Safe Harbour Project

Updated – 13 October 2025

Dear Members,

At our Annual General Meeting on 16 September, I presented the SYC Plan for the Future 2025-2030. At its core, the plan is all about supporting the next generation of sailors. 

Whilst the plan sets out a range of initiatives including revamped sailing programs and pathways, the facility component will provide the foundation on which our future is built. This is where the Sandringham Safe Harbour Project comes in – it is proposed that this be the next chapter in our facility development.

The Sandringham Safe Harbour Project is a concept that brings together three interlinked developments set out below. At this stage we would simply like to know if the membership supports the advancement of further planning. All financial members were emailed on 23 September and again on 5 October and were invited to have their say. Thank you to those members who responded. The executive and General Committee are currently deliberating over your feedback and the way forward. 

The Safe Harbour vision includes;

1) A new International Off the Beach (OTB) Centre – modern, practical and welcoming, with flexible change rooms, undercover boat storage, first aid and family room facilities, boating academy storage and a proper rigging footprint that will cater for increased activity (Whilst the proposed new OTB may end up being larger than the existing building, we will ensure the rigging footprint is appropriate). The first floor will offer spaces to meet, learn and train, with youth and community areas, vocational training rooms and opportunities for marine industry tenants. This will support  the pathway for young or developing sailors and provide opportunities for learning and employment. Adult dinghy sailors will enjoy improved facilities and the associated opportunities for further training and skill development. 

2) Boat Yard Improvement Works – along our eastern boundary, between the OTB and concessions building, we plan on adding additional boat yard tenancies split over 2 levels.  It will smarten up the whole area, we will reposition the mast rigging area, consolidate our waste compounds and storage for batteries as well as properly house our machinery. It will provide a new and more efficient home for both our boat yard operations and club boat workshop needs. It may also present the opportunity to re-organise some tenancies, both existing and new.

The proposed new International OTB centre and the new boat yard tenancies will be interdependent. In addition to teaching recreational boating (sailing, powerboat operations, safety etc.), the aim will be to link with more schools, with TAFE and also VET programs. By doing this we will be offering a place where people come to sail, learn, have fun but also be vocationally trained – and the latter could also lead those students finding employment right here at SYC in the boat yard.  With new tenancy sheds, improved infrastructure and a marine hub employment precinct, we will be supporting sailors on the water and supporting the industry that keeps those sailors afloat.

3) Strengthening SYC’s role as a Safe Harbour – the role of Sandringham Yacht Club in the wider community has never been more important. This project will strengthen our position as a true safe harbour – a place that provides refuge, supports emergency services, and connects people with the water.  Through this project, and interlinked with the new OTB facility, we will build stronger partnerships with emergency services, we will provide the training that keeps our members and community safe and we will open our doors to community groups that share these values.

The 3 elements of the Safe Harbour Project are all interlinked – by doing so we can build a place where the next generation learn to sail, where world class championships are hosted in world class facilities, where boats are not only sailed but serviced, and where the skills of tomorrow’s marine workforce are developed. 

This project will crystallise our vision to establish SYC as a true community club providing genuine community benefit – an imperative given we occupy a lease on Crown Land. 

Of course, none of this can progress without the financials stacking up. We are still in the very early stages and if you support advancing the planning, the Finance and Audit Committee will assess viability by:

• Confirming construction costs once a design is agreed
• Exploring funding options – Club reserves, debt, grants, or tenant contributions
• Reviewing the Club’s capacity to support the project
• Developing a clear business case with long-term benefits

Only if the project proves viable and in the best interests of the Club will we return to you for approval. It may be staged, as with the clubhouse works, or scaled back to suit a manageable budget – but either way you will be fully informed.

It’s great to belong!

Mark Welsh
Commodore