Australian University Sailing
Encyclopedia
University sailing
in Australia
has gone through a process of growth, decline and now regrowth. Since the first inter-varsity competition in the 1960s in Adelaide
, university sailing has played an important role in the Australian sailing scene. The first club to be established was the Adelaide University Sailing Club in 1959 and by the 1990s, many of the larger universities in Australia had either sailing or windsurfing clubs. The main classes of competition were Sharpies
, Tasars
, Lasers
and 420s
for sailing dinghies and the Original Windsurfer One-Design for the sailboard
discipline. The clubs' organised regattas and social events were held each year which created an environment where sailing could be both social and competitive. University sailing made the sport accessible and financially easier for students without prior experience, while those with a competitive streak could compete in State and National class regattas as well as the all important Inter-varsity events.
legislation in 2005 had a significant effect on university clubs and resulted in many of them being closed with their assets sold off, often at discount prices. The only clubs to survive or remain active from 2005 to 2009 were the clubs from Adelaide University, Queensland University of Technology
, University of Queensland
, University of Sydney
, University of New South Wales
(windsurfing), Australian National University
and University of Tasmania
. Even these clubs had very limited activity and resources.
regatta in October. The two events were a large success showing the need for a larger, more formally organised, national championship. The fleet regatta in April attracted students from 10 universities and was held over three days at Woollahra Sailing Club, in Rose Bay
, Sydney. The teams racing regatta was held at Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club
, Newport
(just north of Sydney), included 11 teams from 7 universities.
The new events were also successful in bringing together students from universities that did not have active clubs. The best examples of these are UTS and UNSW. These two universities once had large university sailing clubs but in the post VSU environment, had been dissolved. A new group of students from these universities was keen to re-establish clubs and from the beginning of 2010, began to recruit members. These clubs now work in cooperation with Sydney University to organise successful, social and competition events based from Woollahra Sailing Club.
. The new competition would be made up of two three-day sections in the disciplines of teams racing and match racing
.
The 2010 AUG will be held in Perth
. Every second year, the event returns to the Gold Coast
.
Sailing
Sailing is the propulsion of a vehicle and the control of its movement with large foils called sails. By changing the rigging, rudder, and sometimes the keel or centre board, a sailor manages the force of the wind on the sails in order to move the boat relative to its surrounding medium and...
in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
has gone through a process of growth, decline and now regrowth. Since the first inter-varsity competition in the 1960s in Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
, university sailing has played an important role in the Australian sailing scene. The first club to be established was the Adelaide University Sailing Club in 1959 and by the 1990s, many of the larger universities in Australia had either sailing or windsurfing clubs. The main classes of competition were Sharpies
Australian Sharpie
The Australian Sharpie is a 3-person sailing dinghy which has evolved from the 12-square-metre class sailed in the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne, Australia. Australian Sharpies are 19 feet, inches long, with a planing hull and a single mast. Sharpies race with a fully battened mainsail, a jib and...
, Tasars
Tasar (dinghy)
The Tasar is a fiberglass 2 person sailing dinghy with a mainsail and jib. Designed by Frank Bethwaite of Sydney in 1975, the boat is technologically advanced. Aimed at a husband and wife/parent and child crew, it is designed for a combined crew weight of 140 kg. The hull weighs 68 kg,...
, Lasers
Laser (dinghy)
The International Laser Class sailboat, also called Laser Standard and the Laser One is a popular one-design class of small sailing dinghy. According the Laser Class Rules the boat may be sailed by either one or two people, though it is rarely sailed by two. The design, by Bruce Kirby, emphasizes...
and 420s
420 (dinghy)
The International 420 Class Dinghy is a double-handed monohull planing dinghy with centreboard, bermuda rig and centre sheeting. The name describes the overall length of the boat in centimetres . The hull is fibreglass with internal buoyancy tanks. The 420 is equipped with spinnaker and optional...
for sailing dinghies and the Original Windsurfer One-Design for the sailboard
Windsurfing
Windsurfing or sailboarding is a surface water sport that combines elements of surfing and sailing. It consists of a board usually two to four metres long, powered by the orthogonal effect of the wind on a sail. The rig is connected to the board by a free-rotating universal joint and comprises a...
discipline. The clubs' organised regattas and social events were held each year which created an environment where sailing could be both social and competitive. University sailing made the sport accessible and financially easier for students without prior experience, while those with a competitive streak could compete in State and National class regattas as well as the all important Inter-varsity events.
Voluntary Student Unionism
The introduction of the Voluntary Student UnionismVoluntary student unionism
Voluntary student unionism is a policy, notable in Australia, under which membership of – and payment of membership fees to – university student organisations is voluntary....
legislation in 2005 had a significant effect on university clubs and resulted in many of them being closed with their assets sold off, often at discount prices. The only clubs to survive or remain active from 2005 to 2009 were the clubs from Adelaide University, Queensland University of Technology
Queensland University of Technology
Queensland University of Technology is an Australian university with an applied emphasis in courses and research. Based in Brisbane, it has 40,000 students, including 6,000 international students, over 4,000 staff members, and an annual budget of more than A$750 million.QUT is marketed as "A...
