Georges River Sailing Club - Sailing Division

Busy Sunday at the club! ⛵️

Our Learn to Sail kids kicked off their Spring season, followed by ILCA Discovery continuing their pre-season intro sessions.

Lots of boats and plenty of kids making the most of the glorious spring weather! ☀️🌊

Flashback Friday | Ken Minter ⛵️

One of the greatest sailors Georges River Sailing Club has ever seen, Ken Minter was a true champion of the River and a huge part of the Club’s history.

Born in December 1923 and a long-time Sans Souci resident, Ken began sailing as a teenager with his brother Vince in a VeeJay at Connells Point. A boat-builder by trade, he soon began designing and building his own boats.

In 1944, Ken built the first JOAN, named after his wife. What followed was an incredible 23 JOAN skiffs, each one built by Ken as he continued to develop and refine his designs.

His success on the water was extraordinary - 4 Australian Championships, 4 State Championships, 20 Interclub Championships and more than 12 Club Championships, all sailing the JOAN skiffs he built himself.

But Ken’s contribution to GRSC went far beyond winning races. A Club Director for many years and a Life Member from 1967, he continued to give back long after retiring from skiff racing. Ken helped train generations of young sailors and played an important role in introducing junior classes to the Club.

Known for his friendly nature and willingness to share his knowledge, Ken remained involved with GRSC well into his later years, even taking on the role of rescue boat skipper.

23 JOAN skiffs. 4 Australian Championships. A lifetime dedicated to sailing and Georges River Sailing Club.

A true GRSC legend. 💙⛵️

Follow us for more stories as we approach 100 years of GRSC.

Thanks to Lachlan Dixon for bringing this information to us from the archives.

The ILCA Discovery continues.

Congratulations to our Commodore Mark Hooper.
Australian Sailing NSW & ACT Volunteer Of The Year Finalist.

NSW & ACT SAILING AWARDS - FINALIST ANNOUNCEMENT!

Congratulations to the following deserving nominees, who have been selected as finalists for the NSW & ACT Sailing Awards in 2026.

VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR

⭐Gerry Brooks Canberra Yacht Club
⭐Jackie Sapir Cruising Yacht Club Of Australia
⭐Mark Hooper Georges River Sailing Club
⭐Sean Wong Saltwater Veterans

Who will be the winner❓

Join us at the 2026 NSW & ACT Sailing Awards Presentation at Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron on Saturday 19 September. Purchase your tickets here: https://www.sailing.org.au/events/364571

A great day yesterday for our free try sailing day where we had 32 local kids come out and give sailing a go!

The stripey sails are back at GRSC! ⛵️

Kicking off our Spring season with Try Sailing and introducing a new group of potential sailors to the sport.

And for those who loved it - lessons begin next week! 💙

Link in our bio.

Flashback Friday 🎶

Originally installed in the GRSC clubhouse in 1956, just one year after the second clubhouse was built, this organ became a much-loved part of club life. It was used for dances, concerts and festivals, with more than 600 pipes placed in the roof and hidden behind musical-themed grilles, allowing the sound to carry throughout the building.

When the soundproofing panels were removed for maintenance, a local fisherman reportedly heard the organ playing all the way across the Georges River in Woolooware!

Pictured is George Wright, a famous American organist who performed and made a recording at GRSC in 1959.

The accompanying video gives us a rare glimpse of the organ being played inside the clubhouse in 1958.

Sadly, the organ was lost in the fire that destroyed the clubhouse in May 1962, with both the pipes and console destroyed.

A fascinating piece of GRSC history. 🎶

Thanks to Lachlan Dixon for uncovering this story, and to the Australian Theatre Organ Association for helping with the research and providing the recording.

Follow us for more Stories as we approach 100 years of GRSC

1927 saw the building of the original GRSC clubhouse 'The Old Tin Shed'.

It cost around £100 to build and was the home of the Club in its early years, when the fleet consisted of just three skiffs.

With membership growing, the Club soon needed more space. Fundraising by the Ladies Committee, including house parties and dances, helped fund extensions to the boatshed and eventually a dance hall.

But life at the waterfront wasn’t always easy! Before the seawall was built, high tides could surround the Club - and on one memorable night, a gale blew so much sand onto the roof during a dance that the ceiling collapsed, sending sand and plaster down onto the dancers and bringing the party to a rather abrupt end!

Those early challenges became part of the character and stories of the Club.

A little piece of GRSC history, these photos date from 1927 to the 1940s. 💙⛵

Follow us for more stories as we approach 100 years of GRSC.

Thanks to Lachlan Dixon for digging these amazing images up from the archives.

Of course the tide was out, so everyone got to experience what it's like to haul the ILCAs back over the sand vs the Opti.

📷Lachlan Dixon

Opti Sunday sessions are looking a little different for our bigger kids. Today was the perfect opportunity to pull out the club ILCAs and give these sailors another taste of what it’s like to sail a bigger boat.

It was a great session and we’re looking forward to seeing how these young sailors progress through their ILCA Discovery sessions. ⛵️