$15 million St George Sailing Club

St George Sailing Club was set to close its doors until cross-harbour rivals Manly16ft Skiff Club came to the rescue. Here’s how an unlikely alliance grew into a powerhouse.

It’s fair to say both parties eyed each other with some scepticism and wariness when Manly 16ft Skiff Club emerged as the leading candidate to take over the fi nancially stricken St George Sailing Club a decade ago.

Some rusted-on St George members were concerned the cashed-up “blow-ins” from the Northern Beaches would eradicate the club’s past, bullishly steamrolling their way onto “their” turf.

On the Manly side of the equation, several members questioned why the club would risk jumping into bed with a struggling club on the other side of town.

The Manly board ignored the naysayers, took a deep breath and made the biggest call in the club’s 100-year history.

“I’m not sure what you’d call the decision – stupid or gutsy?” Manly 16ft Skiff Club President, Rolf Cohen, said with a laugh after the offi cial opening of the brand-new St George Sailing Club in late August.

“Both sides took a risk and both sides had to learn to trust each other.”

The $15m project – designed by Jon Jacka Architects and built by Join Constructions over three years - is a game-changer for both clubs.

It’s Manly’s fi rst commercial venture outside its traditional base and sits neatly in its charter to marry a successful licensed venue while propagating sailing across a range of classes.

For St George members and the local community, they have witnessed a stunning phoenix rise from the ashes.

Sitting over Botany Bay and the Georges River at Sans Souci, the club offers stunning views in three directions, two bars, a bistro with a seafood-inspired menu, extensive drinks list, a multipurpose function room and resort-style outdoor decking.

Stylish boat storage areas at the entrance to the club enhances the overall feel, seamlessly blending old and new.

The Andrew family is synonymous with St George Sailing Club; the connection going back three generations.

Jack Andrew was less than a week old when he fi rst visited the club and, more than 40 years later, is now the sailing manager, acting as a conduit between Manly and St George. “We were looking at a million dollars’ worth of debt. Renovations were needed to make it a viable venue, and there was no way the club was going to trade its way out of it,” he said of the old St George premises.

“It had turned into a country pub-style place where you’d drop in for a couple of schooners and bet on the horses.

“It’s amazing the amount of interest in the new club. Just from the word on the street, it’s already the place to be.

“If 10 percent of the people who have told me they will go actually go, the club will be packed every night.”

Manly has used its Northern Beaches venue as the blueprint for St George, replicating the menu and drinks list and adopting Executive Chef Justin Wong and Head Chef Jono Dobbin to run the kitchen.

Venue Manager John Tsambouniaris will be stationed at St George after 22 years at both clubs, while longserving Secretary-Manager Matt Hazell will split his time between the two during the bedding-in process.

“This project has had a few different iterations, and the one we came up with at the end was to try and build a new version of Manly that ticked all the boxes,” Hazell said.

“If it ain’t broke, don’t fi x it. It’s almost a franchise-type thing where we get to replicate Manly but do it in a bigger kitchen with a bigger bar area and fl oor space.” Beaches COVERED. was a guest at the offi cial launch party and can report almost 100 percent satisfaction among patrons.

The emotion when key fi gures from Manly and St George spoke on opening night was palpable. The project clearly one borne out of mutual respect and a love for sailing.

“I get overwhelmed by the amount of people who come up and say ‘thankyou Manly, this is amazing, you’ve saved us’,” Cohen said.

“But this really comes from a love of sailing for me and most of the people involved in the amalgamation.

“We explained to them at the outset that at Manly, it’s not just about making money. It’s about skiff sailing as well.

“I think they can see that we’ve been true to our word. The area has this fantastic new facility for the whole community to enjoy, while sailing also prospers.”

With members enjoying reciprocal rights to both clubs, plans are underway to implement a transport system to ferry patrons between the two venues. •

“JUST FROM THE WORD ON THE STREET, IT’S ALREADY THE PLACE TO BE.”

ST GEORGE SAILING CLUB // 2 RIVERSIDE DRIVE, SANS SOUCI // (02) 9529 4911 FB: @STGEORGESAILING INSTA: @STGEORGESAILINGCLUB // www.stgeorgesailingclub.com.au