Please select your home edition
Edition
Cyclops Marine 2023 November - LEADERBOARD

Shag Islet Yacht Club Rendezvous - sounds great but where is it?

by Whitsunday Times/Sail-World Cruising on 31 Aug 2013
Shag Islet (on right) with boats anchored - photo by Nautical Nancy SW
Every year one of the most unusual sailing clubs in the world has another stunningly successful rendezvous. This year was no different.

According to the local newspaper, a total of 170 boats took part in the annual Shag Islet Cruising Yacht Club (SICYC)'s rendezvous at Hydeway Bay on the weekend - and $40,000 was raised for prostate cancer research.


From humble beginnings at the first event when $280 was raised, the cruising sailors have now raised more than $80,000 for the cause in five years.

But what is it that makes this club so special? Once you join SICYC, you not only become a Vice Commodore, you also become a Life Member of SICYC. There are no joining or on going annual fees. (But you must buy a shirt).

So where is, and what is Shag Islet, that its club has such generous rules? It is an Islet between Gloucester Island and the mainland. Basically there is nothing on the islet other than Shags, and it can be accessed only at low tide when a small beach is exposed on the southern end. (This doesn't tell you much? Read on...)


Maybe the location can be guessed by the fact that the weekend's event attracted cruising sailors from Canada, the USA and Australia.

One of the best reasons for joining the club is that SICYC does sound rather impressive – combined with the 'Vice Commodore Shirt' and a suitable amount of bluff you should get access to some of the more swanky yacht clubs in the world. (At least until they wake up).

Founder Ken Thackeray said the whole weekend was packed with activities and that those who took part were a wonderful bunch of people.

There were more than 600 people at the party at a nearby resort on Saturday night and guests enjoyed fireworks and a Polynesian dancing show. (Does that give you a clue?)

The club was founded in April 2009 and now has 2500 members. More than 100 people became members on the weekend.

Mr Thackeray said most of the members were between the ages of 40 and 70 and this was also the demographic of people diagnosed with prostate cancer.


He said many of the members were doing their own fundraising on the weekend as most people knew someone who had been touched by the disease.

He said to have 170 yachts take part was a reflection of being in the cruising season and that members contributed in a silent way to the local economy.

Mr Thackeray said the formation of the Shag Islet Cruising Yacht Club (SICYC) had simply made these people more visual in the local community.

Still don't know where it is? Well, you could try googling it, but here's the information free: Gloucester Island is off the coastline of North Queensland in Australia at 20 03.8 S 148 26.5 E.

Hyde Sails 2024 - One DesignMaritimo M600Mackay Boats 728x90 BOTTOM

Related Articles

Gran Canaria Gloria Windsurf World Cup Day 2
Philip Köster triumphs again in Pozo Izquierdo The 37th edition of the Gran Canaria Gloria Windsurf World Cup delivered a thrilling second day this Sunday, once again marked by strong winds and the talent of the world's best windsurfers.
Posted on 6 Jul
A perfect start to the 5th annual AEGEAN 600
Cloudless blue skies, crystal clear waters and perfect 12-15 knots of northerly wind At the very southern end of the Greek mainland at Cape Sounion in Attica, today's start to the 5th edition of the AEGEAN 600 was perfect: cloudless blue skies, crystal clear waters and perfect 12-15 knots of northerly wind.
Posted on 6 Jul
29er Europeans at Lake Garda day 4
One race, one storm, and one big lay day vibe With qualification wrapped and the fleet now split into six groups—Gold, Silver, Bronze, Emerald, Purple, and White—Day 4 of the 29er Europeans kicked off with early optimism and an earlier-than-usual launch in pursuit of the morning breeze.
Posted on 6 Jul
iQFOiL Worlds a Aarhus day 1
Full foiling conditions launch the World Championship with four high-intensity races for both fleets The iQFOiL World Championship kicked off today in Aarhus with dynamic and demanding conditions that truly tested the world's top foiling windsurfers. The wind was anything but steady, shifting in both direction and intensity throughout the day.
Posted on 6 Jul
Rolex TP52 Worlds in Cascais overall
American Magic Quantum Racing win Rolex TP52 Worlds after breezy week in Cascais. Doug DeVos' American Magic Quantum Racing crew were crowned 2025 Rolex TP52 World Champions today in Cascais, Portugal.
Posted on 6 Jul
Red Bull Sailing Academy Opens
A new hub for current and future superstars to reach the top of their sport Marina Monfalcone, North Italy, made waves yesterday, as sports superstars gathered to open the Red Bull Sailing Academy, marking the beginning of a new era in the sport.
Posted on 6 Jul
Gran Canaria Gloria Windsurf World Cup Day 1
Philip Köster edges out Marcilio Browne in one of the closest finals ever Philip Köster edges out Marcilio Browne in one of the closest finals ever as Pozo delivers 50 knot winds and waves.
Posted on 6 Jul
America's Cup: French give the Brits the "Hurry-up
Frustration builds between Cup factions over lack of progress with Protocol. Last weekend's missive from the French America's Cup challenge team is further evidence over the building frustration with progress towards the 2027 America's Cup in Naples.
Posted on 6 Jul
The oldest video footage of Moth sailing
A look back into our video archive, to when the name of this class first settled down We delve into our video archive to find the oldest possible videos that show Moth racing. Are these International Moths, British Moths... or was the name still Olive, Inverloch 11ft, National Moth or Brent One-Design?!
Posted on 6 Jul
GKSS Match Cup & Nordea Women's Trophy overall
It is the first time the Match Cup Sweden title has been won by a Danish Skipper Denmark's Jeppe Borch/ Team Borch Match Race, and France's Pauline Courtois/ Match in Pink by Normandy crowned the new champions of Marstrand in a day of fierce weather for the final of 2025 GKSS Match Cup Sweden and Nordea Women's Trophy in Marstrand.
Posted on 6 Jul