1. Queensland Key Events

Queensland Clubs Conference – FREE – Saturday 20^th and Sunday 21^st July – hosted at the Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron

Click here for Event Information and Registration. Includes; agenda, travel subsidy information and accommodation deal

Yachting Queensland General Meeting – Sunday 21^st July – hosted at the Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron

Click here for all the information and Agenda. Includes; Club Delegate form and Proxy Form.

Please note:

• There will be at least two items that require a vote during the General Meeting; 1) the adoption of a new Club Affiliation Fee system and 2) the adoption of a new Constitution for Yachting Queensland, it is the YQ Board’s intention to conduct a Poll for both of these item. Accordingly, the Chairperson of the meeting will be demanding a poll for all resolutions to be presented at the meeting in accordance with s. 14.5 (b)(i) of the current YQ Constitution.
• To be eligible to vote you must be the Club’s registered Delegate
• Voting by Proxy is allowed, and Proxy forms must be return by 2:00pm on Friday 19^th July 2019

Queensland Sailing Awards Presentation Night – Saturday 20^th July – hosted at the Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron

Click here for Event information and to purchase your tickets.

Cocktail attire. $69 Adults $25 Children. 6:30pm till late.

SheSails Networking Event – FREE – Friday 19^th July at 6pm – hosted at the Australian Sailing Queensland Office, in the grounds of the Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron.

A superb line up for a panel discussion on female participation – a Sailor, a Sailing Club CEO, a Sailing Club Commodore, a Coach and an International Race Officer. All females, all ready to share their stories and perspectives on the future of female participation in sailing.

ALL WELCOME.

Click here for event information and to register.

2. SailPass

At the request of clubs from around the country Australian Sailing has developed a means by which a non-member can go sailing at your Club – it’s a form of introductory or short-term membership (for a day or days).

• It offers safe, quick, easy and affordable access to sailing
• It breaks down the perceived barriers to sailing
• It has potential to target new markets and offers you a marketing database
• It’s a massive safety improvement
• It’s compliance friendly
• It’s increasingly popular and successful in clubs currently utilising it
• Mostly – it is a simple way to get more people, having fun in boats at your club

The major benefits to your club

• It’s an attractive proposition
• A flexible introduction to sailing at clubs for people new to the sport
• It’s accessible, welcoming, quick, easy & affordable
• It’s mobile friendly & integrated
• It breaks down the perceived barriers to sailing - sailing is expensive, inaccessible and unsafe.
• Creation of a marketing database to allow you to communicate with potential members
• Addresses the Australian Sailing racing rules & personal insurance
• It gets a big safety tick
• You know who is on the water
• Improves your risk management
• Allows you to collect participant information including ‘next of kin’ details
• It ticks a number of compliance boxes
• Addresses the use of your clubs by non-members

Action item for clubs: Review how your club caters to introducing non-members to sailing. Consider implementing SailPass at your club.

CLICK HERE FOR INFO AND RESOURCES

3. OutThere Sailing

Australian Sailing has just launched a new program for teenagers called OutThere Sailing. OutThere Sailing is designed at the request of clubs for a program to increase participation of the 12-17 year old age group.  With fun as its priority, we want to keep friends together out on the water and while learning new sailing skills are great, we want to the enjoyment of the experience to be the priority.

The program is designed to keep friends together. So, a person on OutThere Sailing 1 and OutThere Sailing 2 can sail together. There are two skills sets to develop in the form of helming and crewing. Ideally getting a balance between both is great but if you would prefer to do one over the other there is plenty of ways to have fun. OutThere will also focus on the social element of a club environment, simply enjoying time spent with peers whether that be on the water, on the beach or in the clubhouse.

The program has been piloted in Victoria over the last 12 months and all of the clubs delivering the program have experienced a significant increase in retention and transition of participants to club members over their traditional delivered programs. Some to the extent of 70% transition from course to club membership.

