History

A brief history…

The club was formed in 1913 and was originally known as Drummoyne Park Sailing Club. Although few recorded facts are available, it is thought it was formed by a mixed sporting group who functioned from about 1911 in the area shown as Drummoyne Park on old maps of the municipality.

The sailing club was intended for racing the 16ft skiff which had become very popular on Sydney Harbour through the Port Jackson Skiff Club. Members also raced beautifully built model yachts during the winter months on the river between Drummoyne and Huntley’s Point.

Very few details have been uncovered about boat names or the size of the early fleet, but it is known that six 16ft skiffs were racing regularly in 1916, and by 1919 the fleet had increased to at least nineteen boats. Some of these had previously raced with the Port Jackson Club which had suspended sailing during the war years due to the absence of many members serving with the military forces.

The 16ft skiff in those days was a far cry from the racing machine of our present era. It had been adapted in the early 1900s from a rowing skiff used to ferry personnel from the shore to merchant ships moored in the harbour.

In 1924 the name of the club was formally changed to Drummoyne Sailing Club and remains so to this day. While 16ft skiffs remain very much part of the sailing scene at Drummoyne, other classes have been added over the years.

The Hartley TS16 fleet came into being as the Chiswick Sailing Club in 1968, while the OK Dinghies have been racing here since 1986.

Other classes have come and gone, with Drummoyne always willing to move with the times and cater for members’ changing needs. The yachts now comprise the biggest fleet of the club in terms of numbers racing on a weekly basis.

The club has produced scores of talented sailors over the years, with many enjoying success at state and national level and beyond.

In 2012, former Drummoyne junior Olivia Price and her crewmates Lucinda Whitty and Nina Curtis claimed a silver medal in the Women’s Match Racing class at the London Olympic Games.

Although the club had conducted racing since 1913, for many years it carried out its administrative, social and sailing activities from various temporary abodes.

During the mid-1930s a concerted effort was made to have a site approved for a clubhouse, and agreement was finally reached in 1936.

As was often the case in those days, most of the effort involved in construction of the building came from within the club, often with materials appearing from anonymous sources or donors.

‘Working bees’ were the order of the day, but the numbers weren’t always as many as one would have liked to see. It was surprising how many more turned up if a five-gallon keg was arranged for ‘after’.

The club moved into its wonderful new clubhouse in April 2001, celebrating its centenary in 2013.