About

About Docklands Yacht Club

Docklands Yacht Club has enjoyed a short but colourful history.  The vision of its original members and the persistence and hard work of a small group has already enabled the club to:

• Develop sailing activities in a unique cosmopolitan location
• Amalgamate with Docklands Sailability to share common objectives, consolidate equipment and optimize promotional efforts
• Obtain a peppercorn lease on important storage facilities adjacent to a modern public marina within a kilometre of Melbourne's CBD
• Be involved in a diverse range of sailing events, including the Melbourne Stopover of the Volvo Ocean Race
• Maintain a regular community sailing program
• Ensure that sailing has a presence on Victoria Harbour
• Adopt the 2014 Yachting Victoria 'Inclusive Clubs Standard'

DYC are partnered with Virtual Sailing who are running a sailing simulator program at Royal Talbot Rehabilitation Centre for spinal cord injury patients. Patients complete a program on the Virtual Sailing Simulator and then come to Docklands for on-water testing to complete the trials. Read more about their program here.

There are two main activity areas that the club has been involved in – inclusive community sailing activities, and hosting, conducting or assisting with competitive and other events.

Community Sailing

The Sailability "Sailing For Everyone" philosophy has been wholeheartedly adopted by DYC and growing inclusive participation remains an enormous opportunity.  The protected nature of the Docklands waterway and the club's fleet of Hansa dinghies are ideal for introductory sailing programs and the development of basic skills for people of all abilities.

With the club's unique location, surrounded by a new emerging community and a broader metropolitan catchment area, there is tremendous potential for growing participation in recreational sailing and introductory racing.  At the same time, building membership and the pool of volunteers. 

An ongoing participation and recreational sailing program, including the accompanying social activity, is seen as the core of DYC's future. 

Events

There are a variety of event types that have been conducted on and around Victoria Harbour:

• Discover Sailing – Some of these are an important part of promoting the club's community sailing program.  At other times, they can be more of a commercial service to add activity to other (often shore based) events.
• Major Events – These are often managed by other organisations but DYC provides support, use of facilities and equipment, or component activities (Volvo Ocean Race Stopover, Schools Teams Racing etc).
• Short Course Racing – A number of classes (including the Flying 15s, Tasars and J-24s) already enjoy the venue for this form of racing.  There is existing demand for race management and event organisation, and significant potential to develop this activity with a variety of senior and junior classes.
• Hansa Class Events – The club's central location, accessible venue and fleet of Hansa boats make DYC ideal for coaching, racing and championship events

Since October 2007, DYC has conducted a Short Course Series on one Sunday a month from October to April.  This is designed mainly for the Hansa classes, but other classes are also welcome. Short course racing is a great fun way to get a start or progress in racing and provides plenty of practice with starts and mark roundings.  It helps to develop skills, technique and rules knowledge while enjoying some friendly competition.  On most days, 4-6 short races of 10-20 minute duration are conducted and no previous racing experience is necessary.

Welcome

Visitors and new members are most welcome.  Come along to our regular sailing days on the second and fourth Sundays of each month, from 11am till 4pm. (Find out about events on our calendar page and Like us on Facebook for more Club information)  Or email us at: docklandsyachtclub@gmail.com