Club History
The 29th of December 1961 saw the birth of the McCrae Yacht Club.
The prime objective of the club is “to encourage the sport of sailing in all it’s forms and in a manner which involved the whole family in the activity” – gender or age was not to matter. The emphasis was on sailing – social activities became a pleasant spin-off. The formula has worked.
The club became a full member of the Victorian Yachting Council (now Yachting Victoria) in 1966 and is an Australian Yachting Federation approved Sail Training Establishment with emphasis on junior training.
Since 1962/3 season, hardly a year has passed without the club running either International, Australian or State Class Championships or other prestige events.
McCrae has hosted four defence challengers for the International C-Class Catamaran Trophy (“Little America’s Cup”)
McCrae also has a strong association with the World Sailing Speed record holder, Yellow Pages Endeavour.
The Endeavour syndicate is current campaigning their current yacht Macquarie Innovation, were the first
to break the 50-Knot sailing speed record. Visit the Endeavour syndicate website here: World Speed Sailing Challenge
The Club has made a great contribution towards yachting administration by providing people to become Yachting Victoria (previously Victoria Yachting Council) executive members, VYC and AYF Honorary Solicitor, chair persons and secretaries to VYC committees, International and National race rule judges.
McCrae Yacht Club is one of the most active and well respected off-the-beach yacht clubs in Victoria, with excellent facilities and a strong and happy membership which include a number of past and present State and National champions.
50 year anniversary
To celebrate the first 50 years of the McCrae Yacht Club in 2011 “By the Light on the Bay“, compiled by Lyn Johannessen, was published.
Presented here are some extracts from By the Light on the Bay.
Appendices include the following to 2011;
- Our Champions – National, International & World
- Championships
- Trophies
- Office Bearers by position
- Office Holders by member