• Home
  • News
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Local History
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise With Us
  • About Us
  • Subscribe
  • Read Our Newspapers Online
    • Read the Latest Western Port News
    • Read the Latest Mornington News
    • Read the Latest Southern Peninsula News
    • Read the Latest Frankston Times
    • Read the Latest Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News
  • Competition
Facebook Twitter Instagram
Trending
  • Catch of the decade
  • Season on the line for Seagulls
  • Pythons face an uphill battle, Redlegs stumble
  • Ketch blown ashore in Dromana
  • Early morning hit
  • Boxing world mourns loss of a champion
  • Successfully navigating the path of anxiety
  • Ryman abandons Mt Martha centre
Facebook Twitter
MPNEWSMPNEWS
  • Home
  • News
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Local History
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise With Us
  • About Us
  • Subscribe
MPNEWSMPNEWS
Home»Local History»Mornington Yacht Club sails into its 70th
Local History

Mornington Yacht Club sails into its 70th

By Stephen TaylorFebruary 8, 2016No Comments4 Mins Read
No frills: The clubhouse at Mornington Yacht Club in 1968.
Share
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email
On high: Mornington Yacht Club, and the filled land it sits on, present a striking sight from the air.
On high: Mornington Yacht Club, and the filled land it sits on, present a striking sight from the air.
No frills: The clubhouse at Mornington Yacht Club in 1968.
No frills: The clubhouse at Mornington Yacht Club in 1968.

MORNINGTON Yacht Club has come a long way since 11 interested residents met to discuss forming a sailing club in February 1946.

Members of the founding group wanted to sail their assorted collection of boats off Shire Hall beach. In May that year Mornington Council leased the group an ex-Army hut close to the pier. This served as the catalyst for development of competitive sailing in the district.

Now, 70 years later, the vibrant and diverse club with more than 750 members will hold an open day on the weekend of 20-21 February.

The Back to Mornington YC Weekend will be open to the public and past members are being encouraged to attend.

Features will include displays of historic photographs and boats, a 70th anniversary fleet race on the Saturday close to pier and shore viewing places, live music , free morning and afternoon tea, and opportunities to sail.

Back in the early days, the heavyweight Sharpie introduced in 1947 served as the backbone of the club for the next 10 years. Inter-club sailing took place between Black Rock, Mordialloc, Chelsea and Frankston yacht clubs. The Sharpie era culminated in the club holding a successful state championship in 1951.

In those days there was limited training for junior sailors other than learning the ropes as a bailer boy in Sharpies. This all changed in 1956 with the introduction of the Sabot as a training boat for juniors which was supported by a home-building program.

This became the foundation for the club and introduced hundreds of boys and girls to sailing as a sport.

For many years the Sabot fleet was the largest in the state and Mornington members won six state titles and two Australian championships.

In the past 10 years or so the Sabot has been replaced by the Optimist with similar success.

In 1964 the club had 156 members, a number which increased rapidly following a grant of reclaimed land near the pier on which a new clubhouse was built.

New classes were introduced, including the Gwen 12, Cherub, Fireball and Mirror dinghy as a family class.

The first Flying Fifteen in Australia sailed at Mornington and became one of the major classes at the club. Several are still sailing today and share the hard-stand area with a fleet of Etchells.

In the mid-1950s a strong keelboat fleet began at the club and ocean racing flourished with Mornington yachts winning divisions of the Sydney to Hobart, Queenscliff to Devonport, Melbourne to Hobart and Sydney to Noumea ocean races.

Keelboat racing is still important, with weekly races for two divisions of keelboats and for the strong trailable yacht fleet which continues to grow.

Club members have won around 20 state and five national titles and one world championship.

The club has also hosted several state, national and one world championship. Not all the sailing at Mornington is ultra-competitive and the club runs a Thursday evening twilight series in summer.

In 1999 club members established a Sailability program to provide sailing experience for those with disabilities. The program has run ever since with sessions held twice weekly throughout the sailing season. A participant has won a Victorian championship and sailed successfully in national and international events.

Training programs are also run for schoolchildren and anyone who wants to learn to sail.

Seventy years on and Mornington Yacht Club is a vibrant, active member of the Mornington community.

For details of the 70th anniversary weekend call 5975 7001.

First published in the Mornington News – 9 February 2016

Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email

Related Posts

Link to Napoleon was no small find

June 14, 2022

Hastings Primary School celebrates 150 years

March 15, 2022

Ronald John David Grant; family, farm, sport and community

March 1, 2022

Linking line draws crowds to Red Hill

November 29, 2021
Add A Comment

Comments are closed.

Weather
Aug 10, 2022 - Wed
Mornington, Australia
12°C
overcast clouds
overcast clouds
1 m/s, N
58%
765.82 mmHg
wed08/10 thu08/11 fri08/12 sat08/13 sun08/14
overcast clouds
11/11°C
light rain
11/10°C
light rain
13/10°C
light rain
13/10°C
moderate rain
13/10°C
Peninsula Essence Magazine

Click here to read

July 25, 2022
Peninsula Kids Magazine

Click here to read

May 26, 2022
Council Watch

Shire ‘committed’ to aged care

August 8, 2022

Shire not forced to drop aged care services

August 1, 2022
State Elections 2022

‘Justice’ for animals and climate

August 8, 2022

Peta Murphy wins second term in Dunkley

May 23, 2022

Shire accused of being off track with pledges

May 17, 2022
Interview

All aboard for murder mystery

July 25, 2022
Property of the Week

14 Lynch Court, Mt Martha

July 26, 2022
100 Years Ago This Week

Ketch blown ashore in Dromana

August 8, 2022
Contact
Street: 63 Watt Road, Mornington, 3931
Mailing: PO Box 588, Hastings, 3915
Menu
  • Home
  • News
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Local History
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise With Us
  • About Us
  • Subscribe
About

Established in 2006, Mornington Peninsula News Group (MPNG) is a locally owned and operated, independent media company.

MPNG publishes five weekly community newspapers: the Western Port News, Mornington News, Southern Peninsula News, Frankston Times and Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News.

MPNG also publishes two glossy magazines: Peninsula Essence and Peninsula Kids.

Facebook Twitter
© 2022 Mornington Peninsula News Group.

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.