Yacht clubs around Australia have no shortage of big boats or people. Hardstands and marinas are full, and there are many members on the books. So how do you activate them and grow big boat racing? 

For a start, plan something fun. Social and non-competitive sailing should be recognised by clubs and promoted as valued participation options. There are many examples of this around Australia. Hamilton Island Race Week in the hot north of Queensland has no shortage of take up, nor does the Kettering Yacht Club’s Pipe Opener series in the cold south of Tasmania. What makes them stand out? They’re fun.

Whilst both events have their share of elite sailors and highly competitive yachts, taking a step back and looking at the overall context, one can easily see they’re social destinations using a regatta as the medium to make it happen.

These social and non-competitive sailing experiences will attract new people who might prefer flexible membership options. There are many clubs in Australia who use SailPass to capture these people who want to sail, but don’t (yet) want to join the club on a full year’s membership. Use SailPass to get them in and onto boats.

Boat owners and their crew might enjoy a destination sail, rather than a compressed bottom gate mark with the prerequisite yelling and carry on. Maybe a raft up and swim. The swim won’t be happening in Kettering, sure, but maybe somewhere further north. So, innovate, try new formats and delivery models. Provide offerings which are purposeful and tailored to your local community.

These events can still be scored, and it doesn’t matter whether it is a rating system or performance based handicapping. Do whatever it takes to engender interest and tap into peoples’ natural motivations.

Importantly, make sure your club delivers welcoming, inclusive, and high-quality experiences. This largely hinges on the people running the sailing, almost invariably volunteers. Upskill, support, and celebrate your volunteers, provide them practical resources, training, and recognition. Develop your people who provide the sailors their experience at the event. If your business provides good customer service, you have a greater chance of keeping and increasing your customer base. Fancy that.

The reader might have noted that the Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club won the Category A Club of the Year Award in November 2025. What was it that they were doing that was so special to win such prestigious recognition? Growing big boat racing was a big part of it. They have:

•    Established keelboat program that helps adults and juniors enter big boat sailing.
•    Embedded the use of SailPass allowing cost-free access which then serves as a pathway to membership.
•    Created innovative events such as their 100% Day to reactivate members.
•    Promoted these innovative events by writing to members and asking them to join in.
•    Enhanced twilight social sailing with great hospitality and crew-finder tools to activate big boats.
•    Added live entertainment, complimentary post-race food and new lounge furnishings for a vibrant club.

Ultimately, these things combined to drive participation and retention.

The Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club still runs the highly competitive championships. These include the Dragon National Championships, the Warren Jones International Youth Match Racing Regatta, Bunbury & Return Ocean Race and standard setting BW8 Galactic Cup. It might be noted that champions like the most successful female sailor in Olympic history, Dutch icon Marit Bouwmeester, or Australia’s own Tom Slingsby have never won the BW8 Galactic Cup, so tightly contested it is.

But the lesson is that clubs need not rely on these highly competitive events to grow big boat racing. There is so much they can do in so many other ways.

For volunteers’ and officials’ training, click here.
For ratings used to score big boat racing, click here.
A ‘quality experience’ checklist can be seen here.
To learn about scoring and handicapping, do  this online course.

By Glen Stanaway