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 June update, from the Western Australian office. 

The end of the summer sailing season and onset of winter has not dampened or slowed the enthusiasm and output of the WA office. 

Since the April update we have all enjoyed travelling the state, visiting a range of Clubs and conducting two of our Sailing Summits. Just prior to Easter, Jade and Tait travelled to Geraldton Yacht Club and met with the Commodore, Committee and office administrators. Jade also provided valuable on the ground support during the Flying Fifteen States, in a voluntary capacity. Jade backed up her trip north, with travel to Princess Royal Sailing Club the following weekend, to support the Great Southern Regatta and Clinic.  

At the beginning of May, just prior to his appointment as the Acting CEO of Australian Sailing, we welcomed Ben Callard to the WA office for the Yacht Club Managers Group Forum. Ben and Kate were grateful for the opportunity to attend some of the Forum, sharing information on youth participation, a first look at the Gemba 2.0 report and an update on Australian Sailing from the past 12 months. We were grateful for Ben’s support and attendance at a number of other valuable meetings during his three day visit, including with the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries, SportWest and Yachting WA. 

The first of the WA Sailing Summit Roadshow series was delivered at Princess Royal Sailing Club in Albany on Sunday 18 May. Some excellent discussions were had, information shared from PRSC and Denmark Sailing Club and new networks and relationships formed. You can view the presentation from the Great Southern Sailing Summit HERE. 

A number of Instructor and Sailing Coach courses were also run, and will continue to run over winter. See more information on the courses scheduled below. The final few weeks of June are particularly busy, as we finalise the delivery of the DSC Activation Project. 

At the end of May, Discover Sailing Centre Principals and Sailing Administrators were welcomed to a morning in the WA office (or online). A range of valuable topics were discussed, and we look forward to facilitating further similar opportunities. The Shaping the Future Webinar Series also concluded, with presentations from True Sport. 

Tait escaped the cold weather, and headed to the Gascoyne Region, visiting and working with Carnarvon Yacht Club, the local DLGSC Office and Exmouth Yacht Club. Tait and Kate are excited to visit the region again at the end of August, for the final Sailing Summit. 

The team have just returned from a fantastic day at Koombana Bay Sailing Club in Bunbury, for the second instalment of the WA Sailing Summit Roadshow.  

In addition to the team’s travel, many of our dedicated and skilled Senior Instructor, Senior Coaches and Instructors have also been out and about, delivering training across WA. 

Without the energy, enthusiasm and expertise of our local team of Jade, Tait, Evie and Drina, supported by the wider Australian Sailing team and our group of Instructors and Coaches, this great work would not be possible. Thank you to everyone involved! 

See 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: 

• 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 

The Sailing Summit series has started strong, with our first two delivered in the Great Southern and South West regions. These opportunities have proven valuable for all parties, with new information exchanged, relationships strengthened, both between local Clubs and Australian Sailing and the Clubs, and some delicious home-made, country catering enjoyed by everyone. 

The Sailing Summits in 2025 are focussing on addressing some of the major challenges identified by the sailing community, participation, funding and volunteering. A variety of presenters, including Australian Sailing, Club representatives and government department representatives have been engaged, to share information and inspiring success stories to emulate. 

Our next Sailing Summit will be held at East Fremantle Yacht Club on Saturday 19 July, we encourage you to register now. The full agenda will be released soon, however we are excited to share that one of our presenters will be Scott Olney, Race Director for Geographe Bay Race Week. Scott’s presentation was a highlight of the South West Sailing Summit on the weekend. Scott generously shared the success of the popular and long-running GBRW in recent years, focussing on the promotion of the event and fundraising strategies. Clubs and Class Associations will benefit from a range of ideas Scott presents and this will prove to be an inspiring and interesting addition to the agenda.  

Our final Sailing Summit will be held on Saturday 30 August, at Exmouth Yacht Club.  

Please register now, to attend your preferred event, so that we can create the best possible Sailing Summit in your region. 

Instructor and Coach Courses  

The new Training Hub, providing easy access to learning materials, course administration, and instructor resources, and a modern Learning Management System, which simplifies online learning for Instructors, Coaches, and DSC Principals, and Officials has proved popular, as we deliver a range of courses in 2025. 

In June alone, we are delivering 10 Instructor and Sailing Coach courses, which are all nearly full and set to run. This is a huge effort by the team of Tait, Jade and Evie and we are very grateful for the support of our community, from the DSCs hosting courses, to the Senior Instructors running them and the participants supporting the courses by registering and attending.  

Find an upcoming course in 2025 via the course finder. If the course is full, please contact Jade and Tait to be added to a cancellation list. 

Department of Transport Update  

The Coastal Calendar for the 2025/26 season is currently in the process of being finalised, with all relevant Clubs contacted accordingly. 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. 

revSPORT Platform Training 

Session two of the revSPORT webinar series will be held on 25 June at 5:00PM AWST. This session is classed as ‘medium-advanced difficulty’, and will include information on website building, newsletters and tips and tricks for advanced use. Please register to attend here. 

WA Officials Workshop 

Australian Sailing invites accredited officials and those interested in officiating to attend the 2025 Officials Workshop. 

The 2025 Officials Workshop are a new initiative arising from Australian Sailing's Instructor, Coach and Official Development Strategy. 

These interactive workshops will bring together officials from all disciplines and are a great way to network with your peers, develop your officiating skills, and discuss best practices and recent developments. Ashley Ross, internationally recognised mentor and coach developer, will facilitate the session. Other local agenda items are to be confirmed and revealed soon. 

Here are the key details for the WA Officials Workshop: 

Date: Sunday 27 July 2025 

Time: 0900 to 1600 

Venue: Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club 

Cost: Free 

Please register here: 2025 Officials Workshop - WA - Australian Sailing 

This event is open to anyone supporting sailing events, including, but not limited to: 

• Race Officers 
• Start/finish boat personnel 
• Mark layers 
• Safety Boat operators/crew 
• Jury members 
• Protest Committee members 
• Umpires 
• Measurers 
• Equipment Auditors
• Administrators 

WA Sailing Awards 

Nominations opened last week for the 2025 WA Sailing Awards and National Awards. The WA Sailing Awards evening on 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. 

All winners for 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. 

Nominees will be judged for their achievements over the nomination performance period, which is 9 August 2024 to 3 August 2025 for both State and National Awards.  

Visit the Prepare your nomination page for all the information you will need to collate your nominations, including the criteria for each award category. 

Submit your nominations and view further information HERE. Nominations will close on Monday 4 August.