goolwa regatta yacht club new years eve

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Sun Dec 31 2023 at 07:30 pm to Mon Jan 01 2024 at 12:15 am

Goolwa Regatta Yacht Club Inc | Victor Harbor, SA

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Goolwa Regatta Yacht Club

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GOOLWA REGATTA YACHT CLUB

112 Barrage Road, Goolwa 5214

Welcome to the Goolwa Regatta Yacht Club

The Goolwa Regatta Yacht Club is located in South Australia’s historic river port of Goolwa, near the mouth of the River Murray. The club is the home of Goolwa’s sailing community with modern clubhouse facilities including a licenced bar, lounge, shower, dining and barbecue facilities. Casual functions for over 200 guests can be arranged while the dining room caters for up to 70 seated guests.

The club is open most Friday nights, with meals offered during the summer racing season. The club’s facilities are also open on any other days when sailing events are scheduled. The Christmas Twilight race series held between Christmas and New Year is a fabulous opportunity to chill out after a hectic Christmas lead up and enjoy a relaxing meal and drink while overlooking the beautiful Goolwa South Lake.

Phone:    8555 2617

Email:      [email protected]

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From friendly wager to iconic regatta week – Goolwa’s rich sailing history

Posted by Down Under Sail | Jan 18, 2018 | All News , Sailing , Uncategorized | 0 |

It all started out with two of the more colourful characters of the Goolwa community, Bill Appleby and Bill Ballard, who owned the yachts ‘Esther’ and ‘Edith’ and were constantly arguing about whose yacht was the fastest on the river.

In order to settle the argument a ‘decent’ race was planned and sailed on 27 December 1966 – originally raced from Goolwa to Milang, it was destined to become Australia’s biggest freshwater race.

The two yachts were very evenly matched in those days and for the first three years the biggest winning margin was only three and a half minutes, while the closest margin was just 12 seconds.

‘Esther’ won the first two, while ‘Edith’ the third.

As the race went on, more and more sailors joined in and eventually the schedule was changed to allow for the race to finish in it’s original home of Goolwa.

Race start in Milang.

It has since established itself as a South Australian yachting classic, the Milang-Goolwa Freshwater Classic in fact, which will this year be held on Saturday 27 January.

Goolwa Regatta Yacht Club vice commodore Louise Edwards said the race had a tremendous amount of history, however in recent years the regatta week that precedes it had become increasingly popular.

“It’s a prestigious event that club racers want to win, however for casual sailors it’s also a happy go lucky and friendly event,” she said.

“Goolwa has a great and inclusive club atmosphere with plenty of local rivalries and strong support between other clubs on the lakes and Murray River such as Milang Regatta Club, Meningie Sailing Club, Clayton Bay Boat Club and the Goolwa Vintage Boat Club.”

While there are a number of top contenders for the big race across several divisions, Louise said the highlight of this event will most definitely be the boats arriving in Milang on Australia Day ahead of the start the next day.

“Pre-start at Milang is always a great sight with a plethora of different boats buried in reeds, kept on the lawn and even moored to beaches,” she said.

The Restricted 21s will also be reintroduced this year, racing in Division 1A, a new introduction for Goolwa Regatta Week 2018.

Boats racking up at the start in Milang.

Milang-Goolwa predictions

While it will be extremely hard to pick a vintage boat as they work on performance handicap with changing ratings, the one to keep an eye on will be Randal Cooper’s ‘Wylo’ (pronounced Willow), a vintage river boat racing in Division 1.

Divisions 2, 3, 4 and 5 will also be difficult to pick and the close field could mean that it is anyone’s race. How the wind conditions fall on the day could be the difference in these tightly-fought fleets.

Heading into Division 6 there’s a number of boats that could take the chocolates with Todd Bartlett’s Boatspeed 23 ‘Bohica’, Harry Cooper’s Spider ‘Sea Bomb’ and Drew Stevens’ Elliot 7 ‘Envy’ all around the mark this season in local racing.

Rob Remilton’s Diam 24 ‘Wilparina III’ will be very fast and tough to beat in Division 7 after a successful few years.

Boats finishing in front of the Goolwa Regatta Yacht Club.

And lastly in Division 8 a number of off-the-beach catamarans will be vying for the overall win.

Steve Thomas’ Mosquito ‘Cat-titude’, Peter Dunk’s Mosquito Sloop ‘Sixth Element’, and the two Taipan 5.7 Spinnakers, Tim Wright’s ‘Two Dogs’ and Michael Crouch’s ‘Too Easy’ will all be competing closely.

It’s going to be a race for the ages and a week of festivities that will keep everyone smiling, so be sure not to miss out on a great event run by the Goolwa Regatta Yacht Club.

