As the summer season wraps up, we’re shifting into an exciting winter program across all fleets featuring racing and regular training to keep our sailors active, engaged, and progressing. From end-of-season celebrations to updated training schedules — please read on for important updates and opportunities for all levels of our sailing community.

The newsletter will take a break over the school holidays and be back on 30 April.

From the President

That’s a wrap on the 2024/2025 season!

A huge thank you to all the parents and volunteers who make our club what it is — your dedication has been key to our success over the past 12 months.

We’re excited to celebrate together at the annual awards dinner on 24 May. Don’t miss out — grab your tickets before they sell out!

Membership renewals for 2025/2026 now open

Our renewal program for the upcoming season is underway, and it’s important that all members renew promptly. Membership fees are a vital source of funding for the club, and timely renewals ensure insurance coverage is maintained.

Please note: Invoices are not issued. Head to our website to complete your renewal.

A few key reminders:

• Parent membership: Every sailor must have an adult parent/guardian as a member. A second adult parent can join free of charge.

• Boat Insurance: All boats must have current third-party liability insurance. Please upload your insurance certificate and update your policy number when renewing.

• Licences and checks: If you or your child holds a boat licence or a Working With Children (WWC) number, be sure to update the number and expiry date during the renewal process.

• Boat storage: There have been technical issues on the website regarding boat storage, but storage fees still apply and are payable.

• Class association fees: Some classes (e.g. Optimists via NSWIODA) require an annual membership fee. These are set by the association, not the club.

Thanks again for being part of the community — let’s make 2025/2026 another fantastic season!

From the Commodore

End of season update & winter sailing ahead

While it was a disappointing end to the season with the final Club Championships cancelled due to a strong southerly gale, we now shift gears into the winter training and racing schedule.

The Frostbite series dates will be confirmed at next week’s sailing committee meeting and added to the club calendar — but you can expect racing to kick off on the first Sunday of each month, with the first warning signal at 9am.

Racing highlights: club sailors shine locally and globally

Our sailors have been out in force, proudly representing the club across NSW — and even internationally — with fantastic results.

Monarch of the River – ILCA fleet victory

Congratulations to our ILCA fleet for successfully defending our title at the Monarch of the River, competing against Lane Cove Sailing Club, Greenwich Sailing Club, and Greenwich Flying Squadron. The club hosted the final race, supported by a fantastic team of volunteers — thank you to all who helped make it happen!

Class secretary and Monarch of the River team captain Jason Borner with Zac and Sophie 📸 Tanya

13 HHSC ILCA sailors competed in at least one round. In the ILCA 4 fleet, HHSC swept the podium:

• First: Zac Howell

• Second: Sophie Borner-Harrison

• Third: Ben Phillips

Sophie also placed second overall, with Zac taking out the overall Monarch of the River title.

Huge congratulations to the entire ILCA team!

ILCA Women’s Regatta – Vaucluse Yacht Club

Our ILCA girls had a strong showing at the 2025 ILCA Women’s Regatta:

• Randi Horstrup – 2nd Under 21 (ILCA 6)

• Sophie Borner-Harrison – 4th Overall (ILCA 4)

Fantastic results — well done, Randi and Sophie!

Amelia, Sophie and Randi 📸 Tanya

2024 NSW Optimist State Championships – Lake Macquarie

Our Optimist fleet travelled north, coached by ex-Opti sailor Thomas Quinlan, and delivered impressive performances:

• HHSC girls swept the Open Fleet podium

• Alex finished 2nd in the Intermediate Fleet

• Ellery sailed in her very first regatta in the Green Fleet

Amazing work by all our Opti sailors — and special shout-out to Ellery for taking to the start line for the first time!

Astrid, Sijia and Kirra 📸 Sean Maguire

Sylvie Stannage, Matthew Quinlan & Stella Hurley – world stage representation

Former Opti sailors Sylvie Stannage, Stella Hurley and Matthew Quinlan made us proud at the 54th Princess Sophia Regatta in Palma de Mallorca — the first event of the 2025 Sailing Grand Slam and a key step toward the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. Sylvie raced in the ILCA 6 fleet, and achieved the following:

• Personal best 29th overall in ILCA 6 (out of 114)

• 4th Australian female — a fantastic result with potential Australian squad implications!

Sylvie in action 📸 Chris Stannage

Matt raced in the IQFoil boards and worked his way into the regatta as the winds stabilised, 

• Finishing 86th of 111

• 5th Australian male

Stella raced in the Women’s FX Skiff event with her skipper, Seisa. The team finished 31st of 46, nabbing a win in the final race of silver sleet finals.

Team downtime 📸 Chris Stannage

Also at the regatta were former HHSC junior and youth sailors Rhiannon Brown and her skipper Brin Liddell, and Brin’s older brother Jake — all competing in the mad speed of the Nacra 17 foiling catamaran. Rhiannon and Brin represented Australia at the Paris 2024 Olympics. 

Sylvie and Matt’s next stop: the French Olympic Week (Semaine Olympique Française) in Hyères from 19–26 April. Best of luck, Sylvie and Matt — we’re cheering for you!

From club champions to international contenders, it’s been an incredible season of sailing. Thanks again to all our volunteers, families, and supporters — we couldn’t do it without you. Here’s to a successful winter series and more great sailing ahead!

