Dear Members,

Well, we are now just four weeks out from Opening Day! ⛵

It certainly feels like the new sailing season is getting closer, and there is plenty happening around the Club over the coming weeks.

Australian Sailing WA Awards

On Friday 11 September, we had a fantastic night celebrating the people and organisations that make sailing such a wonderful sport at the Australian Sailing WA Awards.

We are incredibly proud to share that the late Don Devine was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award for Sailing.

This is such a fitting recognition of Don’s enormous contribution to sailing over many decades. Don gave so much to sailing and to Perth Dinghy Sailing Club, and it was very special to see his contribution recognised in this way. A Lifetime Achievement Award is a particularly special and rare way to recognise a lifetime dedicated to sailing.

We were also very proud to have PDSC represented as a finalist for Club of the Year – Category B, with Tom Burt nominated for Volunteer of the Year, alongside our members Alice & Klara Travlos for Team of the Year and Evie Rose & Sam Rose for Instructor of the Year.

While we didn’t take out every category we were nominated for, simply having our Club and members recognised amongst such an outstanding group of finalists is something to be proud of.

A huge congratulations to all the winners, nominees and finalists. There are so many incredible people working, volunteering, coaching, instructing and competing in our sport, and it was wonderful to celebrate those contributions together.

Congratulations also to Maylands Yacht Club on taking out Club of the Year – Category B.

Try Sailing Day – Saturday 3 October

Coming up, we have some important events, starting with our Try Sailing Day for Kids & Teens on the morning of Saturday 3 October.

Registrations are currently strong, which is fantastic to see. We have contacted local schools in the area, and the event flyer has also been featured in school newsletters, which has been a great help in getting the word out.

If you are able to come down and help us on the morning, we would really appreciate it. We will need people to help get the Mudlarks and Jay Dees rigged, assist with getting kids out on the water and help with the sausage sizzle.

We will also have Signets and Herons available for any parents or older kids who might like to have a go, while also helping us promote these fleets.

If you can lend a hand, please contact Ben Mawson via juniors@perthsailing.org.au.

Alternatively, if you have a child or know of a family who may be interested in attending, please encourage them to register ASAP. Register Here

Mounts Bay Sailing Club Opening Day

In the afternoon following Try Sailing Day, many of us will be heading over to Mounts Bay Sailing Club for their Opening Day.

Racing is open to all fleets, so it is a great opportunity to get the cobwebs off the boat, get some sailing in and enjoy the afternoon with fellow sailors before our own season gets underway.

Busy Bee – Saturday & Sunday

The following weekend is ourBusy Bee, running across Saturday and Sunday.

It would be fantastic to have as many members as possible come down and help us get the Club ready for the season.

You certainly don’t need to attend both days, if you can make it for even one day, that would be a huge help.

There are jobs for all abilities, and it is also a great opportunity to give something back to the Club and catch up with fellow members before the season begins.

Opening Day – Saturday 17 October

And then, the following Saturday, it’s our BIG DAY!

Saturday 17 October 2026 is Opening Day. 🎉⛵

I encourage everyone to come down, bring your boat, have a sail and enjoy the formalities as we officially kick off another season at PDSC.

Once again, we ask each member to bring a plate of afternoon tea to share.

It’s always a great day at the Club, and I look forward to seeing plenty of familiar faces and hopefully some new ones too!

Welcome to Our New Sponsor – Paragon Consultants

I would also like to warmly welcome our newest sponsor to the PDSC family Paragon Consultants.

Steve Elliott from our Sabre fleet is a Director of Paragon Consultants, and the company has come on board as a Day Sponsor. They have also generously contributed towards our Men’s Changerooms refurbishment fundraising campaign.

Thank you, Steve, and the team at Paragon Consultants for supporting PDSC and helping us continue to improve our Club facilities.

We really appreciate your support.

Canteen Volunteers Wanted

We are also looking for some volunteers to help coordinate our Saturday morning canteen.

We’d love you to be part of our Saturday canteen team!