Stay tuned to Down Under Sail’s Facebook page throughout the week for all your live regatta updates.

For more information head to www.goolwaregattaweek.com.au

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Goolwa Regatta Yacht Club

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Welcome to the Goolwa Regatta Yacht Club

The Goolwa Regatta Yacht Club is located in South Australia's historic river-port of Goolwa, near the mouth of the River Murray. The club is the home of Goolwa's sailing community with modern clubhouse  facilities  including a licenced bar, lounge, shower, dining and barbecue facilities. Casual functions for over 200 guests can be arranged while the dining room caters for up to 70 seated guests.

The Goolwa Regatta Yacht Club has been associated with sailing and yachting in the Goolwa area since the early days of the then Province of South Australia, being formed as the “Goolwa Regatta Club” some time prior to August 1854. Its primary purpose then was to organise and run an annual regatta event, a highly popular outing which attracted both locals and many visitors from Adelaide. In 1969 the club was renamed the Goolwa Regatta Yacht Club in order to cater for the booming interest in sailing in the area and now offers a year round calendar of events.

The GRYC conducts a wide variety of regattas and events with both a summer and a winter sailing season, catering for trailable yachts, sports boats, vintage riverboats and off the beach classes including multi-hulls. Competitors from other clubs are welcome.

Race types include point-to-point, out-and-return and around-the-buoys races. Regatta Week held in March of each year includes the running of the Milang Goolwa Freshwater Classic, South Australia's premier freshwater race.

We race every Friday during the summer sailing season, with the pre-race briefing at 1730 for a race start at 1800. In winter, informal twilight racing is held monthly on a Friday night with the pre-race briefing at 1600 for a race start at 1630.

Weekend races are also scheduled throughout the year.

The club is open most Friday nights. The club's facilities are also open on any other days when sailing events are scheduled. The Christmas Twilight race series held between Christmas and New Year is a fabulous opportunity to chill out after a hectic Christmas lead up and enjoy a relaxing meal and drink while overlooking the beautiful Goolwa South Lake.

The club's marina accommodates 106 boats up to 12 metres in length. Power and water are connected, and berths may be leased or sub-leased. Should you wish to keep your vessel anywhere in the Goolwa channel then the GRYC is very competitively priced. An excellent boat ramp allows the launching or retrieving of two vessels simultaneously in almost all weather. A number of berths are reserved for short term visitor use.

The majority of vessels berthed in the marina are trailer-sailers or other lifting-keel yachts which are well suited to the relatively shallow waters of the adjacent Lower Murray Lakes and Coorong areas. An increasing number of power boats are kept in the GRYC marina as well.

The club would like to extend an invitation to all who wish to visit the GRYC.

Members from other yacht clubs and sailing clubs are welcome to use the Club's facilities and are also welcome to participate in all of the Club’s racing, cruising and social events. On arrival, contact should be made with either the Club Manager or one of the Committee members for advice and assistance. Twelve pens have been reserved for use by visiting boats.

Please review our club program for events throughout the season. There are also comprehensive cruising notes covering the Goolwa, Coorong and Lower Lakes area available on this website.

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Saturday, 08 October 2022

Goolwa Yacht Club Season

Rod and I are delighted to be with you today for the opening of the 2022-23 sailing season together with our daughter Katherine. We are particularly appreciative of your kind gesture in making us honorary members.

Rod and I enjoyed our visit in July to this region and learned a great deal about Goolwa, and indeed the wider Alexandrina Council area.

From the Aboriginal campsites stretching back thousands of years, the enduring indigenous cultural connections, through European settlement and to becoming the site of Australia’s first inland port, it is clear that water is an integral part of Goolwa’s history and identity.

And from this beautiful location it is easy to see why you chose this as your base, and why other associations choose these sheltered waters to hold their own events.

Rod and I are eagerly looking forward to the spectacle of the club’s sail past a little later.

Having had a keen recreational sailor for a father, I am well aware of the excitement that the opening of the season brings.

Dad learned to sail in the Sea Scouts, graduating in time to trailer-sailors, the first of which he – and we - sailed on the Murray from Goolwa. He then went on to progressively larger boats.

He would have been most interested to learn that you are known for having the largest trailer‑sailor fleet in Australia and that many of the lovingly maintained vintage wooden boats are still racing weekly in the shallow waters of the Murray.

I also have fond memories of us watching together the start of the Sydney to Hobart on television every year and following America’s Cup racing closely.

This exposure to sailing, and my own occasional efforts, have given me a lifelong respect for, and admiration of sailors, both amateur and professional.

While I can easily recall idyllic days sailing in smooth conditions, I am fully aware that conditions can change and test sailors both new and experienced.

