4 minute read
100 Years of Manly Skiff Club
Sailing into 100 years of fun
When the Manly 16ft Skiff Club was granted its first liquor licence in the1960s, you had to know someone who knew someone before you could even think about setting foot in the premises.
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MANLY SAILING CLUB MEMBERS CIRCA 1928 MANLY SAILING CLUB CIRCA 1928 PHOTOS COURTESY OF NORTHERN BEACHES LIBRARY SERVICES
And that person better have their member’s key with them because long before swipe cards, that was the only way to actually gain access.
They only drank one beer; Miller’s because the brewery of the same name owned the licence – and as for food, well, you better pack a few sandwiches because there was no menu.
“To receive the licence, the layout of the club had to be altered to provide a library, games room, ladies’ toilets and separate dining room. We had to recruit a large number of associate members (100-odd) to build numbers to the required level,” former Treasurer Dick Hanlon recalled.
“This necessitated nominating and seconding and paying for our mothers, fathers, wives and girlfriends.
“After a lot of hard work and many anxious moments, we were fi nally licensed.
“Looking back with hindsight, it was the correct course of action to take and we have all prospered – in sailing and social terms – as a result.”
The licence was indeed a game changer for a club that up until that stage had been the base for local sailing since staging its fi rst race on February 25, 1923.
Five years on from that initial race, the Manly Sailing Club (later morphing into the Manly 16ft Skiff Sailing Club) opened its offi cial headquarters, a basic wooden structure designed and built by members from money raised by social functions and fi ve-pound debentures.
Those early pioneers would be staggered to see the progress the club has made since those formative years.
As it prepares to celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2023, the “Skiffi es” is now recognised as one of Sydney’s must-visit venues and a true Northern Beaches treasure.
You no longer need to whisper in the right ear to get in, with more than 8,000 members enjoying fi rst-class food and drinks while looking out on unbeatable waterfront views. Life member, Peter St John, is one of the club’s genuine characters, his association stretching back more than half a century through sailing and the licensed club.
You’ll fi nd “Saint” and his table of regulars at the club a few afternoons a week; his schooner encased in his personal leather stubby holder.
“I can remember everyone who came here got a shocking headache from the beer because Miller’s was the only thing to drink,” he recalled with a laugh.
“The old joint looked like a shoebox compared to this. It was pretty basic and it was just sailing people who came here.
“Look at it now – you can hardly move in here some days.”
Northern Beaches, Mayor Michael Regan, is one of the many tens of thousands to visit the club each year.
He told Beaches COVERED., “One hundred years is a remarkable achievement. The club is an amazing part of our local heritage and continues to be as relevant today as it was no doubt 100 years ago.
“I am a semi-regular there and love the location as much as anyone else. Congratulations to those that continue to run the club and good luck for the next 100 years.”
Club President, Rolf Cohen, added, “We are very proud to be celebrating 100 years of sailing in the Manly area. “We have grown with the community over that century and would like to think we have made a major contribution, both on and off the water.
“Our predecessors showed great foresight in securing the premises we’re now on all those years ago, and we are very mindful of honouring and adding to their legacy.
“We hope to see as many people down here as possible to help celebrate what will be a massive centenary year in 2023.”
The highlight of centenary celebrations will be the hosting of the Australian 16ft Skiff Championships from January 7-14.
The best 16ft skiff sailors in the country will converge in Manly for the weeklong regatta, with Manly skipper Nathan Wilmot looking to make back-to-back national titles aboard Typhoon.
Check out www.manlyskiff.com.au for all the latest on centenary year celebrations. •
MANLY 16FT SKIFF SAILING CLUB // CNR EAST ESPLANADE & STUART ST, MANLY (02) 9977 3322 // INSTA + FB: @MANLYSKIFF //
