Sailing away with award
City’s yacht club Australia’s best
GEELONG’S yacht club has been named the best in Australia a day before the city’s football team fights for the equivalent title in the AFL Grand Final.
The Royal Geelong Yacht Club (RGYC) overshadowed glitzy sailing clubs in Perth, Sydney and Brisbane to earn its gong on Friday.
The RGYC and Geelong Football Club are among the oldest entities in the city, both with histories that can be traced back more than 160 years.
The yacht club’s win caps an exciting era for the organisation as it oversees a multimillion-dollar transformation of the safe harbour on the Geelong waterfront and introduces hordes of new devotees to its sport.
Last summer’s sailing season — the biggest in the club’s history — helped it earn the title of 2020 Yacht Club of the Year at the Australian Sailing Awards.
“Ours is a club for all the community with programs and facilities offering a worldclass experience, both on and off the water,” RGYC commodore Stuart Dickson said.
“It is a privilege and honour … after all the hard work put in by our board, members, volunteers and staff throughout the past year.”
Australian Sailing also chose the RGYC for its national Sport Promotion Award.
Geelong’s traditional sailing events include the timehonoured Festival of Sails and a biennial Wooden Boat Festival. In 2019-20, Geelong’s Summer of Sailing added the cadet national championship; the 49er, 49erFX, Nacra 17 Oceania and world championships; and the Laser Masters Oceania and Australian championships to the program.
The club’s specialist programs, aimed at introducing females, youngsters and the vision-impaired to sailing, were lauded.
Meanwhile, the club is spearheading the redevelopment of the public safe harbour on the Geelong waterfront, with funding support from local, state and federal governments.
The 440m Wangim Walkwave attenuator is the feature attraction of the project and is nearly complete, while the Victorian Sailing School and Maritime Education Centre are also being built.
“Wangim Walk will be one of Australia’s longest onwater walkways, enabling us to grow our sailing activity and creating an iconic waterfront experience that will significantly contribute to Geelong’s visitor economy,” RGYC general manager Phil Clohesy said.
“Our club is committed to opening up and enhancing Geelong’s beautiful waterfront for the enjoyment of all, attracting more visitors and generating new value, including jobs, for the city and region.”