Club in Focus: Somers Yacht Club (SsYC)

Somers Yacht Club (SsYC) is located on the south-eastern corner of Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula within a beautiful bush foreshore setting offering spectacular views of Western Port and great sailing waters that include reliable onshore southerlies off Bass Strait.

Established in 1963 following meetings with the community, 100 people expressed interest in forming a sailing club.  The site was chosen, and lease negotiated.  Volunteers built the club house and established the club.

Today SsYC remains a volunteer club.  All positions and management are voluntary.  It is a club for members run by members who all have a part to play in maintaining the sailing program, social program and ensuring the future of the club. 

SsYC is a hub for small boat sailing on Western Port Bay and a social and community hub for Somers and surrounds.  SsYC regularly have 60 off-the-beach boats in club races with participants' ages ranging from 7 to 84. 

Classes supported and types of sailing: 
Only off-the-beach boats are sailed at Somers - Catamarans and Monohulls.  Mixed fleet racing including:
•    A class, Taipan, Mosquito
•    Hobie 16, Hobie 14, Hobie Dragoon 
•    Paper tiger
•    Tasar, Laser, Finn, Impulse, Contender 
•    Sabre, 125, Pacer
•    Hobie Hawk , Opti 

Membership: 
SsYC has become a family-oriented multi-generational club and are proud to have nearly 200 Junior members. With 781 Members over age of 8 (comprising of families and partners) with approximately 50:50 sailing to social members. 

After successful efforts to grow female participation 48% of SYC’s membership is now female with around 40% of sailors being women and girls. 

Over half the membership are not permanent residents at Somers however since 2020 the proportion of members who are Somers residents has significantly increased thanks to the COVID-19 response put in place at the club that included the following initiatives:
•    Encouraging sailing wherever possible throughout Covid-19 journey and enabling members to continue their sport and connection with each other. 
•    Maintaining contact with members via take away meals, deliveries of care packs, care visits and online wine tasting during hard lockdowns.
•    Modifying the club, with special emphasis on outdoor areas and seating to make it more covid friendly 
•    Recognizing that some members were in significant financial hard ship and enabling them to maintain their membership and connection with the club.
•    Drawing in the local community through a short term family discount for membership and sailing school.

In year 2000 SsYC was awarded Yachting Victoria Club of the Year and its members continue to do the club proud as recent winners of awards from Australian Sailing that include:
•    Norm Dewar – Volunteer of the Year
•    Wendy Wilson – She Sails Award
•    Emma Morris – Instructor of the Year

Programs:
SsYC has a very successful sailing school with high conversion rates and the following programs on offer:
•    Sailing School for junior, youth and adult sailors
•    Race coaching 
•    Social Sailing with rescue boat support
•    SWISH – Somers Women In Sailing Happiness - Social sailing for females of all ages
•    Rescue Boat training 

Key club events include:
•    Around 45 scheduled club races through the sailing season (October – April) 
•    4 sailing schools
•    Discover sailing day
•    State/National titles
•    SheSails Regatta

SsYC runs State and National level title regattas and provides its clubhouse facilities to local organisations such as the Somers Primary School, the local CFA and service clubs, and for community activities including Pilates, yoga, art classes and "funky dancing". The club has also hosted the annual statewide regatta of the Lonsdale Flotilla of the Australian Naval Cadets and significant local community events such as a highly successful bushfire relief appeal.

SsYC has its own resident band “The Jets” and runs an extensive social program for youth, families and adults including over 80 scheduled events such as:
•    Friday night dinners throughout the year
•    Family nights, Trivia, games
•    Season Opening, New Years Eve, Presentation Night , Family BBQs, Open Mike nights

If ever in the area drop in, until then you can take it all in from the clubs webcam: https://www.somersyachtclub.com.au/webcams/

Current Commodore: Amanda Nutting