Sail-World.com : Melbourne's Sandringham Yacht Club new AUD$12.7 million premises
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Melbourne's Sandringham Yacht Club new AUD$12.7 million premises |
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'Finishing touches being put to new Sandringham Yacht Club'
Franck Gicquiaud
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On October 15 2007, the Federal Minister for Vocational and Further Education, the Hon Andrew Robb AO MP, took part in a ceremony to mark the official commencement of the building of Sandringham Yacht Club’s (SYC) new clubhouse; now two years on, come October this year, the vision is set to become a reality when the new Clubhouse is officially opened.
Conceived 10 years ago, the new world-class Melbourne facility, costing $12.75 million, is already causing a stir with its contemporary facade and interior. On completion, it will be the most modern yacht club in Australia.
Today, current SYC commodore, Philip Burn, described how funding was put in place for this huge undertaking: 'Our major objective was to minimize bank borrowings - and we have been successful to the extent that less than half of the project was funded in this way.
'The remainder was funded by the members, through an interesting range of options such as extension of marina berth leases, prepayment of locker and hardstand rentals and interest-bearing debentures. We wanted to give members as wide a range of alternatives as possible to participate in this exciting project,' Commodore Burn said.
Moved closer to the water’s edge on Port Phillip, on the site of the Club’s former car park, and designed with all the latest technology in mind, past commodores Bruce Eddington, Phil Coombs, Geoff Henderson and Kevin Wood all played major roles in the development of the new premises, which was designed by Richard Mabin & Associates and built by Kane Constructions Pty Ltd.
To give an idea of the magnitude of the project, the existing Clubhouse has approximately 1600sqm of usable space, while the new building has around 2700sqm, which will arguably house the best clubhouse and training facility in Australia.
 | Front entrance to the new Sandringham Yacht Club - Franck Gicquiaud |
Of the past 21 months' disruption, Commodore Burn paid tribute to the patience of SYC members: 'We fully expected a contraction in racing fleets and club house activity during the construction phase, due to the chaos inherent in trying to build a major new facility whilst continuing to trade in the old building. But the support of the members has been terrific. Activity has held up and we have had nothing but positive feedback,' he said.
The Commodore also thanked members for their contributions. 'Like most projects of this sort, coming in on budget has been a challenge and members have continued to contribute in so many ways, such as ‘buying’ bar chairs and tables with the donor’s name on a plaque. We have raised around $30,000 from these mini-campaigns late in the project.'
The new clubhouse boasts the latest in amenities for members and their guests, including a training auditorium with meeting rooms, which will establish SYC as a leader in providing accredited courses in sail training, boat handling, marina operations and resort management water-related activities.
Thousands of students across Melbourne’s south-eastern suburbs stand to benefit from the new sailing academy, as more than 2,000 school children from 25 local schools are expected to participate in 'Learn to Sail' classes each year.
Should they desire, students can take their interest even further, by studying certificate courses in the marine industry at the new training facility in which the Howard Government invested $437,500.
SYC is already providing skills and training and is recognised as one of very few sporting clubs in the country with Registered Training Organisation (RTO) status.
The Commodore also commented on the importance of getting people into the sport, 'SYC has a long tradition of supporting junior sailing and over the last decade we have put a lot of work into introducing kids to the sport.
'We see it as a core part of our activities to provide pathways into sailing which are both challenging and enjoyable, whether the individual is an Olympic aspirant, or just wants to ‘muck around in boats’. Our new training facilities will help us enormously in this work.'
Other amenities are the Port Phillip Room, incorporating a dance floor and stage, a Members Lounge with state-of-the art facilities, Members Bar, Olympic Room, outdoor areas for eating and socialising and the appropriately named Harbour View Restaurant, introducing a casual lounge area for pre-dinner drinks and a semi- private dining area for larger groups.
The Club administration also includes an efficient and enjoyable work environment, such as a separate marina and boating office to accommodate the bookings and administrative requirements of racing participants, boat yard bookings and the needs of the various tenants onsite.
The Club has already received many bookings from Industry groups including the 2009 Yachting Australia Awards and a wide range of industry events will be hosted during the ISAF World Cup in December.
Community groups have also embraced the facility with events being held for important local charities, fundraisers and meeting groups including Probus, local schools and Bayside businesses.
The new SYC Clubhouse had a ‘soft’ opening to members on July 25, with the final stages of surrounding works, including the new 237 space car-park, to be finalised by the end of September.
For further information please contact Liz McCormack, Communications Manager SYC. Liz can be contacted on 03-9598 7444 and would be delighted to arrange for tours of the facility or forward any relevant information of interest.
The Club’s website is also a good resource at: www.syc.com.au
by Di Pearson Share
9:59 PM Sat 1 Aug 2009 GMT
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