Ballarat Yacht Club, located in the heart of town on beautiful Lake Wendouree, is one of the few Discover Sailing Centres in regional Victoria, having proudly held that status for many years. Like many regional clubs, it has recently faced challenges in getting participation programs up and running, whether that be sourcing instructors or simply taking the first step to restart activity. With the right support in place, the club took a leap of faith, and it has paid off. 

Ballarat Yacht Club is now seeing strong participation and renewed momentum thanks to support from a Victorian Government Strengthening Regional Community Grant, which has enabled the club to deliver new and accessible sailing programs for the local community.  

Last week, the club successfully ran a Tackers program made possible through this support, introducing young sailors to the sport in a safe, fun and supportive environment. The program was fully booked, with strong demand and positive feedback from participants and families, highlighting the appetite for grassroots sailing opportunities when they are well promoted and accessible. 

Beyond the immediate success of the program, Ballarat Yacht Club has already seen strong member retention and increased engagement, reinforcing the long-term value of investing in participation initiatives. With the right support, promotion and community outreach, programs like Tackers are proving to be a powerful way to grow clubs and get more people out on the water. 

Ballarat Yacht Club hopes its experience encourages other clubs to give it a go. With good advertising and the confidence to start, sailing can thrive again in communities across Victoria. 

Australian Sailing is here to support clubs at every stage. Whether that means becoming a Discover Sailing Centre or restarting programs as an existing DSC, we encourage you to get in touch for guidance and support: https://www.sailing.org.au/about/ourstaff/