Opening of the 139th Sailing Season

Lord Mayor of Brisbane, The Right Honourable the Lord Mayor of Brisbane, Councillor Adrian Schrinner; Commanding Officer of the HMAS Moreton, Commander Fiona Southwood; Councillor for Wynnum Manly Ward, Councillor Sara Whitmee; Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron Commodore John Warlow; Vice Commodore Curtis Skinner; Rear Commodore Todd Anderson; Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron Chair Ms Melissa Hardy; Chief Executive Officer, Mrs Karen Baldwin; Past RQYS Commodores and Life Members; RQYS members, supporters and friends of the Squadron. 

I begin by acknowledging the original custodians of the lands on which we gather and their connections to land, sea and community. I pay my respects to Elders, past, present and emerging. 

I’m pleased and honoured to join you here, a place that has become so familiar to me and surrounded by so many friends, to officially launch the 139th Sailing Season. 

I extend my congratulations to the Club Member of the Year and Youth Sailor of the Year Award. 

This will be my second season as Patron of the Squadron, whose long history and enduring traditions contrast with the rapid change this State has undergone, especially over the last century. 

As you may know, I began my lifelong connection with sailing and this Squadron on the Bulimba reach of the Brisbane River.  

In those days, there were no CityCats, but many other craft plied the river to provide navigational hazards for the young sailors of the sabot fleet to negotiate; while below the waterline, jellyfish and bull sharks provided incentive for efficient sailing!  

How fortunate we are here in Queensland to be blessed with so many beautiful bays and rivers on which to practise and improve our sailing skills, as well as access to ocean sailing, with its own set of pleasures and challenges. 

In the last year, I have had the pleasure of crewing on Recherche in WAGS races on many occasions, enjoying the many moods of Moreton Bay, from becalmed to 35 knots. 

However, this is just one of the many facets of Squadron life and I am always amazed at the number and variety of activities communicated in the Squadron newsletter.  

Of course, all this requires a substantial amount of hard work, and on behalf of Queensland’s boating fraternity, I would like to commend the work of all involved in ensuring the Squadron’s continued success. 

On that note, I am delighted to officially declare the 139th Sailing Season of the Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron open, and I wish all Squadron members fair winds and a safe, enjoyable, and successful sailing season. Thank you.