The Mooloolaba Yacht Club (MYC) on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast enjoys a five minute journey to the Mooloolah river mouth, giving safe, direct access to deep water ocean sailing via a wide sheltered bay. Located at The Wharf, Mooloolaba Yacht Club was formed in 1967 by a group of sailors who predominately enjoyed sailing catamarans off the beach at Mooloolaba Spit.

The MYC is now over 50 years young. It became well-known to offshore sailors as the co-host of now defunct Sydney Mooloolaba Yacht Race. The club was the originator of the once popular SCOR series and co-hosted for many years the Solo Trans-Tasman Race. It has hosted continuously the Etchells Australasian Winter Championship since 1997.

The club organised the 2004 Etchells World Championships, Australian Youth Match Racing and Women’s Match Racing Championships, Hobie Australian Championships, and a range of other state, national and international off-the-beach and offshore events.  

Classes supported and types of sailing: 

Youth keelboat training and racing on the club Elliott 6s training keelboats. Women’s sailing classes on the club’s training boats for both up-skilling and fun, and advanced sailing skills groups.  Both the youth skills and women’s advanced program members are going on to represent the club in State and national fleet and match racing competitions. 

Other racing for adults is in the weekly Wednesday Afternoon Bay Races, Sunday Afternoons Bay and Short Offshore Races, and the highly popular Friday Twilight Family (Rum Runners) River Racing on the club’s Elliott 6s.

Programs on offer include:
•    SheSails
•    Youth Keelboat
•    Ocean keelboat
•    Fleet and match racing. 
The club is also in the process of becoming a Discover Sailing accredited site.

Currently sitting at 273 members with female members making up about 34% of that membership. The club has grown through providing innovative sailing program such as short course racing in keel boats on the river in front of the club, youth training for kids wanting to move out of dinghies and a highly successful and supportive Women’s Program.

Member achievements: 
Just to name a few of the club’s outstanding members who have achieved in a variety of sailing classes and events in Australia and overseas…
•    Mitch Kennedy – Member Australian Sailing Team, Laser class U-21 World Champion 2013. 
•    James Hodgson – National and international match racing youth and open champion. 
•    Stacey Jackson – Volvo Ocean Race (twice).
•    Casey Smith – Volvo Ocean Race (twice).
•    Peter Mounsey – Ocean Racing Veteran of the Year (CYCA).
•    Kelvin Stienhardt and Neil Huth, and coaches Phil Gray (tactician) and John Fowles; bronze medal in the International Blind Sailing Regatta in New Zealand.
•    Bob Robertson – division winner in the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race. 
•    Jon Sayer – division winner of Trans-Tasman Double-Handed Race.
•    Bruce Arms – WSSRC Single-hand Around Australia World Record – 38 days, 21 hours, 41 minutes and 42 seconds.
•    Kerry Ireland and Jenny Dickson, Hobie 16 Women world champions 1996 and 1998.
•    Lisa Charlson and Sarah Roberts-Thomson, ISAF Youth Double Handed Dinghy 1998.
•    Tanya Kelly- division winner Airlie Beach Race week 2019
•    Sarah Johnson, Emily McGregor- runners up in National Women’s Match Racing Championships 2019.
•    Karen Young- winner Sunshine Coast Ocean Regatta 2019
•    James Beveridge- 2018/ 2019 winner Australian Musto Youth Week (Sabot), Queensland State Titles (Sabot), Arafura Games Match Racing Championship, SQSA Season Championship.
•    David Turton- Etchells Australasian Championship Winner 2019

Key club events include:
•    The Etchells Australasian Winter Championship
•    Women’s Winter River Regatta
•    Mooloolaba Christmas Lights Boat Parade

It’s been the MYC member’s resilience in the face of change and challenges that have made it a small, but strong club with a big heart. The members have shown it’s possible to pick up the pieces of an iconic club, brush off the ashes from the fires, load up the fridge and get out doing what they do best, that is sailing. They have created innovative solutions to problems, delivering programs that meet the needs and desires of the youth, open and women members. 

Adapting the club’s onshore and river programs to suit the refurbishment of its venue host has meant moving its administration venue (shopfront) a few times and reconfiguring the area used to berth the club’s work and training boats, visitor berth area. The club has now settled into the perfect place with a large meeting area, office, volunteer-staffed bar and outdoor seating area overlooking the busy harbor – all made possible with the labour and love of volunteers. 

The club has also taken on its SheSails program with great energy as more and more local women have wanted joined in the program. 

Recent successes of the club include taking out Queensland Club of the Year 2017 and being the Queensland SheSails Award Winner 2019.

Commodore: Gary Schulz