During the past few days, our Club hosted the 2025 Sail Melbourne Regatta. This multiclass regatta saw current and emerging Olympians, the Australian Sailing Team, international sailors, national and local sailors come together to compete in some of Port Phillip’s most challenging conditions. RBYC is honoured to host this prestigious regatta which this saw 332 sailors from 15 countries, 272 boats, in 19 divisions on five separate courses. As part of Sail Melbourne, Australian Sailing conducted the 2025 Australian Para Sailing Championships for the 2.4m class, who also sailed their State Championships, while the Finns made a welcome return to RBYC for the regatta and their State Championships. This regatta continues to grow and reflects the strength, diversity, and spirit of our sailing community together with the warm and hospitality shown to competitors and visitors by RBYC members.
Sail Melbourne is seen as one of the major events of the Australian summer sailing calendar, but it appears someone missed the memo. In what has been an exceptionally cold, windy and wet November, over the past few days, Port Phillip provided the sailors a range of conditions from no wind to too much wind, big seas and shifting winds. On Sunday, the last day of the regatta, the course area was swept by two solid squalls with strong wind gusts and rain that resulted in most classes remaining/returning onshore while only the ILCAs and iQFoils completed the scheduled races. It is these types of conditions that make Port Phillip a world-renowned race venue and why, despite the conditions, so many sailors, no matter where they are from, enjoying sailing here. There were undoubtedly some sore and tired bodies at the end of the regatta but I’m sure everyone had a bit fun.
We are grateful to the Victorian Government’s Significant Sporting Events Program.
for their ongoing sponsorship of this important event in the sailing calendar, and the ongoing support from Australian Sailing.
There were over 200 volunteers for the four days including from our partner clubs around Port Phillip; members of RBYC, our General Committee including our Club Captain Marnie Irving; past Commodores, and our active group of regular and new race volunteers. Thank you. On behalf of the Club, I’d like to extend our sincere gratitude to the Black Rock Sailing Club, Mordialloc Sailing Club, Royal Yacht Club of Victoria, Royal Melbourne Yacht Squadron, Sandringham Yacht Club, Sorrento Sailing and Couta Boat Club, Elwood Sailing Club, Blairgowrie Yacht Squadron and Sea Scouts Victoria. Without their co-operation, RBYC and Victoria simply would not be able to hold a regatta of this size and complexity.
The racing was overseen by Regatta Director Paul Pascoe, Principal Race Officer Peter Osbourne, and the Course Race Officers from RBYC and visiting clubs. Not only does the regatta bring together sailors, but it also allows race management teams, juries and volunteers from different clubs and countries to come together, to share knowledge and develop their skills.
The staff of RBYC put in a great deal of extra effort in the lead up to the event as well as over the past few days. Thank you to our General Manager Phil Hall, Colin, Julian and Craig from the Boating Office and Caroline and Sammy and their band of helpers for looking after everybody.
Planning has already started for Sail Melbourne 2026, and the Club looks forward to welcoming back the sailors and visitors to our Club.
Photos and videos from the event can be found at: https://downundersail.pixieset.com/2025sailmelbourne/
Club News
There’s still a lot happening at the Club in the lead up to Christmas. On the water there is scheduled keelboat racing up to 20tb December, the pre-Christmas Twilight race is on the 17th December, while OTB racing concludes on December 14th. The Club then moves into preparing for the 96th Stonehaven Regatta to be conducted on 6th -10th January with a preliminary race on the 5th of January. The Club is expecting more than 30 teams competing not only for the Stonehaven Cup, but also the Teams Trophy, the Andrew Linacre Memorial Trophy and the Jock Sturrock Trophy. Also a number of RBYC yachts will be competing in the Cock of the Bay and 2025 Petersville Regatta hosted by Blairgowrie Yacht Squadron.
The Friday night draw has now reached the $1000 jackpot – now wouldn’t be nice to have at Christmas! This week we have the traditional RBYC Farewell to crews’ function and although we have no entries in the two big ocean races, there are plenty of boats sailing away from the Club. I look forward to welcoming everybody on Friday night and hopefully your name will be drawn out for the jackpot. Although the club will be closed on Christmas Day, we reopen on Boxing Day for the crews competing in the Cock of the Bay and later in the day for members wishing to come down to watch the start of the Sydney to Hobart.
The Cruising Group will host the annual Christmas Hardstand Party from late afternoon Saturday 13th December. All sailors and friends are invited to come along and celebrate the year. BYO food and drinks and cook up a feast on the BBQ. Here’s hoping the weather is kind to us, and we can enjoy the hardstand, but in case of inclement weather, we will make alternative arrangements (as we have the past 2 years, when we have celebrated in the Jock Sturrock Centre.)
Wishing you fair winds and following seas and remember no bananas at sea.
Peter Demura
Commodore