General Update 

The deregistration of Yachting Queensland Limited has now been finalised.  This means all clubs have been invited to continue affiliation directly with Australian Sailing. Please reach out to your Club Support Officer if you have not seen the email with the link.  From the 1st May we will be asking for nominations from clubs to form the first Regional Advisory Committee for Queensland.  

While we are on the theme of filling in forms, please take the time to complete the Club Survey which has been sent out to officials listed in your RevSport Portal.  We really appreciate your feedback, and it helps us be better at supporting you.  We only need one response from your club, so please table it at your next meeting or allocate one person to complete it for the club.  If you did not receive the email, please give Alison or Di a call and we will send it to you again. 

The team have been doing Discover Sailing Centre Reviews and visiting clubs over the past two months.  Alison and I had a fabulous visit to the Darling Downs Sailing Club where we were warmly welcomed.  We talked about governance, building participation and funding opportunities for new facilities.  I can’t wait to see how their plan comes together. 

Project Lead for SailLab Jessica Lundh joined Di and I in Townsville to visit some schools to introduce the new STEM program.  It was a very successful visit with all schools really interested in adding SailLab to their curriculum.  We will be attending the It takes a Spark STEM Conference in June, which will hopefully see more schools in Queensland coming on board.  If you have any connections through your members to teachers in your local community, please let us know so we can contact them. 

February saw Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron put on three Finn regatta’s back-to-back.  The National Championships, the Finn Gold and Siver Cup and the Masters World Championships.  A huge congratulations to RQ for such an incredible effort.  The only feedback we have received has been full of praise for not only the club but all the volunteers and the locals of Manly.  Congratulations to everyone involved. Chris Zonca, Mel Peasey, Alison and I managed to get out on the water for a day and were delighted to be involved. 

Congratulations to Lake Cootharaba Sailing Club for their 80th Anniversary.  It was wonderful to see so many past and present members as well as The Mayor and local MP attend this lovely evening celebration.  An incredible community that has a strong history but a vivid path towards the future.  Thank you for letting us know you. 

Oxley Sailing Club and South Brisbane Sailing Club have taken advantage of having an instructor development day at their club with a tailored uplift program for all instructors and Discover Sailing Principals.  We have had amazing feedback from both clubs.  If you haven’t seen the invitation from Di to take advantage of this opportunity, please reach out to her to lock in a date.  You can read more about it here: https://www.sailing.org.au/news/inside-the-instructor-upskill-program   

All the Queensland Team wish everyone a safe and happy Easter and to those travelling to regattas, stay safe on the roads and sail fast!  

Upcoming Events - Save the Date – Register Now  

What’s Happening - Sailing Summit 

Queensland Cruising Yacht Club – 30th May 2026 register here: https://www.sailing.org.au/events/336587  

Why is it important to attend?

The Sailing Summit is a great opportunity to get up to date information from Australian Sailing and other organisations. Having different clubs and classes in the room means you have more opportunities to hear about what other clubs are doing well and to share challenges. With the Participation Plan just being launched we need all our clubs to be interested in moving our sport forward.  If we do it together we will all reap the benefits. It’s time to get excited! 

What’s Happening – Training in Focus Live

Southport Yacht Club Oxenford – 6th June 2026 register here: https://www.sailingresources.org.au/training/traininginfocus-live/  

Why is it important to attend?

Every club wants to provide a fantastic experience for their participants in Learn to Sail courses.  The people who provide that feeling are the front line of your club.  This practical, in-person workshop provides an opportunity to share ideas and explore ways to strengthen training programs and participation at clubs and centres.  Why would you not send your instructor team? 

What’s happening - Game Plan  

The Australian Sports Commission self-assessment program for clubs is an essential part of the governance of your club.  Game Plan has been developed to enable clubs to make the lives of sporting club volunteers and leaders easier and ensure important club information is stored in one place, so that over time, as things change and progress, the club has a trusted record of information.  

Why It’s important to complete Game Plan 

Completing the modules honestly will help you examine how you operate and build and improve your capacity. While not compulsory it is becoming increasingly important that clubs build this Australian Sports Commission self-assessment for clubs and class associations into their annual review process.  Get started today:  https://www.ausport.gov.au/gameplan  

If you have any questions on the above topics, please contact the General Manager - QLD, Annie Watson at annie.watson@sailing.org.au . You can find a complete list of Australian Sailing Contacts – here.