News
General Manager - Queensland Monthly Update February 2025
Published Thu 13 Feb 2025
The latest updates from Australian Sailing's General Manager – Queensland – Annie Watson
Please click this link to find a copy of all past Queensland General Managers Updates.
General Update
We have some exciting news! Grant has been accepted to a National Participation role, and we are in the process of recruiting for his replacement. Grant is really excited about his new challenging role which will see him working with twenty-four clubs across Australia to help build their coaching and retention programs. So that means a few Queensland Clubs will still be working with Grant, but please email or phone Alison or I if you need any support. When we have his replacement in place we will let the relevant clubs know who their new Club Support Officer will be.
Our thoughts go out to all our NQ Clubs who have had some extreme weather over the past couple of weeks. I have heard from both Cairns Yacht Club and Mission Beach Sailing Club that they have suffered some damage. The Queensland Government’s Sport and Recreation Disaster Recovery Program is now open for applications from eligible clubs in disaster-activated areas and provides $5,000 in funding to support immediate clean-up efforts. We have reached out to all our NQ Clubs, but if you can help, please contact them directly.
We have continued with our projects since the Christmas break, and we are really looking forward to seeing the female only guided Protest Committee member and Race Officer online learning sessions come to fruition. These sessions are in SEQ and are open to any females who are looking to volunteer in the Officials space. There will be six sessions available over the next six months, so please advertise this fantastic opportunity with your female members. Registration is here.
I can confirm that the Training in Focus Live event in Queensland will be on Saturday June 21st and will be focusing on Officials. More details to follow but this is a really exciting opportunity for all officials.
Over the next three months Alison and I will be travelling to visit a number of our clubs including Noosa Yacht & Rowing, Darling Downs, Maroochy, Keppel Bay, Capricornia Cruising and Port Curtis sailing club. I am heading to Townsville this weekend to help them celebrate winning the Host an Olympian competition https://www.sailing.org.au/news/townsville-sailing-club-wins-host-an-olympian-competition
Our biggest trip will be to the Whitsunday Sailing Club for the NQ Instructor Development Workshop on 12th and 13th April. This is a great opportunity for all our regional instructors to have some fun while learning new skills, getting better at what you do, and learning how a good experience at your club makes all the difference. Please ensure your instructors and administrators attend this event as this is the first time in a number of years that we have brought this to North Queensland. You can register your learn to sail team here.
Exciting Updates to Australian Sailing’s Education & Training Programs
As part of the ongoing Instructor, Coach, and Official Development Strategy update, Australian Sailing is modernising its education and training programs to create a more streamlined and effective learning experience.
A key part of this initiative is the transition to a new Learning Management System (LMS), which will integrate seamlessly with Australian Sailing member profiles, making access to online courses more efficient.
To support this transition, the Australian Sailing Resources website will undergo maintenance until early March 2025. During this period, some resources—primarily used by Discover Sailing Centre Principals, Instructors, and Coaches, including the Training Hub—may be temporarily unavailable.
To assist with enquiries, a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section will be available on our website, and further updates will be provided to stakeholders over the coming weeks and when the LMS goes live.
We appreciate your patience and look forward to delivering an improved learning experience for everyone involved in delivering sailing through clubs and class associations.
Sailing Summit
Australian Sailing is excited to launch the 2025 Sailing Summit Roadshows. All Club and Class Association Flag officers, Presidents, key officials, and management are encouraged to attend one of the five roadshows throughout Queensland.
The Sailing Summit Roadshow will bring together Clubs and Classes from across each region and are a great way to engage with the sailing community's decision makers and Australian Sailing.
Action Item/s for Club:
- Have a look at when the roadshows will be near your club and discuss with your committee who will attend. You can register here
Coaching Clinics
This year we have added a coaching clinic on the 16th & 17th April at Lake Cootharaba in conjunction with their Easter Regatta. This is a government funded initiative, and we encourage all our SEQ clubs to support this new coaching clinic. For our CQ Clubs, the Coaching Clinic held at Whitsunday Sailing Club in conjunction with Sail Airlie is from 15-17 April. The coaching clinic attached to North Sail at Townsville Sailing Club will be on 4th & 5th July. We are committed to sailors having access to coaching regardless of their location.
Action Item/s for Club:
- Support the coaching clinics by ensuring your members are aware of the clinics. Add the dates to your club calendar.
Foiling
Has your club considered taking the plunge into the exciting fastest growing discipline that we’ve seen in years?
With increasing interest in foiling, equipment has progressed enormously in the last few years. The cost of entry level equipment now makes foiling a more accessible and attractive activity for recreational and performance sailors alike, who want to get involved and get out on the water on various foiling craft.
Foiling is also having a positive impact on participation and retention. Foiling disciplines are attracting new groups to sailing clubs. People who may have participated recreationally are now joining clubs to participate in racing and training programs, and there are now more reasons for younger members to stay at clubs to participate in the fast classes.
Action Item/s for Club: Read the following articles to see if foiling is for your club:
- https://www.sailing.org.au/news/australian-sailing-on-the-lookout-for-nextgen-foiling-stars-/
- https://www.sailing.org.au/news/foiling-safety-for-coaches-club-support-personnel-/
- https://www.sailing.org.au/news/new-foiling-curriculums-now-available-/
- https://www.sailing.org.au/news/will-you-be-delivering-learn-to-wing-courses-foillabs-or-foiling/
Queensland Event Calendar
I have noticed that there are not many events in the Queensland Event Calendar for 2025 and I am sure you will still be running them. So, just a little reminder to check that your upcoming special events are in the Queensland Event Calendar for the new season.
We use this calendar to plan our Australian Sailing events and to apply to the Queensland Government for the Emerging Athlete grant for your juniors and youth to attend events outside of their area. So please take the time to add your special events and any state or National Championships.
If you have misplaced the calendar link so that you can add your events, please get in touch.
Action Item/s for Club:
- Add your special events to the Queensland Event Calendar https://www.sailing.org.au/qld/qld-events-calendar/
Game Plan
We have now started getting our Queensland Clubs on board with Game Plan. Sessions have been insightful and have provided key insights for clubs in a number of areas. Game Plan is a self-assessment for clubs and class associations to review all aspects of your organisation and provide an improvement plan with links to resources and templates. It is provided in partnership with the Australian Sports Commission and is a key tool for Government. While not compulsory in Queensland yet, it is already in the Northern Territory. Get ahead of the game and get in touch with Grant or Alison to organise a time for support. You will need all your committee to attend, and the process will take approximately 2-3 hours.
Action Item/s for Club:
- Register your club for an account with Sport Connect https://www.sportaus.gov.au/club-development/for-clubs and fill in the basic account information.
If you have any questions on the above topics, please contact the General Manager - QLD, Annie Watson at annie.watson@sailing.org.au . You can find a complete list of Australian Sailing Contacts – here.
Keep in touchGrant, Alison, and I are available to answer your queries by phone, face to face or to meet via Teams online.
You can find a full list of Australian Sailing Contacts – here. |
