik Youth Sail, Australia’s premier youth sailing event, brings together junior and youth sailors from all states and territories for a week of coaching, racing and FUN! We are pleased to share that we will have two events in the NSW & ACT region in 2026.   

Zhik Youth Sail NSW will return to Toronto Amateur Sailing Club in the September & October school holidays. Start rounding up your sailors and book your accommodation early! The Notice of Race and entry will be available in early July.  

• Coaching Clinic: Wed 30 Sept to Fri 2 Oct 

• Youth Championship: Sat 3 to Mon 5 Oct 

• Green Fleet Program: Sat 3 to Mon 5 Oct 

 We are also excited to announce the inaugural Zhik Youth Sail ACT event. This regatta will be held between Canberra Yacht Club and YMCA of Canberra Sailing Club from Friday 9 to Sunday 11 October. Each day will include a coaching session followed by Youth Championship racing.   

ACTION ITEM FOR CLUBS: Share the Zhik Youth Sail event dates with your youth sailing community!  

Support for Peter Connor’s Family following Sailing incident  

In April, we lost a member of the sailing community in a tragic incident at Port Hacking Open Sailing Club. Peter Connor, a highly respected club member and volunteer, suffered a medical episode whilst sailing his Heron dinghy during a club race. Despite the best efforts of club rescue boat volunteers and emergency services, Peter sadly passed away. Port Hacking Open Sailing Club has set up a GoFundMe campaign, to support the family of Peter Connor, and are asking the sailing community to consider donating. Any contribution will go a long way during this difficult time for the family. 

Click here to donate.   

Events Calendar  

View all events on the NSW & ACT Sailing Event Calendar.   

• 57th ‘Keepit Kool’ Regatta / Sat 6 to Mon 8 Jun / Lake Keepit SC 

• East Coast Championships / Sat 6 to Mon 8 Jun / Woollahra SC 

• Captain John Piper Regatta (Match Racing) / Sat 11 to Sun 12 July / CYCA 

ACTION ITEM FOR CLUBS: Add your events to the calendar! Contact nsw@sailing.org.au for information on how to add your events to the calendar.  

Discover Sailing Month

Discover Sailing Month returns this November, and clubs and Discover Sailing Centres are encouraged to start planning their Discover Sailing Days and participation activities now. It’s a great opportunity to showcase your club, welcome new participants and give people a taste of sailing through come-and-try experiences and open days.

To support you, Australian Sailing will soon release a brand-new suite of marketing assets available on Canva including social media tiles, posters and flyers, along with dedicated resources for clubs running SheSails and Sail Our Way events. We’ll also be promoting Discover Sailing Days nationally through our website and social channels, with a focus on events listed in revSPORT to help drive participation to your club.

Keep an eye out for further information on promotional resources and campaign updates, which will be shared in the coming week.

You can find a fill list of Australian Sailing Contacts – here.