The latest update from Australian Sailing's SA General Manager – Kylie Baker.

Read all previous General Manager updates here.

The 2026 South Australian Sailing Summit at Port Adelaide Sailing Club was a fantastic day of collaboration, learning and connection, bringing together 55 representatives from across the sailing community.

With representatives from 12 clubs, five class associations, Sailability and Australian Sailing, the Summit highlighted the strength of our shared commitment to growing and supporting sailing throughout South Australia. We were pleased to be joined by Australian Sailing President Shevaun Bruland and CEO Malcolm Page, who shared valuable insights into the future of our sport, including the development of Australian Sailing's Participation Plan and the opportunities it presents for clubs to grow and retain members presented by Ben Callard, Head of Community Support and Events.

Thank you to the Port Adelaide Sailing Club and Commodore Travis Robbins for their warm hospitality in hosting the event.

Thank you to everyone who attended and contributed to the discussions. It was wonderful to see such strong leadership represented, including Club Commodores, Vice and Rear Commodores, and Discover Sailing Centre Principals. Your enthusiasm, collaboration and willingness to share ideas continue to strengthen our sailing community as we work together to build a more connected, inclusive and sustainable future for sailing in South Australia.

Sailing Summit Presentations Available HERE

Regional Advisory Committee Update

I am pleased to announce the South Australian Regional Advisory Committee (RAC). RAC representatives engage with and provide feedback from member clubs, and advocate for and promote sailing and Australian Sailing. 

Peter Royle – Adelaide Sailing Club

Rob Human – Cruising Yacht Club of SA

Lisa Brock – Brighton & Seacliff Yacht Club

Brian Partridge – Goolwa Regatta Yacht Club

Anthony Wilson – Christies Sailing Club

Thank you to our committee members for their commitment to supporting clubs and Australian Sailing.

You can find out more about the Regional Advisory Committees and contact the representatives via the Member States page on our website. 

SA Sailing Awards

Thank you to everyone who has submitted a nomination in the 2026 Sailing Awards. We were delighted to receive a strong field of nominations again this year, highlighting the incredible work being undertaken throughout Sailing. The judging panel is currently reviewing submissions, and finalists will be announced soon.

Tickets are now on sale for the 2026 SA Sailing Awards Presentation, which will be held on Friday 18th of September 2026 at Adelaide Sailing Club. This is always an enjoyable evening where the sailing community comes together to celebrate the outstanding achievements and contributions of sailors, volunteers, officials, coaches, instructors and clubs.

Purchase tickets here: 2026 SA Sailing Awards Presentation

Zhik Youth Sail 2026 – Entries open!

Entries are now open for the Zhik Youth Sail SA 2026 Championship and Coaching Clinic.

ZHIK SA Youth Sail Champs and Clinic 

Venue – Brighton & Seacliff Yacht Club

26^th and 27^th September – Youth Championships

28^th and 29^th September – Youth Coaching Clinic 

We are also excited to have some of our Paris Olympic athlete Rhiannan Brown as guest speaker, who will share her experiences and journey from youth sailing to the highest levels of our sport.

Action item for Clubs: Share the event information with your members and encourage your junior and youth sailors to enter and participate.

Officials, Coach and Officials Development

Training in Focus LIVE Event – Sunday 23^rd August at Cruising Yacht Club of SA
Training in Focus Live is Australian Sailing’s professional development workshop series for Instructors, Discover Sailing Centre Principals, Training Coordinators and Centre Administrators.

These practical, in-person workshops provide an opportunity to connect with other instructors and centre leaders, share ideas and explore ways to strengthen training programs and participation at clubs and centres.

Information and Registration - https://www.sailingresources.org.au/training/traininginfocus-live/

Upcoming course and seminar opportunities

Your Australian Sailing Member Login gives you access to the Australian Sailing Learning Centre

AS Course in South Australia – New courses are being added 2026

We have dinghy, keelboat, windsurfing, powerboat instructor and sailing coach course, plus all our official course for race officer planned.

EOI open for Judge, Umpire and Measurer – Contact us to discuss getting qualified and how we are supporting SA Officials to attend courses - 

Australian Sailing Course Finder - Course Finder

Upcoming Courses and Seminars
Sailing Coach – 7^th and 8^th August – Cruising Yacht Club of SA
Keelboat Instructor – 15^th and 16^th August – Port Adelaide Sailing Club - FULL
Dinghy Instructor – 5^th and 6^th September – Brighton & Seacliff YC

Race Officer – Tues 15^th Sept, Tues 22^nd Sept and Thurs 24^th Sept
1800 to 2100 Three Sessions to attend at Adelaide Sailing Club

Women, Girls and Youth Officials Mentor Program 2026-2027

Australian Sailing has opened Expressions of Interest for the Women, Girls and Youth Officials' Mentor Program for the 2026–2027 season. The program is part of Australian Sailing's Instructor, Coach and Official Development Strategy which recognises that developing people is central to growing a strong officiating community. The program is open to female officials of any age, and officials of any gender who are 35 or under.

Expressions of Interest close on Sunday 24 August. Learn more and apply here

Update your Club Contacts with Australian Sailing

Many clubs have recently held their Annual General Meetings and may have welcomed new committee members, flag officers, directors and key volunteers into leadership positions. I encourage all clubs to review and update their club contact details in their revSPORT account settings to ensure your records remain accurate and up to date.

Maintaining current contact information is important to ensure that Australian Sailing communications, funding opportunities, training information, event updates and governance resources are reaching the appropriate people within your organisation.

Action for Clubs: Review your club's contacts in revSPORT. For guidance on updating your club contacts, please refer to the support article: Updating Club Contacts.

SA Sailing Event Calendar

The SA Events Calendar is a valuable planning tool for clubs, class associations and event organisers across the region. The calendar has been developed to help club officials identify potential clashes, coordinate major events and gain visibility of sailing activity happening throughout SA.

View the calendar: SA Sailing Events Calendar

Planning your season ahead.

PROPOSED CLUB PROTECTED DAYS Season 2026 / 2027
The datesprovideanopportunity for clubs to schedule club championshipsracing and class associations to navigate State Champions planning.

24/10/2026
7/11/2026
21/11/2026
12/12/2026
13/02/2027
27/02/2027
13/03/2027 – Metro Coastal Regatta – Clubs linking from Christies Sailing Club to Port Adelaide Sailing Club
20/03/2027
3/04/2027

Action item for Clubs: Review your upcoming events and ensure they have been added to the calendar. Email kylie.baker@sailing.org.auyou require access to the calendar.

Australian Sailing has so many resources for clubs. An easy way to search is the following links: -

Australian Sailing Website – Click Here
Australian Sailing National News – Click Here
Australian Sailing SA News – Click Here
Australian Sailing Team News – Click Here
Australian Sailing Resource News – Click here
Australian Sailing Career Opportunities – Click here

If your Club is looking for guidance – whether in planning, participation growth, training delivery, governance, or event support – please reach out to our team. We are here to assist and are always happy to discuss how we can best support your Club.

General Manager SA Kylie Baker

Email: kylie.baker@sailing.org.au

Phone: 0425 511 177