CRUISING YACHT CLUB OF AUSTRALIA

Chief Executive Officer: Mr Mark Woolf

The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia (CYCA) is Australia’s premier yacht club and home to what is considered yachting’s ‘Everest’ - the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race.

Nestled along the beautiful Rushcutters Bay foreshore, just 10 minutes drive from Sydney’s CBD, the Club enjoys stunning harbour views and world-class facilities and offers its almost 3,000 members many excuses to visit regularly thanks to its full sailing and social calendar.

Although the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia is best known for conducting the annual Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, its Youth Sailing Academy sponsored by Audi Australia is well regarded internationally. 

The objectives of the CYCA Youth Sailing Academy is to encourage and promote youth into offshore keel boat racing by providing pathways for youth aged 12 -24 to develop the skills necessary to achieve such an objective.

Overseen by the Training and Development Committee, the CYCA YSA is managed by the CYCA Sailing Office. Sailing Manager, Justine Kirkjian together with the sailing management team, operations team and a roster of experienced coaches execute an extensive calendar of events ranging from introduction to keel boat racing upto advanced match racing regattas which are managed by the club’s experienced race management team.

Over two thousand students have graduated from the Learn to Sail course which teaches basic boat handling and maintenance and sail trim, while having an overall focus on teamwork, perseverance and fun! 

In addition to the Learn to Sail and Intermediate Sailing courses offered, those wanting to further develop their sailing skills can gain more experience by enrolling in the Talented Sailor, Development Match Racing, and Advanced Sailing Courses offered during the winter months.

These courses focus more on the advanced aspects of sailing including racing rules, tactics, physical fitness, campaign planning, sail trim and boat maintenance. Upon completion, students are encouraged to participate heavily in Club events to acquire valuable experience in keelboat racing.