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Australian Yachting Championships & Newcastle SailFest Regatta

Elite fleet set to contest australian yachting championships at newcastle sailfest regatta.

An elite fleet of offshore racing thoroughbreds is assembling at Newcastle Cruising Yacht Club (NCYC) this week ahead of the Australian Yachting Championships starting Friday, April 5, as part of the annual Newcastle SailFest Regatta.

Included will be a dozen tp52s, the largest ever gathering of these grand-prix yachts in australia, plus two mixed divisions that boast a number of highly credentialed state and club champions..

Race organisers at the NCYC believe it is the strongest offshore fleet ever to race in the region.

“We’ve held the Australian Yachting Championships previously but the event has grown in stature since then, and we’ve never had such a strong TP52 presence,” NCYC CEO Paul O’Rourke says.

“Secret Men’s Business [a TP52] has been trucked here from South Australia to defend its national title and will face Marcus Blackmore’s brand new Hooligan, along with a number of other top-flight contenders in that class.

“At the moment the Friday forecast is looking challenging but we’re looking forward to seeing some world-class racing both off the coast and inside the Harbour over the weekend.”

Weather-permitting, there will be an in-harbour start for the TP52s and offshore divisions from around 11.30am on Saturday, accompanied by a firing of Fort Scratchley’s 80-pound gun. Queens Wharf will provide the best vantage point as the yachts leave the port for an offshore passage race before returning to the finish.

“The recent Clipper Round the World Yacht Race start sparked incredible interest, and I think the Australian Yachting Championships start could surpass it. It’s a bigger fleet and the yachts are faster,” Paul O’Rourke adds.

“There will be an absolute buzz around the club too, and visitors are welcome to come and experience the excitement for themselves.”

As part of SailFest activities, spectators can also catch the historic ‘Cock of the Harbour’ race run by Stockton’s Port Hunter 16ft Sailing Skiff Club, with high-performance catamarans and dinghies vying to be crowned the fastest sailing boat on the harbour. Start time is around 2pm.

Families can also get involved on Saturday and Sunday, April 6-7, as kids aged 6 to 12 are invited to try sailing for free under the supervision of qualified instructors. The boats will launch immediately in front of the NCYC Clubhouse at 95 Hannell Street Wickham between 10am and 2pm.

The Australian Yachting Championships will kickstart a month-long sailing spectacle in the Hunter as the yachts then head to  Sail Port Stephens , also run under the auspices of the NCYC. Australia’s second-largest regatta, it spans three weekends from April 15 to May 5 and includes the iconic Commodore’s Cup, NSW Yachting Championships, and an off-the-beach series for dinghies and Windsurfers.

SailFest Newcastle Regatta is supported by the City of Newcastle and Transport for NSW. More information at  sailfest.com.au

by Mark Rothfield

YachtBoatNews

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Sailing Academy FAQs

The Newcastle Cruising Yacht Club’s Sailing Academy is an accredited “Discover Sailing Centre” of Australian Sailing , the national body for our sport.

RevSPORT is the online booking platform provided by Australian Sailing for all course bookings for NCYC Sailing Academy courses.

I don't have an Australian Sailing (AS) Number?

If you’re registering for a course or event and need an Australian Sailing Number (AS Number), it’s quite easy and FREE if you follow these few steps . . .

No need to enter any details yet, just go straight to select the SIGN UP button

Select that you are a NEW MEMBER

Entry your NAME, DATE OF BIRTH and GENDER to create your AS Number.

The steps from here on should be self explanatory . . .

Please remember if you are registering for a child , you must enter their details at this step so as to create their own AS Number.

If you have any trouble, please do not hesitate to give the Sailing Office a call on 4940 8188 or email us via [email protected]

What is an Australian Sailing (AS) Number?

An  Australian Sailing Number (AS Number) is the single identifier for all participants in Sailing nationally for membership, course participation and qualifications. Registering is quick, simple and doesn’t cost anything extra.  You will automatically receive an AS Number when registering for a sailing course.

The AS Number will remain as your unique identifier regardless of what level you come into the sport and what level you ultimately achieve.

Some of the benefits include:

• Enrolling in educational courses nationally
• Entering sailing and other events nationally
• Tracking your progress through the sport and keeping a record of your membership, courses and qualifications
• Access to Australian Sailing’s monthly e-newsletter  Nautical News
• Personal Accident insurance cover whilst your AS Number is current.

Each person needs their own individual AS Number, so for example, a child enrolling in a Tackers course needs their own AS Number, registration cannot be done using a parents AS Number.

You receive an AS Number as part of the process of registering for an Academy course or by becoming a General or Crew member of the Club.

