Club in Focus: Lake Cootharaba Sailing Club
Situated on the beautiful Noosa River in south-east Queensland, the Lake Cootharaba Sailing Club (LCSC) is completely owned and operated by volunteers and is widely regarded as a friendly, family-orientated club at which visitors are most welcome.
With the club’s sailing water predominantly fueled by sea breezes, members are treated to some of the best flat water sailing conditions in the world, with ‘The Lake’ widely recognised as an excellent venue for small boat sailing.
In turn, the LCSC is a popular host venue for regattas of all sizes, with various class associations regularly utilising the pristine waters for championship titles. In the most recent sailing season alone, LCSC has been host to the QLD O’pen Skiff, Weta, Heron, Javelin, Arrow and RL 24 State titles as well as the sailboard Nationals in January.
LCSC is also featured in the book ‘Indigo Blue’ by Jessica Watson OAM, with the Australian Sailing Hall of Fame inductee having completed some of her early training on Lake Cootharaba.
LCSC Credit Russell Witt
Club Membership
LCSC has experienced continuous growth since COVID-19, currently boasting 308 sailing members.
In addition, the family-orientated club benefits from many volunteer members who continually donate their time to ensure LCSC runs smoothly and efficiently.
The club is also home to some big names in the Queensland sailing community, including Seisia Mair who has been selected to represent Australia in various classes (most notably the foiling Waszp and 29er classes) and Charlie Hacker who was inducted into the Sunshine Coast Sports Hall of Fame in 2021 in recognition for his contributions to sailing.
LCSC Clubhouse Credit Russell Witt
Classes Supported and Types of Sailing
Club racing is conducted every weekend throughout the sailing season at LCSC, with a variety of classes from trailer sailors to catamarans, monohulls, and windsurfers regularly out on club waters.
LCSC prioritises the introduction of new people to sailing, and regularly hosts Come and Try Sailing sessions and well as weekly sail training sessions for both juniors and seniors.
In addition, LCSC offers inclusive programs such as Discover Sailing and SheSails which members and non-members alike regularly enjoy. The club works tirelessly to provide opportunities to its members, even recently offering a SheSails training course with well-known offshore sailor, Stacey Jackson.
LCSC Credit Russell Witt
Key Club Events
LCSC conducts several annual regattas including National and State Championships for class associations as well as the club’s own Allboats Regatta in August, Cat Challenge in November, and MonoMasters in December.
A well-known Easter regatta is also conducted annually by the club, usually acting as the climax of the LCSC sailing season prior to the winter recess.
LCSC Credit Russell Witt
Established in 1946, the easy-going spirit of LCSC has remained the same for over 75 years, with members and visitors alike more than welcome to walk into the Clubhouse in bare feet and wet sailing gear.
With many expert sailing members available to conduct high quality sailing events and a fantastic and friendly atmosphere, LCSC can look towards the next century of club history with confidence.
Commodore: Andy Duffield
