News

General Manager - Western Australia Update August 2025

Published Sun 03 Aug 2025

The latest updates from Australian Sailing's General Manager - Western Australia - Kate Wearn

Please click this link to find all past WA General Manager's Updates. 


 

General Update

Welcome to the August update, from the Western Australian office. 

The momentum and enthusiasm continues to be strong within the WA office, despite the cold temperatures and slowing down of usual sailing activities. 

June was a big month in the office, as we delivered 16 courses in WA - 13 Instructor courses, plus three Powerboat courses.  This resulted in 55 new Instructors being accredited and 22 people attending a Powerboat courses. This flurry of activity was to conclude the DSC Next Level Activation Project, funded by the WA Government.  

We also farewelled Evie Rose and Drina Bucktin from their Project roles and thank them both hugely for the significant contributions they both made to the success of the project, and overall culture of our office. Both Evie and Drina have successful futures ahead of them, in whichever path they choose to take (although we can verify sports administration is a great profession!), and they will remain friends of the Australian Sailing WA office. 

July was also a great month, as we welcomed colleagues from across the country, at different times. The Perth metro Sailing Summit was held in July, along with the WA Officials Workshop.  

Currently the team are finalising the reporting and acquittals for our funding, maintaining the positive relationships we enjoy with the newly renamed Department of Creative Industries, Tourism and Sport (CITS), scheduling a range of Officials Courses and well into preparations for WA Zhik Youth Sail and the WA Sailing Awards. 

A huge thanks to Club Support Officers Jade Lane and Tait Kunzli for consistently going above and beyond, working hard for the WA sailing community. We are looking forward to getting back on the road to most of our Clubs over the remainder of the year, for Discover Sailing Centre reviews, Opening Days and visits.  

View the highlights from all of these great initiatives and activities, and stay up to date with the latest news and opportunities from Australian Sailing, via our social media platforms: 

Facebook 

Instagram 

Read on to hear about what the next couple of months will entail, and how you can be involved in Australian Sailing activities and events in WA. 

 

Sailing Summit Roadshow

Three of the four WA Sailing Summit roadshows have now been delivered, with great success in the Great Southern, South West and most recently Perth metro area. Thank you to our attendees and presenters, for their fantastic contributions.  You can catch up with the presentations HERE. We would be grateful for any feedback from attendees, please complete the survey HERE

The final WA Sailing Summit will be held at Exmouth Yacht Club on Saturday 30 August, when Kate and Tait will travel to the region for some warmth and Club visits as well. If you will be attending, we look forward to seeing you there, please register HERE.  

 

Instructor and Coach Courses

Following a busy start to the year, with a number of funded courses completed, the remainder of 2025 offers a smaller selection of Instructor and Coach courses. 

Find our next course opportunity via the course finder. If the course is full, please contact Jade or Tait to be added to a cancellation list. 

 

Officials Courses

The WA Officials Workshop was delivered in the final weekend of July, assisting our experienced Officials to develop their mentoring skills, in order to support the next generation of Officials.

We are pleased to share the following accreditation opportunities, for the remainder of 2025: 

Club, State and National Umpire Courses – 8 and 9 September – Fremantle Sailing Club 

National Equipment Auditor Seminar – 13 September - Fremantle Sailing Club 

Regional and National Race Officer Seminar – 20 and 21 Sept – TBC 

Share your expression of interest in attaining or upgrading your Measurer of Judge qualification: 

EOI For Measurer Course 

EOI for Judge Courses 

Learn more on accreditation at the Officials Hub. 

These seminars and courses have been designed to link directly to practical assessment opportunities. 

 

The Western Australia Sailing Awards

Nominations have now closed for the 2025 Western Australia Sailing Awards and National Awards.  

The Western Australia Sailing Awards evening on Thursday 2 October at Nedlands Yacht Club will recognise Clubs and members in WA for their outstanding achievements and contributions to the sailing community over the past year. 

Registration are now open for this free event, please click HERE to RSVP your attendance.  

All winners of the WA Awards will be nominated for the National Australian Sailing Awards, with national winners to be announced at the Australian Sailing Awards and Hall of Fame Inductions Dinner in Sydney on Friday 14 November. 

Keep an eye on our Facebook page, as the WA finalists are revealed from early September, in the lead-up to the WA Sailing Awards evening. 

 

Department of Transport Update

The Coastal Calendar for the 2025/26 season is currently awaiting approval. All relevant Clubs will be notified, once approved. Information is available on the webpage here.  

In addition, the Department of Transport exemptions for the next two years have been submitted. The current exemptions can also be viewed via the Coastal Calendar or Swan River Sailing information pages, and are applicable to all participating in event, recognised by the Calendars. 

We thank Clubs for their ongoing cooperation, to ensure the timely and accurate sharing of information, which facilitates our ongoing relationship with the Department of Transport and ensures the safety of all activities on the water. 

The DoT have shared a feedback form, which can be completed to report incidents and issues on the water. Any near misses, safety concerns, complaints about other water users, etc. can be reported, which will allow the Department to address any concerns or ongoing issues. Please view and complete the form HERE. 

Incidents that are contravening a law should be reported via the following:  Report a boating or marine incident | Department of Transport

Sinking or grounded vessels can be reported via the Deckee App, or to Navigational.Safety@transport.wa.gov.au, provided it is not an emergency situation. For emergencies please direct reports to Western Australian Water Police - 08 9480 9924. 

 

Yachting WA Update

Please click here to find the Notice of Annual General Meeting of the 74th Annual General Meeting of Yachting WA to be held on Tuesday 19 August, together with its attachments.  

The meeting will be held at the Australian Sailing WA Office, in the grounds of Royal Perth Yacht Club, commencing at 1800. Attendance via Microsoft Teams is also possible, for those who cannot attend in person. 

Yachting WA looks forward to seeing not only representatives of Member Clubs, but also Class Associations and casual observers who have an interest in our activities. Please remember that all affiliated organisations possess a vote and an opportunity to nominate a proxy is available. 

Please register your attendance here.  

We are grateful for the support of the WA Government in delivering events and initiatives. The State government is a major supporter of Australian Sailing in Western Australia. Sport and recreation builds stronger, healthier, happier and safer communities. 

 

Keep in touch

All members of our team are available to answer your queries by phone, face-to-face or to meet via Microsoft Teams online.

Kate Wearn
General Manager
Direct: 0411 592 257
EMAIL
Jade Lane
Club Support Officer
Direct: (02) 9170 6902
EMAIL
Tait Kunzli
Club Support Officer 
Direct Phone: (02) 9170 6953 
EMAIL

 

You can find a full list of Australian Sailing Contacts - here

 

Any questions on the above topics please contact the General Manager - WA, Kate Wearn at kate.wearn@sailing.org.au

We look forward to seeing you on the water, or at your Club soon! 


Gallery