Club racing

HHSC_Season_2024-2025_Calendar.xlsx

Results - Hunters Hill Sailing Club

Learn2Sail

End of term 1 & what’s ahead for Learn2Sail

Last weekend marked the end of our term 1 Learn2Sail classes — well done to all our young sailors on a fantastic start to the year! We wish you and your families a Happy Easter, and we’re looking forward to welcoming you back for term 2.

As the weather cools, please remember that club wetsuits and spray jackets are available for use during training sessions to help keep everyone warm and comfortable.

L2S 📸 Belle Parker

School holiday fun – spots still available!

Looking for a last-minute school holiday activity? We still have places available for our April Holiday Sailing Camp (13–17 April) — a great way to stay active and improve sailing skills over the break! Register here

Term 2 classes – important info & how to register

Reminder: All Term 2 sailors must renew their club membership before registering for classes. Membership & registration: Click here

Please note:

• Renewing your membership does not automatically enrol your sailor in Term 2 classes.

• Although weekend classes are included in the annual fee, separate registration is required so we can manage class sizes and coaching allocations.

• For insurance and safety reasons, sailors must be registered at least 48 hours before class starts — otherwise, they’ll be asked to return the following week.

How to renew membership & register for classes

1. Register your child as either:

• “Youth Member” ($580 – includes Learn2Sail), or

• “Teens & Tweens Learn2Sail & Learn2Race” ($850).                                                                                                 You can use a $100 NSW Active Kids Voucher to reduce the fee.                                                                          Also register yourself as a “Non-Sailing Adult” ($145).                                                                                      Register here
  

2. Once memberships are complete, log in to the club website (top right corner). This will unlock access to all members-only training programs. Click “Account” in the top right menu.
   

3. Head to “Training Sessions”:
   View and book classes
   Select the session you’d like to sign up for.

Need help? We’re here to assist — just email learn2sail@huntershillsailingclub.org.au and we’ll happily register your child manually.

Teens and Tweens L2S adventure sail to Gladesville Bridge 📸 Belle Parker

Optimist Fleet

NSW State Championships & Grand Prix series success

Astrid, Sijia, Luca, Alex and Kirra 📸 Alessio De Giosa

The NSW State Championships were held in Toronto last weekend, with a fantastic turnout of 18 club sailors across all fleets — 10 in Open, 7 in Intermediate, and Ellery representing us in Green Fleet — in a competitive field of 116 boats.

State Championship highlights:

In the Open Fleet, our girls dominated once again — congratulations to Astrid, Sijia, and Kirra for taking 1st, 2nd, and 3rd female overall!

In the Intermediate Fleet, Alex sailed brilliantly to take 2nd place overall.

Ellery proudly flew the club flag in Green Fleet, gaining valuable race experience at her first big event.

NSWIODA Grand Prix series results:

(Overall rankings based on results across all events this season)

Open Fleet Grand Prix winners:

• Luca – 1st Overall

• Sijia – 1st Female

• Astrid – 3rd Female

Intermediate Fleet Grand Prix podium:

• Edward – 2nd Male

• Cleo – 2nd Female

Incredible effort from all our sailors — we’re so proud of your dedication, progress, and sportsmanship throughout the season.

A massive thank you to Julian, Alessio, and Tom for their on-water coaching and support — your guidance continues to inspire and develop the next generation of club sailors.

 Summer Optimist program wrap-up & winter sailing schedule

The Summer Optimist training and racing program has officially wrapped up following the NSW State Championships held on 5–6 April 2025. Well done to all our sailors on an incredible season of growth, competition, and fun on the water!

Don’t forget to join us for our Club Championships celebration and awards night on 24th May — we look forward to celebrating the achievements of all our young sailors.

Winter training schedule

Formal training resumes after the school holidays, starting the week of 28 April 2025. The sessions are as follows:

• Open Fleet Training – Saturdays at 1:00pm

• All Fleets Training – Sundays at 9:00am

Sailors are always welcome to come down and sail their boats outside of these sessions — as long as there's daylight and safe conditions!

Winter racing

In addition to training, we’ll be running two exciting winter racing series:

Club Frostbite series:

• Monthly Sunday morning racing at HHSC

• First warning signal: 9:00am

• Dates to be confirmed — stay tuned for the full calendar!

Winterclub series – interclub racing:

An opportunity to race at fantastic Sydney venues alongside sailors from other clubs.

Provisional 2025 Winterclub schedule:

• 22 June – Woollahra Sailing Club

• 27 July – Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron

• 24 August – Hunters Hill Sailing Club

• 7 September (TBC) – Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club

ILCA Fleet

ILCA winter training update

As we move into the winter season, our ILCA training program is shifting gears to keep everyone sharp both mentally and physically.

Thursday sessions – shore-based focus:

Thursday training will move on land, with a focus on:

• Tactics and race strategy

• Physical fitness and conditioning to stay strong through the colder months

These sessions are a great way to build knowledge and resilience while staying engaged with your sailing goals.

Saturday sessions – on-water adventures:

Saturday training remains on the water, with:

• Rigging at 11:00am

• Extended sessions with longer sails out towards the heads, returning by no later than 4:00pm

This is a great opportunity to build endurance, explore new conditions, and level up your skills in open water.

Dress warm, bring your energy, and let’s make the most of winter training!

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.