Name and Location of the Club:
Dinah Beach Cruising Yacht Association Inc
68 Frances Bay Drive, Darwin
Northern Territory, Australia
Lat/Long: S 12° 27.087′ E 130° 50.953′

Commodore: Joy Eggenhuizen

Brief history: 
Established on 30th August 1982.
Dinah Beach originated in the early days of the pearling fleets operating out of Darwin. Luggers were careened here roughly at the point where the entrance to the club is now situated. After WWII, pearling began to decline and a few intrepid yachties began to drag their boats ashore where the luggers had once been. There, among the mangroves, our founding members built and repaired their boats and created the spirit that has pervaded our club ever since.The Association was formed in 1982. From these small beginnings, the facilities were conceived and developed by members past and present, some of who have become life members and whose names are inscribed on the guttering beneath the tarpaulin roof of the club. Before the pontoon and wharf were built, yachties coming to shore used to wear the ‘Dinah Gumboots’ – a term representing the calf-high coating of mud gained through hauling one’s tender through the muck to get to shore. We’re pleased to say the facilities have continued to improve and grow over the decades and the club now offers a wide range of practical facilities to its diverse member group. 

Members:
DBCYA’s members make up a great local community of sailors, industry professionals and maritime enthusiasts. Each year their membership grows and now over 1400 members enjoy the club’s facilities and amenities, including skippers and crew participating in local and off-shore races, yacht owners looking to save money by using the DIY R&M facilities like the hard stand and careening poles, water-based residents on their moorings who use our floating pontoon to gain land access and most of the neighbourhood who love the relaxed rustic ambience of the licensed premises and kitchen and live music 3 times a week. 
They boast an impressive honours board of World circumnavigators, one of whom completed his entire journey without the aid of any modern guidance tools. Several dedicated sailors have participated in offshore races including Raja Muda Cup (Malaysia) and the Kings Cup (Thailand), plus the Sydney to Hobart Race and the Geelong Festival of Sails.

Key club programs & events:
The annual wet season race series – an exciting 9 race series in and around the huge Darwin harbour. Participant numbers have been growing in this iconic local racing event that takes place from November to March every year.

Entries are open to all skippers across four divisions – Racing 1, Racing 2, Cruising and Multihulls.  Courses are set according to tides and prevailing winds and offer a taste of everything from glassy calm seas to some ‘courage building’ storms and squalls. With the added incentive of great prizes across all divisions it’s a great reason to go sailing in Darwin’s tropical wet season. 

The annual Spice Islands Darwin Ambon Yacht Race is a 630nm international sailing classic starting in Darwin Australia and finishing in Ambon Indonesia. The race is supported by the Northern Territory Government and the City of Darwin, and is a major feature supporting the Darwin and Ambon Sister City Program by fostering international relationships and cultural exchange. There are 4 Divisions: IRC Racing, Premier Cruising Multihulls, Premier Cruising Monohulls and Rally. All types of sailors and sailing boats are welcome. The south-east trade winds dominate the weather and can provide wonderful reaching conditions through the tropical waters of northern Australia and the Indonesian archipelago. The fastest yachts take just over two days whilst the more relaxed sailors take up to six days. The current record is held by Antipodes from Hong Kong, a Santa Cruz 72 owned by Geoff Hill. Antipodes claimed the record of 52hrs 29mins in 2016 beating the previous record by 1hr 20mins held by the catamaran ZUMA, skippered by Darwin local John Punch, since 1998.

DBCYA has also just started to host the off-shore Tiwi Islands Yacht Race, a challenging Queen’s Birthday long-weekend race perfect for those wishing to prepare vessels and crew for the upcoming international race calendar. 

DBCYA has a long history of throwing an excellent party. Our signature event, the Viking Funeral, sees Club volunteers build a big Viking vessel, then we place it in our channel and light it with flaming arrows to send a life-like slain and stuffed Viking Warrior to the afterlife. This burning is in tribute to all the vessels decommissioned and all the sailors passed away, who will never more man their helms.  This is all done in front of a lively 2000 strong crowd dressed in Viking attire, with live music, bagpipes, costume comps and pig on a spit.

The club is unique because:
Our iconic ‘old-Darwin’ charm, our community spirit, our affordability for all cruisers, our wet season race calendar, our practical DIY facilities, our colourful characters, our inclusivity and our brand new caterer about to open for business (Masterchef contestant Rachael Ciesiolka opening Rachael’s Seafood Shack and Bistro)

Latest success:
Through successful grant applications and the club’s own saved funds, the club has undertaken significant improvements to its facilities including a new carpark, new bar furniture, new seating area, kitchen overhaul, pontoon upgrade, utilities at the careening poles, hard stand site improvements, new landscaping, new bar roof, new touch till system and new kids playground.  The upgraded facilities have gone a long way to improving the overall experience for members and guests. 

Any sailors travelling to the NT are warmly invited to visit this cosy club situated on the banks of the inner harbour and stay for a yarn or two.