To assist in the implementation of the OutThere Sailing program for clubs across Queensland we will be employing an additional Club Services Officer to lead this project. Former staff member Alison Turner will be taking on this part time role starting Monday 15^th July. We look forward to having Alison back on the team and Alison is excited to be involved in this great new initiative. 

Action item for clubs: If your club is interested in delivering this program please contact Ben Callard for more information.

CLICK HERE FOR INFO

4. Queensland Youth Championships

The 2019 Queensland Youth Championships and Coaching Clinic are scheduled to be held at the Keppel Bay Sailing Club from the 23^rd – 28^th September. The three days of coaching conducted by a great line up of coaches provides a brilliant opportunity to improve your sailors skills and knowledge and fast track their preparations for the summer regattas. The clinic caters for green fleet through to world beaters and is sure to be a fun and rewarding experience for all involved. The Clinic 23^rd, 24^th and 25^th September is followed immediately by the Queensland Youth Championships on the 26^th, 27^th and 28^th September allowing the sailors to put into practice their new and improved skills on the racetrack.

For anyone who hasn’t attended this event before it is well worth it for the whole family. The host town of Yeppoon is a great coastal destination with a new large lagoon next door to the sailing club for entertaining any siblings that are not yet participating.

For all the event information and to register PLEASE CLICK HERE.

Keppel Bay Sailing Club Website – CLICK HERE

Action item for clubs: Please share with all your junior and youth sailors and their parents. 

5. Race Officials Training

Race Officiating is a fun way to volunteer and contribute to the running of sailing competition. The Australian Sailing National Officiating Program (NOP) provides a clear and consistent pathway for volunteers to become accredited Race Officials with the national sailing authority.

The officiating streams within Australian Sailing (AS) are split into the following:

Judge (Protest Committee)

Measurer

Race Officer

Umpire

The NOP provides education courses that cover the span of officiating skills from entry to advance level within these disciplines. Each officiating stream is split into Club, State, National and International as shown below (with the AS Measurers qualification split into Sails and Spars or Official Class).

There are many courses scheduled in Queensland and around the country to find a course PLEASE CLICK HERE.

A few notable courses scheduled that you or your members may be interested in:

• Club Race Officer – 21^st July – Lake Cootharaba Sailing Club – CLICK HERE.
• National Race Officer – 3^rd & 4^th August – Humpybong Yacht Club – CLICK HERE.
• State Race Officer – 3^rd & 4^th August – Humpybong Yacht Club – CLICK HERE.
• Official Class Measurer – 24^th & 25^th August – Southport Yacht Club – CLICK HERE
• International Judge – 5^th, 6^th & 7^th October – AS Office Victoria – CLICK HERE.

There is also a great online Mark Layers Course which your volunteers can complete for FREE from the comfort of their own home and at their pace.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION.

In Queensland we are currently offering significant discounts on all Officials Training, if you are interested please contact your Club Services Officer via email or by calling the Queensland office on 3393 6788.

We are able to deliver these courses at your club, if this is of interest please contact your Club Services Officer via email or by calling the Queensland office on 3393 6788.

BECOME AND OFFICIAL INFORMATION AND RESOURCES.

Action item for clubs: Having qualified officials at your club has many positives; 1) rewards volunteers and assists in volunteer attraction and retention, 2) assists in risk management and improves safety and 3) improves the quality of the events you conduct. We recommend you do a skills assessment of your club volunteers and work with us to put a plan in place to provide training for your volunteers, either through courses online, at your club or nearby.

Context:

As a new initiative to keep our sailing club community informed I will aim to communicate through the Monthly Club News letter my top 5 topics for clubs to be aware of – LIVE TOP 5. I encourage club committees to table these at your club committee and/or sailing committee meetings and ensure your club is 1) aware of these topics, 2) taking advantage of or contributing from the information by taking steps within your club to continually improve your club activities and environment.  If at any stage you would like more information or would like me to make comment on a topic please email me at ben.callard@sailing.org.au or call our office on (07) 3393 6788.