Established in 1958 and located on the shores of one of Australia’s largest freshwater lakes, Lake Hume, Albury Wodonga Yacht Club (AWYC) is a sailing club that offers competitive and social sailing opportunities. AWYC is a true cross border club with members from both NSW and Victoria; the club has demonstrated great resilience over the past year managing the challenges of COVID and launching a host of new social activities to reconnect and reinvigorate the club.

AWYC is an Australian Sailing Accredited Discover Sailing Centre that offers learn to sail courses for all ages. From Tackers (kids aged 7 - 12 years) through to youth and mature adults we offer Dinghy, Keelboat and Powerboat courses. AWYC also offer Sailability and 100% volunteer Club continues to host Sail Country – now one of the top ten regattas by numbers of registration in Australia.

AWYC offers endless opportunities to explore one of Australia’s largest freshwater lakes. Lake Hume is approximately six times bigger than Sydney Harbour when at full capacity. It holds big numbers of that culinary favourite of rural Australia, the redfin, as well as good populations of yellowbelly, Murray cod and trout. Lake Hume provides a perfect spot for a variety of water sports including sailing, jet and waterskiing, windsurfing, and fishing. Its sandy beaches are popular with swimmers and sunbathers, and reserves with barbecue and picnic facilities line its foreshore.

Inland sailing poses its own unique challenges compared to sailing on the sea, with fewer waves and the constant ocean breeze also missing. The challenges of inland sailing make Lake Hume a training hub for those looking to learn about different conditions.

“Lake Hume is a really variable environment and in fact we come here to improve our skillset and to understand the wind with that variability layer, which is unique to a number of spots that we do sail around the world," said sailing performance coach Mark Tonner-Joyce who is a regular at Sail Country regattas.

Membership:

As of 1 March  2021 AWYC has 186 total registered Club members in an age range of 8 months to 86 years, acquiring 32 new members in the 2020-21 season. Since January 2021 AWYC’s Discover Sailing Centre courses has had an impressive 51 participants.

AWYC regular Sunday Club championship races feature the full breadth of inland sailing, with Optis and Lasers, Tasers, Taipans, Castle 650s, Clubman, Noelex and Farr 750 sharing the thrill of the start line. AWYC is a nursery for future champions who learn their craft in the challenging and dynamic conditions that are Lake sailing. You will find current and former AWYC members involved in all sorts of sailing experiences, ranging from;

• Training at the Victorian Institute of Sport
• Crewing in the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race
• Cruising the Gippsland Lakes, Witsundays and further north

Key club events:

• Tallangatta Cruise: held in October this is a much loved event, comprising a weekend social cruise from AWYC to Tallangatta for overnight camping and a race back to AWYC on the Sunday morning
• Harry Jakobs Winter Series: from May – August, the Club hosts a monthly weekend sail named in memory of Harry Jakobs, a member who never missed a Saturday morning sail regardless of the weather. While the temperatures are brisk and the Lake water is cold, the rewards are a bright breeze and views of snow capped Victorian Alps in the background.
• Sail Country annual regatta: Albury Wodonga Yacht Club is the home of Sail Country - a major regatta incorporating the Victorian Dinghy Championships held every year on the Melbourne Cup Weekend.

Club history/achievements:

2013: AWYC was awarded Victorian Discover Sailing Centre of the Year

2015: AWYC member Stewart Cathie named Sailor of the Year with a Disability in the Yachting Victoria Awards

2020 was an incredibly tough year for AWYC, starting in early January when bushfires caused extensive damage to communities, farms, forests and wildlife in nearby rural areas. Like many parts of the eastern seaboard, Albury Wodonga was engulfed in thick smoke for weeks, as uncontrolled fires burnt in the Upper Murray and the Batlow/Tumut areas.

These fires impacted our Club from multiple perspectives. Firstly, many AWYC volunteers were unable to support training or sailing activities as they were involved in ongoing firefighting and emergency relief activities. Secondly, the combination of high temperatures and thick smoke created unsafe conditions for training and sailing activities which the club suspended.

When rain finally fell in early February and the smoke cleared, the Club planned to recommence its regular program of activities. Then COVID-19 hit. AWYC is a true cross border Club, with members from NSW and Victoria. The closure of firstly Victorian and then NSW State borders in response to COVID disrupted Border communities. As a COVID safe Club, AWYC suspended all racing, training and social events from late February – late November 2020.

AWYC is a super resilient Club that has survived tough times in the past, including a prolonged drought in the early 2000s which depleted water levels in Lake Hume and Club membership.

In the wake of bushfires and COVID, the 100% volunteer committee recognised that it was essential to find ways to reconnect the existing Club membership and attract new members to the joy of sailing on Lake Hume. In December 2020 AWYC has released a new program of sailing, training and social activities to reconnect and reinvigorate the Club. These include:

Experiences

• OutThere sailing experiences – we’ve offered eight sessions for teens since January 2021, with most booking out quickly.

Training

• New Keel Boat start crewing course – offered on Hagar (Austral 26), a boat donated to the Club by generous members. The course has run twice since January.
• Expanded pathways from training to social and competitive sailing by offering training participants and members the opportunity to hire Club training boats, including Optis, Pacer, a Laser and Hagar

New social

• Stern Chaser: a fun event where the slowest boat starts first, followed by progressively faster boats at predetermined intervals, with the fastest boat on the water starting last. The first boat across the line is the 'winner'.
• Taste of Trailables: an opportunity for juniors to try out sailing on a larger boat than an Opti
• Remote Control sailing boats has restarted: members meet at the Club and various other locations in the local region

Current Commodore: Phil Clements

If you are ever on the NSW / Victorian border be sure to drop in and enjoy some of the Clubs renowned wood fire pizzas and enjoy some freshwater sailing – no need to wash the boat and sails!