Sailing in Australia

Sailing is a popular sport and recreational activity in Australia with its varied coastline and often warm climate.

Australian Sailing is the peak body in charge of sailing as recognised by the International Sailing Federation[1] In 2017-18 there were over 80,000 registered sailors and over 16,000 events held across the country.[2]

Clubs

Sailing Clubs are common in Australia. Large cities have significant numbers of clubs catering to boats from off the beach dinghys to serious ocean racing. Sydney for example, has over 40 sailing clubs. Most moderate sized towns with sailable water nearby have a sailing club. Many clubs hold weekly races, annual championships and annual races.

Sailing Associations
Further information: List of Australian sail racing associations

Australia has a large number associations ranging from one design class associations, which sail boats bound by strict rules to open associations for development and broad communities of boats. Associations are generally at a national level with state based subsidiaries, although some associations are state based where they represent classes or communities that are only found in one state. In 2019, Sailing Australia affiliated ### class and other associations, although not all class associations are affiliated.

Associations often hold annual state and national championships.

Major Events

The Sydney Hobart Yacht Race is the premier blue water Australian race, starting on Sydney Harbour on Boxing Day every year. The race attracts a wide variety of boats from supermaxi yachts to small private boats. The race was first held in 1945.[3]

The Melbourne to Hobart Yacht Race starts on 27 January in Port Phillip Bay. Racers trace a course down the rugged west coast of Tasmania and along the south coast to Hobart.[4][5]

Hamilton Island Race Week held in the Whitsunday Islands in Queensland in August is Australia's largest offshore regatta attracting over 250 boats.[6][7]

Historical racing events

Australia hosted the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne[8] and the 2000 Olympics in Sydney[9] including the respective sailing events.

In 1983, Australia sailing in Australia II defeated the United States of America in the America's Cup, ending their 132-year stranglehold on the cup. This is considered one of the greatest moments in Australian sports history. The following America's Cup was held in 1987 in Perth with Australia losing the cup.[10]

Sailing around the states

Australian Capital Territory

Competitive sailing is based around Lake Burley Griffin in Canberra.[11][12]

New South Wales

Sydney is a mecca for sailing with Sydney Harbour, Botany Bay and Pittwater providing abundant sheltered water for sailing races for boats from small dinghys to large keel boats.

Australia Day regatta is held on the 26th of January every year. It is the world's oldest continuously held regatta, first held in 1837.[13]

Sailing was popular in Sydney from as early as 1900. Joshua Slocum commented in his account of his first around the world voyage that sailing was a popular sport.[14]

Queensland

Sailing on Moreton Bay. Whitsunday Islands offer excellent cruising. Brisbane to Gladstone yacht race[15] Bay to Bay yacht race[16]

South Australia

There are a number of off-the-beach sailing clubs along Adelaide's metropolitan coastline on the eastern side of the Gulf St Vincent with other clubs at major towns along the coast. Major yacht clubs are located in marinas around Port Adelaide and North Haven.

The Lake Eyre Yacht Club is notable as its events take place on a dry lake, which is only infrequently filled. In 2010, it held a regatta for the first time in over 20 years.[17]

South Australia offers excellent cruising grounds within Spencer Gulf and St Vincent Gulf with numerous islands, and the coasts of the Eyre, Yorke and Fleurieu peninsulas, as well as the coast of Kangaroo Island.[18]

Tasmania

Sailing in Tasmania focuses on the sheltered waters of the Derwent River around Hobart as well as in Launceston.

The Royal Hobart Regatta is held on the Derwent River annually in February. It was first held in 1838 and involves a wide range of water sports including sailing.[19][20][21]

The Launceston to Hobart Yacht Race is held annually beginning on 27 December.[22]

Northern Territory

Darwin has two yacht clubs, the Darwin Sailing Club and the Dinah Beach Cruising Yacht Association.

The Darwin Ambon Yacht Race is held in August annually.[23]

Victoria

In Victoria, sailing is centred on Port Phillip Bay and Western Port Bay.

Sail Melbourne is an annual sailing Regatta run by Yachting Victoria at various yacht clubs around Port Phillip Bay. Sail Melbourne is a Grade 1 International Sailing Federation event and is the largest off the beach regatta in the Southern Hemisphere.[24]

Western Australia

Sailing centred on the Swan River in Perth.

The Fremantle to Bali yacht race and rally is a 2500 km yacht race starting in May.[25]

References
  1. ISAF MNA Microsite
  2. 2017-18 Australian Sailing Annual Report. Australian Sailing. 2018.
  3. "Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 2019". Rolexsydneyhobart.com. Retrieved 2019-10-17.
  4. "Melbourne to Hobart Westcoaster - ORCV12". Orcv.org.au. Retrieved 2019-10-17.
  5. "About the Race - ORCV12". Orcv.org.au. 2018-12-27. Retrieved 2019-10-17.
  6. Queensland Holidays - Hamilton Island Raceweek page
  7. "News - Australian Sailing". Sailing.org.au. 2019-07-17. Retrieved 2019-10-17.
  8. "1956 Melbourne Olympic Sailing Competition : Events | ISAF | World Sailing | Official Website". Sailing.org. Retrieved 2019-10-17.
  9. "Sydney 2000 Sailing - Results & Videos". Olympic.org. Retrieved 2019-10-17.
  10. "Looking back: The 1983 America's Cup win". 2013-09-26. Retrieved 2019-10-17.
  11. "The Canberra Yacht Club". Canberrayc.com. Retrieved 2019-10-17.
  12. "The Sailing Club - YMCA Canberra". Canberra.ymca.org.au. 2017-06-26. Retrieved 2019-10-17.
  13. "Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron - 180th Australia Day Regatta". Rsys.com.au. 2016-01-26. Retrieved 2019-10-17.
  14. Slocum, Joshua (c. 1900). Sailing Alone Around the World.
  15. "71st Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht Race". Brisbanetogladstone.com. 2016-02-27. Retrieved 2019-10-17.
  16. "Bay to Bay Yacht Race". Hervey Bay Sailing Club. 1980-04-18. Retrieved 2019-10-17.
  17. Malkin, Bonnie (2010-07-07). "Yachting regatta in Australian desert for first time in 20 years". Telegraph. Retrieved 2019-10-17.
  18. Thompson, Neil (1984). Cruising Gulf Logs: South Australian Waters. Brighton, South Australia: Spindrift Publications. ISBN 0-9590859-0-4.
  19. "Royal Hobart Regatta, Hobart, Tasmania". Royalhobartregatta.com. Retrieved 2019-10-17.
  20. "Royal Hobart Regatta:175 years". LINC Tasmania. Archived from the original on 27 June 2013. Retrieved 28 May 2013.
  21. Hobart Regatta, Royal (2016). "Royal Hobart Regatta, Hobart, Tasmania". royalhobartregatta.com. Royal Hobart Regatta.
  22. "Derwent Sailing Squadron's 2017 Launceston to Hobart Yacht Race". L2h-dssinc.org.au. Retrieved 2019-10-17.
  23. "Darwin Ambon Yacht Race | The Annual Spice Islands Darwin Ambon Yacht Race". Darwinambonrace.com.au. Retrieved 2019-10-17.
  24. "About - Australian Sailing". Sail Melbourne. Retrieved 2019-10-17.
  25. "Fremantle to Bali 2020 | Fremantle Sailing Club". Fsc.com.au. Retrieved 2019-10-17.
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