Sandringham Yacht Club hosts inaugural Centenary Regatta

by Mike Sabey on 15 Apr 2011 Club Marine inaugural Centenary Regatta is hosted by Sandringham Yacht Club and will be held on Saturday 30th April 2011.

The wraps for the exciting Saturday 30th April inaugural Centenary Regatta have been lifted by Sandringham Yacht Club with great news, that Victoria’s much revered gold plated former Great Circle Race Sleigh Lady Nelson trophy (pictured) is being dusted off and given a new lease of life as the Victorian IRC and AMS State Titles’ perpetual trophy.

Sandringham Yacht Club Commodore Steve Richards says, 'Its very fitting in this our centenary year that we are proudly staging a new annual signature regatta, that will bring together an anticipated 200 craft to close out the Summer season on an exceptionally high note.

'Australia’s premier insurer, Club Marine is the regatta’s exclusive sponsor that will see the Bay’s top grand prix racers, serious inter club sailors and a flotilla of power craft strut their stuff off Sandringham’s breakwater', Commodore Richards added.

Club Marine Centenary Regatta at a glance
• Saturday 30 April 2011 from 10am to sunset and beyond
• Open to all Port Phillip Bay keelboat sailors
• Hosted by the Sandringham Yacht Club
• On water activities between Green Point - Brighton and Ricketts Point – Beaumaris
• New annual signature racing and boating regatta
• Staging of the first Victorian IRC and AMS State Keelboat Titles
• Performance Handicap races, Pursuit starts cruising devotees
• Power boat family fun rally
• Contingent of 20 Japanese competitors and officials coming from Osaka HOKKO Yacht Club
• End of Season after party on the SYC Deck
• Free sausage sizzle for competitors
• Fabulous selection of Chef Kol Gemmel’s delicacies from ‘yacht clubs around the world’
• Live music and dancing into the night

Short Club History
Sandringham Yacht Club’s centenary dates back to 1911 when the Sandringham Yachting and Angling Club was formed at Picnic Point near the Hampton Pier. Within a year it changed its name to the Sandringham Yacht Club (SYC) conducting its first racing during the summer of 1913-14.

In 1931 a devastating fire swept through and destroyed the near by Port Phillip Yacht Club’s facilities, which resulted a year later in the two clubs deciding to amalgamate.

A second fire in 1955, totally destroyed the original SYC clubhouse, resulting in the loss of all the trophies, records and memorabilia.

But with the Olympic Sailing ‘Finn’ dinghy class scheduled be hosted by SYC in 1956, a rapid rebuilding program was undertaken assisted by an army of club volunteers, that resulted in a new clubhouse being completed in time for the Melbourne Olympic’s Finn racing.

During the Olympics, SYC was honored with a visit from his Royal Highness Prince Phillip who sailed for Britain in the Dragon class. Prince Phillip subsequently agreed in January 1980 to became the club’s Commodore in Chief.

The two storey 1956 built clubhouse was extensively renovated 1963, with the funds raised through a Members’ Debenture scheme.

Thirty golden years on the world stage
The club’s golden years on the international stage began in 1970s when Tom Stephenson won the Half Ton World Title in Chicago in 1973, which was followed 1983 when Lou Abrahams won the first of his two outright Sydney-Hobarts ( the second was in 1989).

Lou’s fine wins were split by Gino Knezic’s Illusion’s win in 1988, then in 1996 Giorgio Gjergja sailed Ausmaid to a Sydney Hobart victory making it four outright Hobart wins for the club in just over a decade.

The club was invited to host the start of the inaugural Melbourne to Osaka international two handed keelboat race in 1987, that has since been successfully conducted every four years.

In 1999, eighteen year old Jessie Martin was honored by massive 100,000 strong welcome-home crowd when he sailed back into the club’s marina, after completing a remarkable record beating circumnavigation of the globe in the 34 foot Lionheart Mistral, going in to the history books as the world’s youngest do it solo and unassisted.

Less than a year later the club celebrated its first ever Olympic Gold Medal, when Mark Turnbull sailed a 470 dinghy into first place at the Sydney Olympics.

In the early 1990’s, a 340 berth state of the art floating marina was constructed that brought an exciting new maritime facility to the bay. In 2002 SYC further developed this waterfront with $3.5 million of facilities including; new boat yard and pollution control system, marina refueling, a 40 tonne travel lift, new concession and boat brokers facilities, a dockside cafe and members change facility in the Ken King Centre.

In late 2009 the new $12.75 million state of the art clubhouse, training centre and car park facility was completed featuring the new Harbour View Restaurant in which guests enjoy a relaxed, stylish dining room setting with unrivalled views of Port Phillip, the marina and harbour.

Inaugural Centenary Regatta - Saturday 30th April
Skippers and crew from all Port Phillip Bay clubs have been invited to enter this first ever Closing of the Season event and will be made especially welcome at the Centenary Regatta After Party. All racing interests are catered for.

• Victorian Keelboat IRC and AMS Divisions State Championships – Divisions Zero, 1, 2 and 3,
• Performance handicap classes, pursuit event for cruiser racers, a power and sail boat family fun rally
• Fantastic perpetual and individual ‘take home’ trophies to be won

Entries close on 12:00pm Wed 27th April and can be made online here.

Club Marine
Club Marine is proud to be the exclusive naming-rights sponsor of the inaugural Sandringham Yacht Club’s signature Centenary Regatta.

A long-term supporter of recreational boating, racing and all facets of the great Australian marine lifestyle, Club Marine is the country’s largest provider of pleasure craft insurance, meeting the needs of boaters for more than 40 years.

Sandringham Yacht Club website