Mission Beach Sailing Club

Mission Beach Sailing Club is based at 1 Kennedy Esplanade, South Mission Beach, between Cairns and Townsville in Far North Queensland. It's a small community dinghy club that sails from the beach in the sheltered waters near Dunk Island. The season runs from April to November, and the focus is on social sailing and community events.

The club's big weekend is the Mission Beach Regatta (the 2026 regatta is on 24–25 October). It features the Around Dunk Island Race for catamarans and larger monohulls and the Purtaboi Island Race for smaller boats. Club boats, including Pacers and a Laser, are available for club sailing and annual hire, and adventure sails head out to Dunk Island and the Family Islands. Visitors can join in with a SailPass. Club days are cancelled when strong wind warnings are in place.

The club is proudly community-minded. Local businesses support it as sponsors, and it backs inclusion and wellbeing programs including Pride in Sport, Play by the Rules and Good Sports. Members can also apply for boat storage at the club, and the membership year runs from 1 September to 31 August.

See our Mission Beach sailing clubs page for more.

Mission Beach Sailing Club does not run its own formal learn-to-sail courses, and it recommends Tinaroo Sailing Club on the Atherton Tableland and Townsville Sailing Club for structured instruction. What it does offer is plenty of time on the water: newcomers can try club sailing with a SailPass before applying for membership, and club boats — Pacers and a Laser — are available for club sailing and annual hire.

Once you are comfortable, the club's adventure sails to Dunk Island and the Family Islands are a memorable way to build experience, and the Mission Beach Regatta gives more confident sailors a chance to race. Before heading out, check the forecast — club days are called off when strong wind warnings are current.

The club sails from South Mission Beach on Queensland's Cassowary Coast, about halfway between Cairns and Townsville. The water off the beach is sheltered by Dunk Island and the Family Islands, giving dinghies calm conditions for most of the season, which runs through the drier months from April to November.

Regatta courses make the most of the islands. The Around Dunk Island Race circles the island for catamarans and larger monohulls, while the Purtaboi Island Race gives smaller boats their own challenge. For more about the area, see our Mission Beach destination guide, and for longer passages south, our guide to sailing the Hinchinbrook Channel.

The drier months bring the south-east trade winds, which give reliable sailing breezes, while the wet season (roughly December to March) brings heat, storms and marine stingers, which is why the club takes a break. Dunk Island sits just a few kilometres offshore, so even small boats can make a memorable island trip in the right conditions.

The Mission Beach Regatta is the club's great tradition. It's been celebrated for more than 40 years and draws sailors from across the state, including crews from other North Queensland clubs. Its signature races, around Dunk Island and out to Purtaboi Island, have made it one of Far North Queensland's favourite sailing weekends.

Through all those years the club has stayed true to its roots as a small, volunteer-run community club, with sailing that's social, affordable and welcoming. Its boats, beach and regatta remain at the heart of Mission Beach's sailing life, and newcomers can still turn up with a SailPass and have a go.