From my time – a long time ago - as captain of the University of Adelaide Boat Club, a related but different kind of watersport, I know that being on the water can be not only a wonderful experience, but also great way to build fitness, skills and teamwork.

In that regard, the Goolwa Regatta Yacht Club has been providing this region with opportunities for camaraderie, skills development and connection to the water since 1854, which gives you the distinction of being the oldest continually operating yacht club in Australia.

As such, you are both the custodians of long tradition and the members through whom these traditions will be passed to the next generation of sailors.

As is so often the case, these services are provided on a voluntary basis. Thank you all for your dedication.

I am particularly pleased to learn of the club’s commitment to inclusivity and about the Sailability and She Sails programs, and to note the fact that 25% of your members are female.

I commend diversity of membership to of all clubs and associations, because draws more members in, helps build resilience and encourages creativity and innovation.

I thank the Squadron’s board and members past and present for being the lifeblood of the Goolwa Regatta Yacht Club throughout its many sailing seasons.

I wish you well for the upcoming season and beyond.

It now gives me great pleasure to declare the 2022-2023 season open.

Acknowledgement of Country

The Office of the Governor acknowledges the original custodians of the land of the House, the Kaurna people, and their continuing connection to the land. We pay our respects to all members of Aboriginal communities throughout South Australia and their cultures; and to Elders past and present.

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Who are the Goolwa Regatta Yacht Club?

The Goolwa Regatta Yacht Club first became an incorporated association in 1977, however was formed as the “Goolwa Regatta Club” some time prior to August 1854. 

It’s original objective was to organise annual regatta featuring various types of water sports between members of the fishing fleet based at Goolwa and those of the whaling fleet at nearby Victor Harbor. The Goolwa Regatta grew into a leading event on the South Australian sporting and social calendar. At its peak it included sailing, power boat racing, paddle steamer races, rowing, swimming and novelty events. 

Today, the Goolwa Regatta Yacht Club is believed to be Australia’s oldest continuously operating yacht club and is the home of Goolwa’s yachting community. The Club operates an active year-round sailing program and the club’s facilities are available for members and visitors. 

Where is it located?

The Goolwa Regatta Yacht Club occupy a portion of Crown Record Volume 6164 Folio 815 (under Alexandrina Council area and control for “recreation purposes”) located at 112 Barrage Road, Goolwa South. 

What is the Goolwa Regatta Yacht Club's current tenure?

The Goolwa Regatta Yacht Club’s previous 21 year Lease Agreement was approved at the 17 April 2001 Council Meeting, commencing 3 July 2001 and expired on 3 July 2022. 

What are the fees?

The annual rental fee for a Minor Commercial Community Agreement would be $500 (ex GST) in accordance with Council’s Lease and Licence Policy. The Club would remain responsible for all building and maintenance costs, rates and service connections, and marina infrastructure.

Why is the Lease going to community consultation?

The proposed term of the new lease is 20 years, so public consultation is required. At the 20 June 2022 Council Meeting, Council endorsed proceeding to consultation on a 20 year lease term for the Goolwa Regatta Yacht Club, consistent with Council’s Lease and Licence Policy for tenure terms.

The draft lease will include 4 terms of 5 years each, to allow for any lease variations or amendments required to reflect on ground operations.

Goolwa Regatta Yacht Club Inc.

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AVAILABLE MEMBERSHIP CLASSES

In addition, the following sub-classes of Associate membership is approved under the Constitution Part II Clause 9 (3):

All GRYC memberships automatically provide you with Australian Sailing membership and their Personal Injury Insurance cover.

Australian Sailing Insurance Information

FAMILY DISCOUNT PACKAGE

Family discount package - a payment of  $665  provides membership for 1 x Senior/Veteran, 1 x Associate and any Juniors and Students of the immediate family. Available upon application to [email protected]

FAMILY PLUS DISCOUNT PACKAGE

Ideal for a family with two persons who would like to race in their own right as persons in charge, for a payment of $ the Family Plus discount package provides membership for 2 x Senior/Veteran and any Juniors and Students of the immediate family. Available upon application to [email protected]

• The membership year covers 1 July - 30 June.
• Fees are payable by 30 September.
• Fees can be paid monthly via direct debit, with full payment by 31 March.
• Members in financial hardship may request to pay by instalments. Please refer to  Hardship Payment Plan Requirements and Application Form

NEW MEMBERS

Pro-rata  fees apply to new members joining after 1 January of any subscription year: January – 50%, February – 40%, March – 30%, April – 20%, May – 10%, June – No charge

APPLICATION

Email: [email protected]

Phone: (08) 8555 2617 

Postal address:  PO Box 321, Goolwa SA 5214

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