Sailing is a popular sport and recreational activity in Australia with its varied coastline and often warm climate. Australian Sailing is the peak body in charge of sailing as recognised by the International Sailing Federation In 2017-18 there were over 80,000 registered sailors and over 16,000 events held across the country.

Clubs

Sailing Clubs are common in Australia. Large cities have significant numbers of clubs catering to boats from off the beach

dinghies A dinghy is a type of small boat, often carried or Towing, towed by a Watercraft, larger vessel for use as a Ship's tender, tender. Utility dinghies are usually rowboats or have an outboard motor. Some are rigged for sailing but they diffe ...

to serious ocean racing.

Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...

for example, has over 40 sailing clubs. Most moderate sized towns with sailable water nearby have a sailing club. Many clubs hold weekly races, annual championships and annual races.

Sailing Associations

Australia has a large number associations ranging from one design class associations, which sail boats bound by strict rules to open associations for development and broad communities of boats. Associations are generally at a national level with state based subsidiaries, although some associations are state based where they represent classes or communities that are only found in one state. In 2019, Sailing Australia affiliated ### class and other associations, although not all class associations are affiliated. Associations often hold annual state and national championships.

Major events

The Sydney Hobart Yacht Race is the premier blue water Australian race, starting on Sydney Harbour on Boxing Day every year. The race attracts a wide variety of boats from supermaxi yachts to small private boats. The race was first held in 1945. The Melbourne to Hobart Yacht Race starts on 27 January in Port Phillip Bay. Racers trace a course down the rugged west coast of Tasmania and along the south coast to Hobart. Hamilton Island Race Week held in the

Whitsunday Islands The Whitsunday Islands are 74 continental islands of various sizes off the central coast of Queensland, Australia, north of Brisbane. The northernmost of the islands are off the coast by the town of Bowen, while the southernmost islands ar ...

Queensland Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...

in August is Australia's largest offshore regatta attracting over 250 boats.

Historical racing events

Australia hosted the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne and the 2000 Olympics in Sydney including the respective sailing events. In 1983,

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

sailing in Australia II defeated the

United States of America The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 contiguo ...

in the America's Cup, ending their 132-year stranglehold on the cup. This is considered one of the greatest moments in Australian sports history. The following America's Cup was held in 1987 in Perth with Australia losing the cup.

Sailing around the states

Australian Capital Territory

Competitive sailing is based around Lake Burley Griffin in Canberra.

New South Wales

Sydney is a mecca for sailing with

Sydney Harbour Port Jackson, commonly known as Sydney Harbour, is a ria, natural harbour on the east coast of Australia, around which Sydney was built. It consists of the waters of Sydney Harbour, Middle Harbour, North Harbour and the Lane Cove River, Lane ...

Botany Bay Botany Bay (Dharawal language, Dharawal: ''Kamay'') is an open oceanic embayment, located in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, south of the Sydney central business district. Its source is the confluence of the Georges River at Taren Point a ...

and Pittwater providing abundant sheltered water for sailing races for boats from small dinghies to large keel boats. Australia Day regatta is held on 26 January every year. It is the world's oldest continuously held regatta, first held in 1837. Sailing was popular in Sydney from as early as 1900. Joshua Slocum commented in his account of his first around the world voyage that sailing was a popular sport.

Queensland

Sailing on Moreton Bay.

offer excellent cruising. Brisbane to Gladstone yacht race Bay to Bay yacht race

South Australia

There are a number of off-the-beach sailing clubs along Adelaide's metropolitan coastline on the eastern side of the Gulf St Vincent with other clubs at major towns along the coast. Major yacht clubs are located in marinas around Port Adelaide and North Haven. The Lake Eyre Yacht Club is notable as its events take place on a dry lake, which is only infrequently filled. In 2010, it held a regatta for the first time in over 20 years. South Australia offers excellent cruising grounds within Spencer Gulf and St Vincent Gulf with numerous islands, and the coasts of the Eyre, Yorke and Fleurieu peninsulas, as well as the coast of

Kangaroo Island Kangaroo Island (, ) is Australia's third-largest island, after Tasmania and Melville Island, Northern Territory, Melville Island. It lies in the state of South Australia, southwest of Adelaide. Its closest point to the mainland is Snapper Poi ...

Tasmania

Sailing in Tasmania focuses on the sheltered waters of the Derwent River around

Hobart Hobart ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the island state of Tasmania, Australia. Located in Tasmania's south-east on the estuary of the River Derwent, it is the southernmost capital city in Australia. Despite containing nearly hal ...

as well as in Launceston. The Royal Hobart Regatta is held on the Derwent River annually in February. It was first held in 1838 and involves a wide range of water sports including sailing. The Launceston to Hobart Yacht Race is held annually beginning on 27 December.

Northern Territory

Darwin has two yacht clubs, the Darwin Sailing Club and the Dinah Beach Cruising Yacht Association. The Darwin Ambon Yacht Race is held in August annually.

Victoria

In Victoria, sailing is centred on Port Phillip Bay and

Western Port Bay Western Port, (Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung: ''Warn Marin'') commonly but unofficially known as Western Port Bay, is a large Tide, tidal bay in southern Victoria (state), Victoria, Australia, opening into Bass Strait. It is the second lar ...

. Sail Melbourne is an annual sailing Regatta run by Yachting Victoria at various yacht clubs around Port Phillip Bay. Sail Melbourne is a Grade 1 International Sailing Federation event and is the largest off the beach regatta in the Southern Hemisphere.

Western Australia

Sailing centred on the Swan River in

Perth Perth () is the list of Australian capital cities, capital city of Western Australia. It is the list of cities in Australia by population, fourth-most-populous city in Australia, with a population of over 2.3 million within Greater Perth . The ...

. The Fremantle to Bali yacht race and rally is a 2500 km yacht race starting in May.

References

{{reflist

External links

Australian Sailing
the peak body for Sailing in Australia
Australian Sailing Team