Where do you want to see our club in 5, 10 15 years time? I would like to see Middle Harbour Yacht Club as the destination for Sailors who love our sport and wish to compete against the highest level of sailors run by professional race committee that is the envy of other clubs. Our location is and we know that.
I believe we need to inspire the next generation to stay in sailing and hopefully at our club. So that they too then inspire the next generation to love our sport of Sailing.
My family was a part of the highly successful era in MHYC Centreboard and Offshore Sailing scenes. Lately MHYC has told the world how strong we were and the sailors our club produced through its fantastic Centreboard Division.
Centreboard Division
- Create a family environment
- Get parents involved
- Show them how to get involved
- Run a power boat handling operators course
- Look at classes offered and the direction of these classes offered at the club
- Have a pathway and options along the path for our sailors. When I was a teenager I asked and my mum fought to head down the same path as RPAYC, CYCA and RSYS and their training centres.
Junior Division
- Optimist
Intermediate Division
- 420
This is currently where our club is placed. Ideally we should have an all inclusive Centreboard Division as it was when it was the strongest club in Sydney.
I would like to call on all those who believe in Middle Harbour Yacht Club to stand up and assist our club in finding its “Mojo”. Many of you may have young kids and be wondering what path to lead them. Whether they will be as lucky as you were growing up in a fantastic sailing environment.
I believe Middle Harbour Yacht Club has an opportunity right now as they did back then. Perhaps instead of telling the teenagers what they will sail next they could hold an open event for all dinghy classes. Then advise these classes that MHYC would love to have them race on a regular basis. The place to start would be the 505’s which were such a strong class once at MHYC. Let’s make the event a fantastic event and show everyone what a great place it is to sail and how amazing the people are. How much we all love the sport of sailing. We have the facilities to run the most professional event possible. We also have the personnel in not only staff but a fantastic volunteer base that have run many great regattas over the years.
There are many questions people have asked me over the years. Why was I the youngest skipper by such a margin? Why was I the only racing female skipper? Where did those you grew up with go? Where is your age group? Why did the Centreboard Division fold all those years ago? Why are there so few females? How did you manage to run so many women’s events and crews?
I have over the years said I have some but not all the answers should anyone wish to listen to someone so young. I am a little older now and would love to talk to those who want to listen to my thoughts. Perhaps we could hold an open forum and invite the members of the past?
Melissa Yeomans 