Squadron youth leading by example The Youth Advisory Sub-Committee (YASC) has kicked off a strategic start to improving engagement with our Club. Working closely with the Membership Committee, YASC members were able to identify a significant decrease in memberships as youth members begin their lives as young adults. This happens for many reasons, but we believe the top two to be financial changes and time constraints. As a Youth Committee, we are challenged in finding ways to bridge this gap. Networking evenings A strategy put forward by the YASC was the introduction of networking evenings. These aimed to connect professional sailors with the youth of RQYS to demonstrate where sailing can take you as a career. The first iteration began through the invitation from House, Marketing and Events Committee for the YASC to host a Topic Talk. We invited local industry professionals to discuss their pathways in sailing: our first guest speakers were Stacey Jackson, Ben Kelly and Chris Anderson. The evening allowed young Members an opportunity to listen in on how a professional sailing career could be made possible without the requirement of a lengthy self-funded international Olympic campaign. The second networking evening was held in conjunction with the Summer Get Onboard Boat Expo (GOBE), and on the Friday night we had some guest speakers present to the Youth Squad following training. Our guest speakers for this were Mel Peasey, Ben Kelly and Chris Anderson. The evening finished with the attendees staying well past the conclusion of talks where we saw the youth discuss options with the speakers present — and this we felt was a huge success in our goal of networking. Again, there was no focus on the Olympic pathway as we aimed to present things more accessible for the wider group of youth sailors. During the Get Onboard Boat Expo (GOBE), the YASC team brought together Members who were looking at selling their ‘Off the Beach’ (OTB) boats, for more of a dinghy sailing feel to the weekend. Our goal with this was to promote RQYS’s OTB sailing program while also allowing an opportunity for finding Members equipment and new owners. This display brought a fun feel by showcasing a WASZP, ILCA, 470, Nacra, Hobie 16 and a VX One. Along with these Member displays, we co-ordinated with staff from Iona, Moreton Bay College (MBC) and Moreton Bay Boys College (MBBC) to display the higher-schools sailing opportunities available through the support of RQYS. It was great to see many families walking through the variety of displays over the weekend, and it was particularly worth it to see parents with young children pointing out the dinghies that their kids could possibly sail. (The WASZP that was on display was sold from one Member to another and has since been used quite frequently!) Friday ‘Sails & Socials’ Another strategy in keeping Young Adults engaged at RQYS was proposed through a social Elliott training program on Friday afternoons. This idea was supported strongly by the Sailing Committee and implemented through the Sailing Academy as ‘RQYS Sails & Socials’. This platform has offered a new re-entry opportunity for Young Adult Members to remain engaged with Squadron life through a low-cost, social onwater program, followed by an enjoyable evening spent in the RQYS Bistro and Bar. n Libby Kirby, Frances Beebe, Joe Folley, Will Nobes, Callum Boncai, Jarrod Jones, Jordan Barney and Hayden Barney (Chair) Engaging speakers across a number of ‘Topic Talks’ sessions have proven popular events and part of a broader intra-Club networking strategy which is already reaping rewards with increasing engagement by Youth and Young Adult Members, reports YASC Chair Hayden Barney. Youth Advisory Sub-Committee’s Report Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron Yearbook Mainsheet 2026 49
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