, University of Queensland
University of Queensland
The University of Queensland, also known as UQ, is a public university located in state of Queensland, Australia. Founded in 1909, it is the oldest and largest university in Queensland and the fifth oldest in the nation...
, University of Sydney
University of Sydney
The University of Sydney is a public university located in Sydney, New South Wales. The main campus spreads across the suburbs of Camperdown and Darlington on the southwestern outskirts of the Sydney CBD. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and Oceania...
, University of New South Wales
University of New South Wales
The University of New South Wales , is a research-focused university based in Kensington, a suburb in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
(windsurfing), Australian National University
Australian National University
The Australian National University is a teaching and research university located in the Australian capital, Canberra.As of 2009, the ANU employs 3,945 administrative staff who teach approximately 10,000 undergraduates, and 7,500 postgraduate students...
and University of Tasmania
University of Tasmania
The University of Tasmania is a medium-sized public Australian university based in Tasmania, Australia. Officially founded on 1 January 1890, it was the fourth university to be established in nineteenth-century Australia...
. Even these clubs had very limited activity and resources.
Building a Championship
In 2009, the Sydney University Sailing Club drove the establishment of a new national competition holding a university fleet-racing regatta in April and a teams racingTeam racing
Team racing, also known as teams racing, is a popular form of yacht racing. As opposed to fleet racing where boats are scored on an individual basis, in team racing teams consisting of 2, 3 or 4 boats compete together. As in fleet racing the low point scoring system is used. A boat is awarded...
regatta in October. The two events were a large success showing the need for a larger, more formally organised, national championship. The fleet regatta in April attracted students from 10 universities and was held over three days at Woollahra Sailing Club, in Rose Bay
Rose Bay, New South Wales
Rose Bay is a harbourside, eastern suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Rose Bay is located 7 kilometres east of the Sydney central business district, in the local government areas of Waverley Municipal Council and Woollahra Council .Rose Bay has views of both the Sydney...
, Sydney. The teams racing regatta was held at Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club
Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club
Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club is on of Australia's leading yacht clubs with a strong elite sailing focus, and is located in the Pittwater at Newport, New South Wales....
, Newport
Newport
Newport is a city and unitary authority area in Wales. Standing on the banks of the River Usk, it is located about east of Cardiff and is the largest urban area within the historic county boundaries of Monmouthshire and the preserved county of Gwent...
(just north of Sydney), included 11 teams from 7 universities.
The new events were also successful in bringing together students from universities that did not have active clubs. The best examples of these are UTS and UNSW. These two universities once had large university sailing clubs but in the post VSU environment, had been dissolved. A new group of students from these universities was keen to re-establish clubs and from the beginning of 2010, began to recruit members. These clubs now work in cooperation with Sydney University to organise successful, social and competition events based from Woollahra Sailing Club.
Australian University Games
After the success of the first two regatta events, Australian University Sport and Yachting Australia moved to establish a committee to look into the details of a new national championship. In early 2010, it was finally agreed that a new sailing championship should be established that should be included in the annual Australian University GamesAustralian University Games
The Australian University Games is a multi-sport competition held annually in September / October between teams fielded from a large number of Australian universities and tertiary institutions. The Games were first held in 1993 in Brisbane, Queensland...
. The new competition would be made up of two three-day sections in the disciplines of teams racing and match racing
Match race
A match race is a race between two competitors, going head-to-head.The term may be best known as a race between two sailing boats racing around a course...
.
The 2010 AUG will be held in Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
. Every second year, the event returns to the Gold Coast
Gold Coast, Queensland
Gold Coast is a coastal city of Australia located in South East Queensland, 94km south of the state capital Brisbane. With a population approximately 540,000 in 2010, it is the second most populous city in the state, the sixth most populous city in the country, and also the most populous...
.
University Sailing Clubs
| Active/Inactive | University Club | Website |
|---|---|---|
| Active | University of Adelaide | Site |
| Active | University of Queensland | |
| Active | Queensland University of Technology | Site |
| Active | University of Sydney | Site |
| Active | University of New South Wales | |
| Active | University of Technology, Sydney | |
| Active | Australian Defence Force Academy | Site |
| Active | Australian National University | http://sailing.club.anu.edu.au/portal |
| Inactive | University of Melbourne | Site |
| Active | Monash University | |
| Active | University of Tasmania |
University Windsurfing Clubs
| Active/Inactive | University Club | Website |
|---|---|---|
| Active | University of Sydney | Site |
| Active | University of New South Wales |