2020 is a special year for the Ron Tough Yachting Foundation. It’s celebrating its 40th anniversary, since their inception in 1980 by a small dedicated group of sailors (including Ron Tough and family, Syd Corser, John Baron-Hay, David Paris, Trevor Betts, Ray Kelt, Peter Fogarty, James Grainger and Andrew Kingsbury) they have left a wonderful legacy of support for Western Australian sailor’s that’s unique in Australia.

The Foundation’s original goal, to financially support young sailors going overseas to a world championship so that they might come back to Western Australia and improve the overall standard of sailing of fleets here – has shown significant rewards and is still our mission today. The Foundation has now given more than $1 million over the past 40 years to encourage and support sailing excellence in WA. That is a lot of money – and it shows a huge amount of support from the sailing community over that time, through club and personal donations.

Thursday night at Nedlands Yacht Club for their annual awards, the Foundation handed out over $100,000 to 54 sailors, yacht clubs and class associations. This took the form of some personal grants to individual sailors to encourage and facilitate excellence in their competitive sailing programmes. In return, they will be expected to ‘pay back’ to the Foundation and the sport in the form of posting reports on our website and mentoring/coaching other up-and-coming sailors in WA.

Grants to various WA yacht clubs took the form of supporting coaching programmes, purchasing safety equipment such as radios, lifejackets and buoys, a triple-stack Optimist trolley and half of a coaching RIB for Dunsborough Bay Yacht Club, to a donation to assist the establishment of a new Sailing Hub in Port Hedland.

A new initiative to support the various class associations and our fabulous hard-working and enthusiastic WA coaches, has proven to be very popular. Six youth pathway classes fitted the Foundation's criteria and received sponsorship to run a weekend’s RTYF Pre-Nationals Coaching Clinic programme in November/December last year. WA Results definitely showed consistent improvement at the various national championships in January! Six other classes were interested but unable to participate, and we hope to be able to support them this year.

The Foundation also works with Yachting WA and Australian Sailing to encourage and foster increased participation and support for sailing in WA. However, we need every member of the WA sailing community to support us, either through donations to our website rontoughyachtingfoundation.com.au or by getting involved and motivating others to get out on the water - and have fun!

This year’s major winners are;

Harry and Jack Joiner for their sailing in the 29er fleet.

Silver Medallist and Scholarship: Michael Compton

Gold Medallist for Outstanding Contribution: Bill Steele for his work with the Etchells with 28 World Championships and time served as the Chairman of International Governors of Etchell fleet.

Gold Medallist for Outstanding Performance: Cameron Owen and Suzzi Ghent aboard the Hobie 16’s, their latest win was whilst Suzzi competed with a seriously broken hand.