Your AS Number and Training Membership covers you for the duration of your course and for a period of 3 months after the course finish date. For more details about membership of NCYC please click through to our Membership Information .

How do I apply my Active Kids voucher?

The NSW Government is helping kids get active with the new Active Kids program and Newcastle Cruising Yacht Club is pleased to be an approved provider.

Apply for your voucher  online here  with Service NSW.

Vouchers can be used for our Tackers and OutThere Sailing courses as well as any other open courses that children may choose to take.

The  16-digit voucher number  will need to be submitted at the time of registration.

You must also please use the discount code  active50 in the payment screen when registering to deduct the $50.

I missed a session, can I catch up?

Our Courses/Events will be conducted on the date(s) as listed on the registration portal.  Please ensure you are able to attend the session(s) prior to registering.

Unable to Attend a Session

If you are aware that you will be unable to attend a session, we request that you contact the Sailing Academy via  [email protected] before the session is due to commence.  This will help to prevent our instructors holding up the group whilst waiting for you to arrive.

Terms & Conditions – Refunds and Course/Event Transfers

Due to ncyc postponement or reschedule.

On occasion, due to adverse weather conditions, we are required to postpone and reschedule sessions. We will organise to catch up the missed session in accordance with our Terms & Conditions .

Scheduled Catch Up Sessions for Keelboat Courses

NCYC will schedule a ‘Keelboat Catch Up Session’ approximately once a month during Spring & Summer and less frequently during Autumn & Winter.

Please refer to the Catch Up Session Schedule to see upcoming dates and to book a place.

Our standard Terms & Conditions apply to these sessions including, refunds/reschedules.

It's windy/raining, am I still sailing?

Generally, courses still run, we may need to hold an on-shore practical/theory session if we can’t get on the water.

If for some reason a session is cancelled or needs to be rescheduled,  we will endeavour to get in touch via e-mail at least 2 hours before. If you do not receive an email, please assume we are going ahead and we will assess the conditions at the time of the session.

Should we have to reschedule we will work with you to find a suitable catch-up date – the process differs depending upon the course in which you are registered. 

What is your Refund Policy?

Please refer to our NCYC Sailing Academy Terms & Conditions – Refunds and Course/Event Transfers for full details

Is parking available onsite?

If you are coming by car you are welcome to park in the NCYC car park (this is however a Council restricted 2-hour parking area) or park across the bridge at Carrington and enjoy the short walk back over the bridge.

Course participants are offered a parking pass for the NCYC car park as part of your enrolment and you can collect one from your Instructor. Please ensure this is completed and displayed correctly as Council Rangers do regularly patrol the car park and surrounding areas.

Another option is to come by train/light rail as the Wickham Interchange is a pleasant short walk from the Club.

Can I purchase a course as a gift?

We are pleased to offer gift vouchers for ALL of our courses at the Sailing Academy.

Options are available from $55 through to $450 and can be created for an individual, a couple, the grandkids, a family or a group of friends… we are happy to work with you to create a unique offering.

Vouchers can be laminated and posted, collected at the Clubhouse, or emailed as a .pdf file to be on-forwarded to the recipient or printed at home.

The vouchers are created for a specific type of course and left open for the recipient to choose the course date(s) that suit them best from our scheduled courses.

Some options available:

• Discover Sailing Experience (weekend 3-hour ‘taste’ of sailing) – $80 per person, or $240 for a booking of 4 people
• Women’s Sailing 4-week learn-to-sail course – $210
• “Tackers” kids learn-to-sail course (school term program or school holiday block) – $315 to $340
• “OutThere Sailing” teen sailing experiences (one day to full school holiday program) – from $85 to $325
• Friday Twilight Sailing single session – $55
• Family Sailing Adventure single session for four family members – $200
• 4-week nationally accredited  Start Crewing course – $375

Payment can be made by credit/debit card (VISA or MasterCard) over the phone.

All vouchers are valid for 3 years from date of purchase.

Contact us via [email protected] to arrange your voucher.

Terms & Conditions

Accredited training course terms & conditions – issued by australian sailing, ncyc sailing academy terms & conditions – refunds and course/event transfers, ncyc sailing academy terms & conditions – acknowledgment, waiver & risk warning, parental consent, club policies & statements, member protection policy, privacy policy, child safety policy, statement of commitment to child safety, child safety code of conduct, child safety reporting, child safety incident report, personal injury insurance, network steadfast, covid safety.

Participant COVID-19 Health & Safety Guidelines

Sailing academy covid-19 refund policy.

We welcome your questions and offer our assistance with course enrolment – please contact the Sailing Academy on [email protected]