The Queenscliff Lonsdale Yacht Club wall holds the story of 75 years of sailing and the people who built the club. On 5 March the club will have an open day and a grand celebration, and an updated oral history of the club will be released. 

In 1913 the club had more boats than yachts, and was then just below the primary school on Swan Bay. Its name at that time was the Swan Bay boat club.

In Easter 1947 a decision was made to revive the yacht club, maintaining its early name. The original clubhouse was floated down the bay to a new home, at its current location on King Street.

Activities changed and yacht racing became more popular as the locals embraced the joy of sailing and racing. The club built a number of dinghies, including Swan Bay class dinghies, and also developing the one class Pup, a 12 foot ply yacht built by club members. These were freely available to all members and in particular the youngsters.

The present boatshed was built, a pier was constructed and new club rooms were constructed between 1947 and 1949. The commodore at the time was Jack Golightly Snr. 

In 1972 the club was renamed, becoming the Queenscliff Lonsdale Yacht Club, and the clubhouse was extended and improved. Over the years, many renovations were completed, and in recent years there has been a significant upgrade, with vastly improved facilities.
Racing continues on Swan Bay with the dinghies, and the keelboats race every Saturday on Port Phillip. The heritage of Queenscliff is being celebrated with a focus on Couta boats, with many yachts enjoying the weekly racing.

History suggests that the club was one of the first sailing clubs to introduce sailing as a sport, at the Queenscliff High School. The school principal, Jack Bishop, had witnessed the yachting activity and saw the potential. So, in 1959, the school was recognised as the first in Australia, and possibly the world, to have a sailing program.

We are finding that more young people have moved into the district following the advent of Covid and its impact, and our membership has increased dramatically and our profile is the best it’s been for years. 

Our Friday night drinks, held on the deck overlooking Swan Bay, are now well attended, and the exceptional sunsets enjoyed by all.

Having run ‘learn to sail’ days for years, the club has recently forged a stronger bond with Point Lonsdale Surf Lifesaving club and we expect more youngsters to become involved.

Over the last five years, we have introduced the ‘lady’s skippers race’. With this important addition to the club program, we welcome more females to play an active part in club activities and management. We will continue to encourage our female members to take the helm, and the fleet numbers are slowly increasing.

Credit - Robyn Curtis

Committee members are actively engaged with the local community and we strongly promote our family-friendly atmosphere. Sailing and paddling clinics, remote control model yacht racing, stand up paddleboards and a new activity, Petanque, have greatly boosted our message of ‘friendly family fun’. All in all, a lot is happening.

We invite you to join us on March 5 for our celebration.

Media contact Geoff Cook: mediaqlyc@gmail.com