The latest update from Australian Sailing's General Manager - Queensland - Annie Watson

Please click this link to find all past Queensland General Manager Updates.

General Update

We’ve had a bit of time away from the office during this period while we had some building maintenance done. We now have new guttering and drainage, re-bedded pavers around the building and a completely refurbed deck. This has meant that we have been making the opportunity to get out and about seeing the Queensland clubs.   

Ben Alison and I were invited to the welcome event for the Gold Coast to Mackay Yacht Race at Southport Yacht Club last week. It was lovely to see the commitment to this race by not only the skippers, but the Gold Coast City Council and the Mackay City Council with both Mayors in attendance. They have big goals for this event, so if you are thinking of heading to either Airlie Beach Race Week and/or Hamilton Island Race Week, this is a great race to get you North.   

The newest regatta in North Queensland “North Sail” held by Townsville Sailing Club held the Open Skiff State Championships and the Coaching Clinic was headed up by QAS Assistant Coach Mitch Pearson. In only its second year, the event doubled their numbers from last year and we are still very committed to help build the opportunities for junior and youth sailors in North Queensland.   

For any of your members who have started down the officials pathway but may not have got qualified, we may be able to help get you to the right events or get you assessed so that you can apply for the accreditation thanks to some Queensland Government funding. Please reach out to Alison Turner alison.turner@sailing.org.au if you are interested.  

The Yachting Queensland Limited Liquidation is still underway with nothing to report at this time.  

If any of your members are looking to become an instructor, Coach or Official, they can register their interest here:   https://www.sailing.org.au/events/271291  By registering, this helps us target the right areas in Queensland to hold courses.  

Zhik Youth Sail Queensland 2025

Youth Sail registrations are open, and we have already had over 130 boats register!  We have thirty coaches wanting to be part of this fabulous event. Please remind your youth sailors to get their entries in. The Coaching Clinic closes earlier than last year, so don’t miss out. If they haven’t already heard about this amazing event, this is one regatta not to be missed. More information here: https://www.sailingyouth.org.au/youth-sail-qld/  

Sailing Summits

Thank you to all those who attended one of the Sailing Summit roadshows this year. The last two were held at Cleveland Yacht Club and Whitsunday Sailing Club and a huge thank you to both clubs for their warm hospitality. The 2025 QLD Sailing Summit Roadshows saw strong engagement, with sixty-three participants from 30 clubs attending. The time spent with our regional clubs was very beneficial and the feedback was very positive, with attendees valuing the interactive, workshop-style format, networking opportunity, and post-summit club visits.

If you didn’t manage to attend you can find all the presentations here: https://www.sailing.org.au/community/sailingsummit  

Officials Workshop

The Officials workshop held in June was a great opportunity for our officials to learn more about coaching and mentoring. Presenter Ashley Ross led 25 officials from all disciplines and many different clubs through reflection: “You don’t learn from experience you learn from reflecting on your experience”. It was great to see so many people passionate about and dedicated to making our sport stronger. The willingness by everyone to contribute openly to the various discussions really made the day.

Queensland Sailing Awards

By the time you read this, nominations will be closed. Thank you to all clubs, classes and individuals who took the time to recognize someone in our community. It’s now up to our judges to go through the process and vote on each nomination. Finalists will be announced soon, and I hope you will join us at the Queensland Sailing Awards evening at the Colmslie Hotel in Morningside on Friday 12^th September.

You can purchase your ticket here: https://www.sailing.org.au/events/300193  

Keep in Touch

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.