Hervey Bay Sailing Club

The Hervey Bay Sailing Club was formed in 1968 by a small group of local sailors who simply wanted a place to sail together. At the time there was no sailing club in the area, so they created one themselves.

For the first six seasons the “clubhouse” was nothing more than a tent erected on the beach each Sunday. Despite these humble beginnings, the club quickly grew in popularity as more sailors joined the fleet.

In 1974 the local Council approved plans for a permanent clubhouse on the club’s present site. The land was originally leased for surf lifesaving purposes, and the sailing club building was planned in two stages. That same year, club volunteers constructed the first half of the existing boatshed.

The current Hervey Bay Sailing Club clubhouse was completed in 1977 when the club hosted Australian Catamaran Week. Since then the club has hosted numerous State, National and International sailing events.

Many monohull classes have raced from the club including Herons, Tasars, Corsairs, Sabots, MG14s and Lasers, along with catamaran classes such as Cobras, A-Class, Nacras and Arrows. In 1990–1991, the club proudly hosted the first Nacra Catamaran World Championship.

In 1981 the club held the inaugural Bay to Bay Yacht Race, which has since grown to become Queensland’s largest trailable yacht race. The 19th Bay to Bay in 1999 attracted a record fleet of 230 trailable yachts sailing from Tin Can Bay to Hervey Bay.

In November 2018 the club successfully hosted the inaugural A-Class Classic World Championship, held alongside the A-Class World Championship, which is now dominated by the foiling discipline.

Through its strong support of the sport of sailing, the Hervey Bay Sailing Club has developed a proud tradition of family participation and has earned a nationwide reputation for excellence in race management. The club continues to make a valuable contribution to the local community and to the sport of sailing in Australia.

With the continued support of members, volunteers and the wider community, the club looks forward to growing and hosting major sailing events for many years to come.