THE SQUADRON: A MAJOR FORCE IN BOATING PARTICIPATION

The Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron (RQYS) was ‘born’ in 1885 when a group of people interested in water sports formed the Brisbane Sailing Club. By 1894, the restriction of ‘Brisbane’ was adjusted and the club took the title of Queensland Yacht Club.

In 1902 His Majesty, King Edward VII bestowed the title ‘Royal’ on the club and, in 1961, Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II approved a change of name to the Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron.

The club occupied various premises in and near the centre of Brisbane prior to moving to Manly for both clubhouse and sporting activities in 1964.

Now sixty years later the Club has developed into an impressive boating precinct in its own right with expansive marina, boatyard, launching facilities, wet and dry storage for boats, rigging areas and lawns, and modern facilities for administration and hospitality.

With the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games sailing regatta identified to be sailed on the adjacent waters of Moreton Bay, there is sure to be growing interest in boating and sailing out of Manly. For this reason we thought it opportune to ask club CEO Karen Baldwin a few questions.

How many members do you have today and how many people do you think go sailing and boating from the club in total each year?

As at end of August 2024, the Squadron has 3,836 members. Of those, 2892 (75%) are full members, junior members or crew members and are considered to be relatively active in either boating, sailing or general Squadron events and activities during each year.

Our marina has 597 wet berths and in addition, 200 trailer hardstand bays and a further 180 dinghy racks and hardstand space available.

When it comes to the social benefits, what are some of the facilities and services you provide to members and visiting sailors?

Facilities offered and available to Members of the Squadron are many and include:

• A large and spacious Club House with a very popular waterfront bistro offering casual style dining, a café, bar and four function rooms which can accommodate from 10 to 200 people

• A 90-seat auditorium which is ideal for award nights, event briefings and regular Club presentations

• A 597 berth floating marina catering for vessels from 10 –33.5m mono and multi-hull vessels

• VIP Visitor berthing for up to 6 vessels – available for special events & regatta participants

• 200-bay hardstand storage for boats on trailers

• 15-bay Boatyard for vessel maintenance, and 2 x travel lift operations with capacity up to 30 tonne and 47 tonne respectively

• 24/7 public fuel pontoon with discounts for Squadron members

• Extensive parking facilities for member and visitor vehicles, trailers and vessels

• Manly Marina Cove Motel – 39 rooms with several dedicated for family suites. Guests staying at the motel, are also welcome to enjoy all the Squadron F&B facilities

• a dedicated Marine Sports Amenities building with a gym, showers, toilet & change room facilities also provision for people with disabilities.

• unique space of five large rigging lawns which are critical when hosting state, national and international regattas and championships. One of these rigging lawns is specifically set aside for use by the junior learn to sail participants as it provides a safe and easily accessible area for parents and instructors to maintain close contact and visibility with the youth

• Windsurfing Centre of Excellence - located directly adjacent to the Eastern Beach and supervised by some of our Senior Instructors. Close entry point to Moreton Bay and secure storage for equipment

• Sailing Academy – this building contains a training centre for off-water orientation, inductions and coaching sessions, and also accommodates our Administration officers for the Academy and Head Coach

• BBQ Pavilions – there are three areas located on our site and these are available for members and regatta participants to use during their events and are often the location for post-event presentations

• “The Look-Out” – an elevated grand-stand overlooking Moreton Bay and provides an excellent vantage point for members, spectators and visitors to view the on-water action

• Four launching ramps – two suitable for car trailer launching and two only for dinghy launching ramps

• Camping ground – convenient for anyone attending regattas and looking for tent or caravan space. Can accommodate approx. 10-12 tents or 6 caravans, depending on their size. Laundry, shower and toilet amenities are available in five different locations around the site

• Storage Lockers – a secured locked facility for members wishing to store personal items on site

• Trade Centre – a building dedicated to our member trade operators, providing easy access to a number of boat related trades for members

• Australian Sailing (Qld) Building – easy access for our members wishing to gain information from sailing’s governing authority.

In a typical year, how many regattas do you host and how many people would attend as participants and supporters?

On average, the Squadron would host around at least 12 major Regatta or Championship events each year including State, National and even World Championships. In 2024, the Squadron hosted the OK Dinghy Worlds with over 110 sailors competing, and other events included Laser and Optimist Nationals. In January 2025, we will be hosting three ‘back to back’ regattas with the Laser, Optimists and 18’ classes and in 2026, hosting another World Championship with the Finn Fleet.

What sort of economic benefit for the local and State economy can arise from some of the larger regattas?

Any time an event is hosted at the Squadron, there is always a flow-on benefit to local businesses for accommodation, shopping and restaurants. It is difficult to quantify this into actual dollars, but a good example was the OK Dinghy World event held in February 2024, the sailors were here for almost 2 weeks and as well as spending time here in Manly, they also took the opportunity to travel to other destinations and states.

To run a club of this size, approximately how many people are employed directly and indirectly?

The Squadron currently employs a team of around 30 fulltime, part-time and casual staff for administration, marina operations, sailing operations and activities and general grounds and maintenance. The Hospitality team fluctuates to suit the changing seasons as well as high and low demand periods, and special events and this team can vary between 15-35 staff at any cont p12 time. We also have more than 100 active volunteers registered and trained to assist with race management, facilities and general support.

The club is very much a destination for all forms of boating, what are some of the club’s features that are open to the general boating public?

Visitors are welcome to use all Squadron services provided they follow the normal club sign-in procedure. Casual berthing is available at a fee for non-members and the fee includes security gate pass and access to all the marina facilities. Our friendly marina office team can provide assistance and information to ensure all visitors are made to feel welcome.

With the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games on the horizon, what opportunities do you see to grow boating and boating participation in the region?

Excitement is already building around the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games for all sports but our focus is obviously on sailing. Boating in SEQ is already one of the busiest regions for boating in all forms, and capacity at marinas and boat storage facilities are mostly close to 100%. So, to grow boating we need to be looking at locations or facilities which have the potential to expand or develop boat storage to meet the expected increase in demand. Over the next 8 years, we also expect to see an increase in requests for the hosting of regattas to enable teams from other countries to experience the conditions which Brisbane and particularly, Moreton Bay offers.

The challenge for the Olympics is being able to provide sufficient and adequate space for both the participating fleets, the support vessels, the race management vessels and all the associated equipment. Lots of planning, preparation and understanding what is required will be key to the success of sailing at the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games.

Learn more about the at Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron via rqys.com.au.