News

Newsletter, 12th April 2026

Published Sun 12 Apr 2026

From the President

It’s hard to believe we’ve reached the end of another fantastic season at the Little Club that Can. Looking back, the energy on the water has been superb. And now it's time to renew your registration, just click here.

This season our ILCA fleet has seen a brilliant revival, and our Optimist team continues to punch above its weight with several Australian representatives. These successes are only possible because of our volunteers—the parents and members who keep the ribs running, the canteen stocked, and the kids safe. Thank you for your tireless support.

Behind the scenes, work continues on the start boat; a huge thanks to volunteer heroes Jason Borner and Leonard Thorne for their time and expertise.

Looking ahead, please mark your calendars for some key events:

Frost on the Foredeck:8 August. Our major club fundraiser this year. We’re putting out a call for donations for auctions on the evening. They can be big or small, from an individual or corporate, it will all help. If you have something, reach out to info@huntershillsailingclub.org.au.
End of Season Presentation Night: 30 May. Let’s celebrate the season together.

Possibly my favourite sailing photo of the season - exploring Oman on a rest day while sailing with a great bunch from HHSC. Left to right: me, Ethan, Emma, Merryn and Kirra. Great times! 📸 Matt Wilkinson

From the Commodore

Combined High School Regatta 2026 - Belmont 16 foot Sailing Club - 7th to 10th April.

Congratulations to the HHSC sailors who travelled to Belmont this week to represent their schools in the 50th Combined High Schools regatta.

Clifford Gates - ILCA 4 - Northern Beaches Secondary School
Irelen Mccleave - ILCA 4 - Hunters Hill High School
Thomas Mallory - ICLA 4 - Turramurra High School
Zac Howell - ILCA 6 - Cumberland High School

Unfortunately, the wind decided not to co-operate and it was only possible to get 4 races over 2 days of racing. For the races, conditions were beautiful with 8-12 knots of breeze in warm, sunny conditions. Unfortunately for the HHSC crew, these conditions also made it impossible for the ILCAs to outrun the handicapper to beat the Herons by enough to overcome the handicap.

Congratulations to Thomas Mallory for 1st place in ILCA 4 - with special mention to Clifford Gates who finished on equal points but finished 2nd on count back.

Congratulations to Zac Howell for 3rd overall, 1st CHS Division 2 Sailing Championship (Public Schools only) and 1st Australian Secondary Schools Sailing Championship Division 2 (all schools) - a trophy also captured in 1996 by HHSC’s Paul Bonnichia.

CHS Regatta Presentation 2026 📸 Merryn Howell

Youth Sail Victoria - Sorrento Sailing Couta Boat Club - 11th to 12th April.

Commiserations to the HHSC sailors who made the trek to Melbourne for the Youth Sail event only to have it cancelled on Friday night due to a forecast for high winds over the weekend. Safe travels home to all our sailors.

Club racing

The calendar for Terms 2 and 3 is now published on the club website -

Details for the 2026 HHSC Winter Frostbite Series is also available on the Racing page - https://www.huntershillsailingclub.org.au/sailing/clubracing

The Frostbite series is an opportunity to get on the water over the off season. It’s one race, once per month for 4 months. It is a handicap race with all classes against each other. 49ers vs Optis. Parents vs kids. Instructors vs students. All fleets sail on the same course and results are calculated using Australian Sailing Yardsticks. There is no fee for the Frostbite series, however, you must have paid HHSC membership and boat storage before your first race.

Optimist Fleet

Club Champ 📸 Alessio

The 25/26 season is officially a wrap! We finished in style with the final round of the Club Championship, seeing over 20 Optis out on the water. It’s fantastic to see so many Green Fleet sailors coming through the ranks — the future is looking strong!

🫡We also farewell Kirra from the Opti squad as she crossed the finish line for one last time. Wishing her all the best in her next sailing chapter in iQFOiL.

Australia Day Regatta – Presentation

Our Australia Day Regatta winners were celebrated at the Sydney Town Hall, where they were presented with the historic trophy. A huge congratulations to Milton and Sijia for adding their names to this prestigious honour.💪

Australia Day Regatta award ceremony 📸 Rebecca Li

A special mention to Milton on his selection into the Australian Optimist Development Team (AODS). He’ll be representing at the Easter Seaboard Regatta in Thailand this coming October 👏

AODS announcement 📸 Graphics by Alessio

Looking Ahead

The next regatta is the Interclub Series, with the first event scheduled for Sunday 3rd of May @WSC. Don’t forget to register before the 26th of April to be eligible for the many prizes on offer!

Interclub Rego Link

As one season ends, another begins! Don’t forget to renew your child, adult, and storage memberships to be able to train and race once school holidays are over.

Registration link below

Membership Renewal

A Word from our Sponsors - The Rotary Club of Hunters Hill

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