Huon Yacht Club

Huon Yacht Club (HYC) is based at Shipwrights Point, 4345 Huon Highway, Port Huon, on the Huon River about 45 minutes south of Hobart. The club races on the Huon River, the D'Entrecasteaux Channel and beyond, and its clubhouse — built by members and opened in 1957 — has a starter's box on the roof overlooking the course.

The club offers sailing courses, a racing program, cruising and open days, and a slipway that members can book. Social life is a big part of the club, with dinner nights and themed gatherings through the year. Contact the club secretary at the_secretary@huonyachtclub.org. See other clubs nearby on our Port Huon sailing clubs page.

Huon Yacht Club offers sailing courses for people who want to learn or build their skills, and its racing program is a practical next step once you are comfortable on the water. Crewing on a club boat is a great way to learn the Huon's tides and breezes from people who know them well — and the club even campaigns its own J/24, Jen Z, supported by local sponsors.

Open days and cruising events are relaxed ways to meet members and see what the club offers. If you are new to sailing, our beginner's guide to sailing in Australia covers the basics before your first outing.

The club is at Shipwrights Point on the Huon Highway at Port Huon, on the western bank of the Huon River. Racing takes place on the river itself, in the D'Entrecasteaux Channel and beyond, giving sailors a mix of sheltered river courses and more open water towards Bruny Island.

On shore, the members-built clubhouse has a starter's box on its roof for running races, and the club's slipway can be booked through an online calendar. For more clubs in the region, see Port Cygnet Sailing Club and Port Esperance Sailing Club.

Sailing at Shipwrights Point goes back long before the club. The first Huon Regatta was held there in 1852, drawing up to 10,000 locals and visitors at a time when boats carried the valley's produce and residents to the Hobart markets.

Huon Yacht Club was formally established on 29 October 1947. Members built their own clubhouse, which was officially opened on 12 October 1957, and it remains the heart of the club today — a place for racing, courses and plenty of social evenings.

When the club was formed in 1947, racing started within a fortnight, thanks to a pick-up boat offered by a local resident. The Huon Regatta tradition it inherited was already old by then: in 1921 the Huon Regatta Association held its 71st regatta at Shipwrights Point. Across the river from nearby Franklin, a town named after Sir John and Lady Jane Franklin, the club carries on one of Tasmania's oldest sailing traditions, with the Huon River's apple-orchard banks and the Hartz Mountains as a backdrop.