Near end of winter greetings to all our members.

The EC wants to give a brief update of current projects and issues that the committee is dealing with and are going to be of interest to you all. This will continue as a monthly update following the regular EC meetings.

Sale of the club berth in Hidden Harbour: The sale of the berth has been held up while we wait for title clearance from ASIC. The purchaser is currently using the berth while this process with ASIC is being finalised. This should be settled within the next three months but we continue to work with internally and with ASIC to resolve this issue ASAP.

Start Boat: The club is continuing to work within the executive and other yacht clubs to identify source a suitable boat is an ongoing process.

Sail Peninsula 2026: The organising committee have been continuing to work hard on an exciting new format for the regatta that will involve both KB and OTB sailing. A chance for everyone to get together and celebrate sailing at Safety Beach. More details will come out in the enews in the near future.

Clubhouse and Yard: Reinstalling sound panels in the bar and dining room is subject to a planning permit for the shire council. Hopefully this will not take too much longer and we can have them in place by the start of the summer season.

Entry security to the club needs to be upgraded. A door entry fob system to the club that improves security and also identifies members is under review.

Plans for some changes to re arrange yard storage are underway, we want to maximise available storage space to encourage as many boats as possible to get involved in sailing OTB.

In addition, the club will be having up to two Yard/Club Spring cleaning days and ask all members, young, old, social or senior or families are asked to pitch in and help us out as much as possible. These days will be promoted in the eNews so please keep a look out for this information. 

Membership Update: SBSC, as of July 14th, has a total membership of 496, which is a net increase of 4 from last year. This increase has occurred despite the financial burdens many in the community are enduring. Considering the above, the club has done a great job in maintain and even slightly increasing total membership numbers. Note that in the 24/25 financial year, the club did not increase any of the membership fees. However, in the face of ever rising costs, the club will be increasing this year’s fees for the 25/26 financial year by the annual CPI increase, being 2.4%. The average age of our membership is 51 years old and our gender split is as follows: 36% females, 63% males and 1% members are not identified. These percentages are similar to last year’s but there has been a 3% rise in male members and a commensurate reduction in female members. 165 of the members are full voting members and we now have 15 life members following the induction of Rick and Audrey Potter at this year’s AGM.

Sponsorships: Our commodore is working hard with our existing and some new potential sponsors to assist and support the club in this and coming years. Some additional support in this task by someone who has 2-3 hours a week to spare in supporting the commodore would be greatly appreciated – please let the committee know if you are willing to assist.

Junior Sail Training: The club is looking for 2 additional Pacers to add to the one recently purchased by the club. These will be used to expand our Junior Sail Training program. The Pacer dinghy is the best and most affordable option at the moment.

SBSC Executive Committee

As highlighted at the AGM, we have a few gaps that need filling within sub committees this season. These roles are all very crucial to the success of the club. Some of these roles have been vacant for more than a season and it is very difficult to run a community club without the help of our members. If you have ever considered volunteering, we would love to chat to you. Please email our secretary Veronica on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you can help.

The area's that need some help are;

Hanging for the summer season to start? Invites for Membership renewal have been sent last week, so the countdown is on, with only 11 weeks to go! Open Day will be on Sunday 12th October. Both fleets OTB & Keelboats will be back on the water and ready for action. It will be here before we know it, so pay your fee's, prep & clean your boats, and start getting yourself sailing fit. 

The new season is fast approaching and the Summer Program & Roster 'Part 1' is now published on the website.  Click HERE to download a copy. 

Please take the time to scan the roster and check when you (or your duty boat) are rostered on.  If you can't see your boat you will most likely feature in Part 2!!   You will be making our lives easier if you know when your duty is coming up, and if you are unavailable we would appreciate advanced notice so a suitable duty 'swap' can be arranged. 

There are other important dates in the program that you should mark in your diaries as we would appreciate your participation, such as: 

The dates for Sail Peninsula 2026 are 20 to 22 February. 

And this season, instead of a Long Distance sub-series, there will be TWO dedicated Long Distance races: 

Also, this season there will be THREE dedicated Friday night races in the Female Helm Series 

(i.e. not part of Friday Pursuit Series 1 or 2). 

More info will follow in the lead up to the season, but it's time to start thinking about prepping your boats and completing your Annual Man Overboard exercise and declaration.   MOB Declaration Form

The ORCV is excited to announce the start of the 2025-2026 Season, and we’re glad to invite your members to take part in our expanding calendar of offshore events designed for all levels of experience.  

We've included courses and races to provide an inclusive and progressive path into offshore sailing—from short coastal sprints to long-distance challenges. 

Our Winter and Safety Courses (Radio, Foredeck Essentials, Sail Change, Safety & Sea Survival) are still open to new participants. This is a series of online and in-person training courses designed to help both new and experienced sailors. Whether you’re preparing for offshore sailing or want to upskill your crew, we have something for everyone.   

In October, the Melbourne to Devonport (The Rudder Cup) will kick off, as this race is a qualifying event for the upcoming Melbourne to Hobart and Sydney to Hobart. This is Australia's oldest ocean race, which is part of the ORCV Offshore Championship, and is also open to fully crewed, 4+ autohelm, double-handed, and multihull yachts.  

In December, the most anticipated and challenging yacht race from Melbourne to Hobart (Westcoaster) is taking place. The race holds significant importance within the ORCV's Offshore Championship, being the highest-ranking race in the series. The race is open to yachts that are fully crewed, 4+ autohelm, double-handed, and multihulls. 

Full calendar of events can be found here: www.orcv.org.au/calendar 

 

 

A couple of photos from Airlie Beach Race Week 2025, with Rob Rainsford and crew having a blast in challenging winds

 

If you wish to contribute anything to the Enews, please submit your content to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by Tuesday 8pm each week to make the deadline. Please note submissions may need to pass through Executive Committee for approval from time to time. Love photography? Submit your Photo Of The Week to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. in high res, (and it does not have to be about sailing). Follow us on our socials: Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok