Setting sail for a better clubhouse

Jane Emerick
Torquay Sailing Club has its sights set on a new clubhouse after 22 years in a tin shed on Fisherman’s Beach.
A design for the new building is in early stages and includes a boat storage and workshop, a meeting room, a kitchen and a viewing deck.
The club wants to build the new facilities at the site of the existing shed, about 400 metres east of Torquay’s boat ramp on Fisherman’s Beach.
Sailing club member Mai Hordern said the proposed building would give members an opportunity to spread its involvement in the community.
“It’s amazing what you can do with a shed but if we had a building then we could share it with the community for various functions,” she said.
“We could have a sailing school to teach kids and people in the local community about the sailing.
“It would also give the (Australia Day) regatta a real boost. Families could have shelter to watch the races.”
Mrs Hordern said the club had been trying to establish a new building for 22 years. The club came close to its goal in the late 1980s before losing its money in the Pyramid Building Society collapse in 1990 and scrapping the plans.
Mrs Hordern said the club had 70 to 100 members and around 50 affiliates.
Great Ocean Road Coast Committee executive officer David Clarke said the new plans were partly in conjunction with new facilities and a boat ramp upgrade for Torquay Angling Club.
“Funding for the new sailing club is coming from state funds (announced for the Fisherman’s Beach development) and in part it’s coming from separate funding,” he said.
“It’s a progressive example of the Torquay master plan implemented several years ago.”
Meanwhile, sailing club commodore John Emmett labelled last weekend’s Australia Day Regatta a success, with more than 200 people from across the nation attending the event.
However, rough weather forced the club to cancel the regatta dinner because the club had nowhere to shelter guests.