Lake Bonney Yacht Club

Lake Bonney Yacht Club (LBYC) is at 1 Dean Drive, Barmera, on the shores of Lake Bonney in the Riverland, about three hours north-east of Adelaide. It's the Riverland's local yacht club, with members from towns across the region sailing on the lake every week. The club describes itself as a great, friendly club offering excellent facilities in a safe and welcoming environment, with sailing for people of all ages and levels.

Facilities include a large grass rigging area, direct water access, a boat ramp, a canteen and bar on race days, a large balcony overlooking the lake, and toilets and shower rooms. The clubhouse, with its commercial kitchen and lake views, can be hired for weddings, birthdays and other functions.

Easter is the big weekend. Each year a sailing regatta is held on Lake Bonney, bringing visiting sailors to Barmera for racing and holiday fun by the water. Newcomers can try sailing any time through the club's Experience Sailing program, and race results are published online through SailRes. See our Barmera sailing clubs page for more.

The club's Experience Sailing program is designed for people who want to give sailing a try, with members on hand to help newcomers get out on the water. Once you have the basics, club racing lets you put your skills to the test, with results published online.

Freshwater lake sailing is a great place to learn: there are no tides to worry about, and the club's direct water access and rigging lawn make launching simple. The Riverland's warm, dry climate also means plenty of sailing days. If you're new to sailing, our beginner's guide to sailing in Australia and sailing safety for beginners are good reads before your first session.

The club sits at 1 Dean Drive on the shores of Lake Bonney at Barmera, in South Australia's Riverland near the River Murray. Lake Bonney is a large freshwater lake that offers open, tide-free sailing for all ages and levels.

On shore there's a large grass rigging area, direct access to the water and a boat ramp. The clubhouse has upstairs and downstairs toilets, shower and change rooms, a canteen and bar on race days, and a large balcony with views across the lake. It can also be hired for functions.

The lake has sandy beaches and a jetty, and it's popular for swimming, fishing and paddling as well as sailing. Like any open inland lake, it can get choppy when the wind gets up, as Donald Campbell found out in 1964 (see the club's history below).

Lake Bonney Yacht Club has long been the home of sailing in Barmera, bringing Riverland families together on one of the region's best-loved lakes. Its lakeside clubhouse, rigging lawn and ramp have been developed to make sailing accessible for all ages, and the clubrooms have become a popular venue for community celebrations as well as sailing.

The lake itself has a colourful history. It was named after Charles Bonney, who reached it with Joseph Hawdon in 1838 while droving cattle along the Murray. In October 1964, British speed king Donald Campbell brought his jet hydroplane Bluebird K7 to Barmera to attack the world water speed record on Lake Bonney. On 23 November 1964 he set an Australian record of 216 mph (347 km/h), but the wind and chop never allowed a world record. He succeeded weeks later at Lake Dumbleyung in Western Australia. Sailors on Lake Bonney will recognise the problem: the breeze here is rarely shy.