Sandringham Yacht Club has had many great members and there are many here who are making their mark in the world of Australian Yachting. We are proud of all of them – but look forward, over the years, to singling out some who have achieved ‘legendary’ status among us and adding them to our Hall of Fame.
Sandringham Yacht Club members were introduced to the four inaugural inductees of the SYC ‘Hall of Fame’ at the annual Sandringham Yacht Club Ball on Saturday 9 July 2004.
The men awarded this distinction are legends not only at Sandringham Yacht Club but also in the Australian Yachting community.
Lou ABRAHAMS
Lou joined the Club in 1964 – what was surprising was that he joined with a ‘stink boat’, but by 1965 had seen the light and had a sailing yacht. As early as 1970 Lou was making a name for himself in ‘Vittoria’ – the first Victorian challenger in the Admiral’s Cup. His series of boats incorporating the “Challenge” name are well known throughout Australia for successes in Sydney – Hobart races, Hamilton Island and Hogs Breath weeks, Geelong Races, Victorian Association Cup teams as well as club races. In 2002 Lou received a Commonwealth medal for sailing – well deserved after fifty years of unassuming but extremely successful involvement in sailing.
Eddie Wall-Smith
Eddie joined SYC in 1939. Like many others he began his sailing in dinghies and his first boat was a Snipe class purchased in 1942. A heavy weight Sharpie followed in 1945, then another in 1948, followed by Dorothy – a Dragon class yacht in 1955.
It was Dorothy 2, purchased in 1970 that Eddie started his ocean racing and over the years he has won the Melbourne-Hobart race, the Melbourne-Devonport race, the Sovereign Series as well as having been the aggregate club winner many times.
Ron White
The White family are synonymous with sailing on Port Philip Bay and Ron White is the patriarch of the family. In his yacht Shenandoah Ron has competed in every ocean race on the Victorian Calender; (winning many) has done two great Circle Races and a Sydney-Hobart. Ron has been Victorian Yachtsman of the year, a Victorian Admiral’s Cup selector and president of the Victorian Yachting Council.
After holding many positions in the Club including 6 years as Commodore, Ron jokes that he is now demoted to Yard and Mooring Rouseabout; however the members of the Club are proud of his sailing history and prowess.
A.D. (Aub) Mackenzie
Aub is the only member inducted into the Hall of Fame posthumously. The son of Sandringham’s first Commodore and Commodore himself from 1947 until 1956, A.D. had the foresight and vision needed to make plans needed to allow the Club to move into another century.
A.D. welcomed the Duke of Edinburgh to the Club as it’s patron in 1956 and was the Commodore when we hosted the Olympic Sailing events.