We are looking for friendly volunteers who can lend a hand and help coordinate the canteen once a month on Saturday mornings.

It’s a great way to meet and connect with other PDSC families, support our community and add a little extra warmth and fun to our Saturday mornings.

No canteen experience is needed! One of our Committee members will be there to help with setup, show you the ropes and make sure everything runs smoothly.

Whether you can spare one day a month or more, every helping hand makes a difference.

Come along, lend a hand, have a chat and be part of making our PDSC community even stronger. We’d really appreciate your support, and we’d love to have you join us!

If you are interested in helping, please contact me at chelsea@perthsailing.org.au.

Membership Renewals

Finally, thank you to everyone who has already renewed their membership for the new season. It really helps us with our planning and preparation for the season ahead.

If you are yet to renew, please head to the PDSC website to complete your renewal.

If you have any questions about your membership, please see our new Registrar, Dave Bramley, who will be happy to assist.

Pricing and the registration link are included below.

With Opening Day now just four weeks away, there is plenty happening around the Club. Thank you to everyone who continues to volunteer, contribute and support PDSC, it really is what makes our Club what it is.

I look forward to seeing you all around the Club over the coming weeks.

See you soon

Chelsea Baker
Commodore
Perth Dinghy Sailing Club

Membership renewal for the 2026/27 season is now open.

This year, the Committee has made the difficult decision to increase membership fees slightly due to the ongoing increases in operating costs. The Club continues to experience rising expenses, particularly for insurances and utilities, and these increases need to be reflected in our membership pricing.

We have also had to make an adjustment due to changes to our membership platform. The platform can no longer pass transaction fees directly on to individual members during the payment process. As a result, these costs must now be absorbed by the Club.

The positive news for members is that there will be no additional surcharge for processing membership payments online.

To make the renewal process as simple and efficient as possible, we ask all members to complete their membership renewal directly online.

We thank all our members for their continued support and understanding, and we look forward to welcoming everyone back for the 2026/27 season.

Membership Fees 2026/2027 Season

RENEW MEMBERSHIP

Boat Storage

Please note Boat Stoage spots will be in high demand again this season

To qualifiy for a storage spot you must  

• Be a Sailing Member (Full Sailing Members, Student Members,Intermediate Members, Junior Members, and Life Members of PDSC)

• Relevant Boat Registration Fee must be paid

• Relevant storage fee must be paid.

Boats are allocated storage by the PDSC Management Committee the process for allocation is outlined in our boat storage policy on our website

Any boat which occupies storage space in the club boat shed and is not sailed for four consecutive club sailing weeks shall forfeit the right to use that storage space and may at the discretion of the Management Committee be removed from storage.

Any questions are to be directed to general committee member Ben Mawson.

The Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA) has received a development application from the Public Transport Authority (PTA) for the Ferry Operations.

The full proposal is available online, and it is open for public feedback.

Please note the proposed route and speed exemptions are unconfirmed and unapproved at this stage.

PDSC encourages members to provide feedback on the proposal via the options available on the website. 

Our friends at Mounts Bay Sailing Club (MBSC) are looking for volunteers to help with the Moth Worlds in November 2026.

This is a fantastic opportunity to get up close to some of the world’s best Moth sailors and experience the excitement of world-class racing on the water, or help out on shore and enjoy the buzz of welcoming competitors from around the world.

There are a range of volunteer roles available, so if you can lend a hand, we’d love to see some PDSC members getting involved.

If you can assist, please click the link below to provide your contact details and availability.

It’s sure to be an exciting event and a great opportunity to be part of an international sailing championship right here in Perth!

REGISTER HERE

There are currently a number of boats for sale at PDSC!

If you’re thinking about upgrading your boat, changing fleets, or know someone who is looking to get into sailing, be sure to check out our PDSC Boats for Sale list.

There could be a great opportunity for a new sailor to join one of our fleets or for an existing member to find their next boat.

Take a look at our Boats for Sale list and spread the word!