Mackay Dinghy Sailors Plan a Big Year

The Mackay Yacht Club Dinghy Division had a fantastic 2009 and is planning on improving on their success in 2010.

The Dinghy Division races all ‘Off the Beach’ class boats but it is the Junior Sailors in the small Sabot class who are excelling. During 2009 the Mackay Junior Sailors, aged from 6 to 12 years, competed in Regattas between Townsville and Gosford, including the State and National Championships.

The success of Mackay Junior sailors has been recognised by Jeremy Cooper, a member of Yachting Queensland's Youth Development Committee, who just this week congratulated Mackay Yacht Club on its junior sailing programme, which is now the “centre of junior sailing” in North Queensland. Mr Cooper went on to say that this is all the more astonishing because Mackay, as a sailing centre, suffers from its geographical position, which causes many lost days in the year due to adverse weather and sea conditions.

Mackay Yacht Club is presently talking with North Queensland Bulk Ports to once again permit the Junior Sailors to train within the secure harbour of Mackay Port. Tim Mulherin will convene a meeting on Friday to finalise the conditions under which the Mackay Yacht Club can conduct its training and coaching of these promising junior sportspeople.

David Turnbull from the Mackay Yacht Club Dinghy Division says that the conditions stipulated by the Port Security Committee are strict, but the Club is determined to comply with these conditions in order to improve the opportunity for Mackay Junior Sailors to achieve in their chosen sport.

The Mackay Yacht Club’s Championship Series is underway and all sailors are looking forward to demonstrating their skills at the Easter Regatta in Airlie and then the Queensland Championships in Yeppoon.