News
General Manager - Queensland Update October 2026
Published Wed 07 Oct 2026
The latest updates from Australian Sailing's General Manager – Queensland – Annie Watson
Please click this link to find a copy of all past Queensland General Managers Updates
We’ve barely finished celebrating our Queensland Sailing Award, and now we have 10 Queensland finalists named in the Australian Sailing National Sailing Awards!
Ten Queensland finalists! That is a fantastic result and something the whole Queensland sailing community can be proud of.
It is wonderful to see the people who contribute so much to our sport being recognised on the national stage. A huge congratulations to all 10 finalists. We’ll be cheering you on at the National Sailing Awards!Click here for the full list of finalists
If you weren’t at Zhik Youth Sail Queensland (YSQ) this year, you missed a brilliant event.A huge thank you to Keppel Bay Sailing Club, the Causeway Lake team, our coaches, officials, volunteers and parents for everything you put into making the week happen.
The week started off in true Yeppoon style with 8 knots and bright sunshine, but when the rain, the swell and the heavy breezes came in, it didn’t dampen the mood, there was a real buzz around the place. And despite the conditions, we still managed to get plenty of learning and racing in.It was fantastic to see sailors from Darling Downs Sailing Club attending YSQ for the first time, bringing another part of Queensland into the event.
Coaches had professional development opportunities, including learning how to create and deliver drills using the Golden Rules of Sailing. Parents had the opportunity to learn more about protests and the racing process, while club officials could take part in revSPORT training.
Our race management team brought together officials from Brisbane, Townsville and Melbourne, sharing knowledge and experience. The Australian Sailing Board joined us for a couple of days too, meeting sailors, coaches, volunteers, parents and club representatives from across the state and seeing firsthand the people and clubs driving our sport forward.
For our Green Fleet sailors, YSQ is a particularly important experience. Building confidence, making friends, learning how a major regatta works and beginning to see where sailing might take them next.
This is what makes Zhik Youth Sail Queensland such a great event for Queensland. Everyone who comes to YSQ can take something away. A new skill, a new connection, a new idea or simply a new reason to love sailing.
255 boats and boards. 263 young sailors. 35 coaches. Youth Sailing is alive and well in Queensland!
We’ll be back for another Zhik Youth Sail Queensland from 20th to 25th September 2027. We’d love to see even more Queensland clubs represented next year!
There’s no slowing down in Queensland, with the Australian Yachting Championships about to get underway at Southport Yacht Club as part of The Yacht Sales Co Sail Paradise 2026 from 2nd to 5th October.
This will be a fantastic showcase of high-level keelboat racing, bringing together sailors and crews from across the country to compete on the Gold Coast.
Sail Paradise is much more than a regatta, with great racing, a vibrant shoreside atmosphere and plenty for crews and families to enjoy off the water.https://sailparadise.com.au/
And if you can’t make it to the Gold Coast, you can still follow the racing and check out the results online.
Good luck to all our Queensland sailors and clubs competing. We’ll be keeping an eye on the results!
Before We Get to Christmas…
With Christmas not too far away, now is a good time for clubs to look ahead and make the most of the next few months. It doesn’t have to mean taking on more work — it can be a good opportunity to look at how we share the load and make some of the jobs around the club easier.
Many of our clubs rely on a small group of people who have been doing the same jobs for years. These people are incredibly valuable to our sport, but they shouldn’t have to carry everything themselves.
As you plan for the remainder of the season, think about one or two roles you could start sharing with someone new. It might be race administration, event coordination, social media, membership, equipment, safety or simply helping organise volunteers on the day.
You don’t need to hand a whole role over at once. Start by bringing someone alongside an experienced volunteer, let them learn the ropes and gradually give them more responsibility.
It’sa great way to recognise the people who have given so much to your club, while also building the next group of volunteers who will keep your club moving forward.
Have an event coming up?
If you are planning an event and aren’t sure where to startor just want to take the event to the next level, talk to the Queensland team. We can help you work through what you need and connect you with the resources available.
A few things to think about
-
What is one thing we could do before Christmas to make it easier for someone new to get involved?
There is plenty of support available, so please don’t feel you need to work it all out on your own. Every club is different, and the more we understand your goals and aspirations, the better we can connect you with the right advice, resources and opportunities.
If you haven’t reached out recently, now is a great time to start a conversation or book a visit. We’re here to work alongside you.
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.
