From the President

It’s been fantastic to see the club buzzing over the past few weeks! I’ve especially loved watching kids sharpen their skills in their favorite boats while others step up to try new classes—keep it up!

We’re also thrilled to announce that the club will be hosting Opti Chicks on 20-21 September. If you’re keen to get involved, mark your calendars and stay tuned for more details. It’s going to be an incredible weekend!

Happy sailing,
Matt.

Club racing

HHSC Season 2024-2025 Calendar

Results - Hunters Hill Sailing Club

Learn2Sail

Term 1 Learn2Sail is in full swing! Our Learn2Sail Teens and Tweens group (1-3pm) has been focusing on understanding each role in the boat and experimenting with new sailing partners, while our Learn2Race group (3-5pm) is honing race strategies and teamwork. Many of our Learn2Race sailors are already looking ahead to the new season, with some beginning their transition into senior classes like 29ers and ILCAs—best of luck! We look forward to seeing you at weekly squad training and Sunday racing.

Schedule Update:

• Saturday, 8 March – Teens and Tweens classes are cancelled due to the ILCA Metro Regatta at HHSC. Parents have been notified via email.

• Sunday, 9 March – Learn2Sail classes will run as scheduled.

L2S Pro group (Louis, Jasper, Bogdana, Paige and Edith pictured) 📸 Belle Parker

Upcoming Try Sailing and Learn2Sail events 

Register on the club website’s events page for upcoming events and please promote our Try Sailing and Learn2Sail programs to your community networks! 

Try Sailing: 

Saturday 1st March 9:00am - 11:00am

Saturday 22 March, 9:00am - 11:00am

These are our final try-sailing sessions until September, so if you have family or friends interested in joining the club from the commencement of the annual membership period on 1 April, encourage them to register ASAP!

Camps: 

Registration for our 13-17 April Camps is now open for registration on our events page.

Optimist Fleet

Sunday Racing Recap & Important Updates

We had a fantastic Sunday of racing on 23 February, with a course that made full use of the available water, meanwhile coach Caitlin practiced starts with the Greenfleeters on the course.

Reminder: Signing on and off is crucial! We must be consistent with this as it’s both a key safety measure and a potential cause for disqualification if not completed. Please prioritise this!

Upcoming Events & Important Decisions

• 8-9 March – ILCA Metros at Hunters Hill

Hunters Hill will be hosting the ILCA Metros, a major ILCA regatta. This will impact Optimist training and racing, and we’ll need volunteers to assist before and during the event. More details to come.

• January 2026 – Optimist Nationals (Tasmania)

It may seem far away, but planning for Nationals in Tasmania is already underway! A poll has been sent out, and we need firm numbers to organise coaches, RIBs, transport, and logistics. Please update the poll with your commitment (definitely coming, maybe coming, or not coming) as we’ll be finalising plans soon.

• 5-6 April – NSW States

The NSW State Championships are just five weeks away! If you haven’t sorted accommodation yet, do so soon—availability is running out fast.

Stay tuned for more updates, and see you on the water! 

ILCA Fleet

Training Update

Training sessions have begun with a good turnout, especially on Saturdays. We have been drilling to hone skills, including sailing backwards to maintain position on the start line! 

Monarch of the River

We have raced as a club team at two of the races of the Monarch of the River series on 8 and 23 February and are currently leading. A solid turn-out for the upcoming event at home should see us claim another trophy!

The first race at Lane Cove was long—around 23.89 km! With gusty, shifty winds, it was a true test of endurance to make it to the finish line. There was no shortage of action—broken gear (including Richard Vowles' snapped mast), plenty of capsizes, and some sore legs the next day! The club finished with 31 points led by an outstanding performance from Sophie Borner Harrison in 1st place and Zac Howell in 2nd.

The second and third races, hosted by Greenwich Sailing Club, took place in spectacular conditions with 15-20+ knots of breeze.

• Race 1 Results:

Zac Howell – 2nd | Sophie – 3rd | Alex Parker – 4th | Patrick Hickton – 8th

• Race 2 Highlights:

Zac dominated, powering well ahead of the fleet to take 1st place in an impressive win. Alex and Sophie followed in 3rd and 4th, with Patrick in 8th. Kevin Burman put the club on the ILCA 6 scoreboard with a strong 5th place finish.

Finally a lesson for all sailors—always check that the bung is in the boat! Team captain Jason Borner may have learned this the hard way, providing the fleet with an unintentional submarine impression rather than a competitive race performance.

See you all at the next race! 

ILCA Regattas Open for Registration

2025 Metropolitan Championships 8-9 March 2025, Hunters Hill Sailing Club 

Newsletter

We welcome feedback and contributions via: Newsletter HHSC 

Have a great photo you’d like to share for use in the newsletter or on the club social media accounts? Send to photos@huntershillsailingclub.org.au or drop into the club’s Photos Whatsapp group.