Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron

Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron is Brisbane's heavyweight sailing club. It was founded in 1885, it's based on the Manly waterfront at 578 Royal Esplanade, and it runs one of Moreton Bay's busiest racing calendars. The Squadron calls itself one of the state's oldest and most prestigious sailing and cruising clubs, and its facilities back that up.

There are two waterfront venues: the main clubhouse at Manly, with function spaces including the Girdis Room and Auditorium, and a second base at Canaipa Point on Russell Island. On the boating side you'll find a marina, a boatyard and slipway, on-water and off-water storage, trade sheds and garages, and a dinghy hardstand.

The event list is big. It includes Sail Brisbane, Brisbane Race Week, the Brisbane to Bundaberg race, Queensland Youth Week, and state and national championships for classes like the Etchells, VX One and Flying Fifteen. Members also play a big part in the Easter classic, the Brisbane to Gladstone.

Planning a visit by water? Check our Manly marinas page and the Moreton Bay sailing guide.

RQYS Sailing Academy delivers a broad range of accredited learn-to-sail and boating courses for juniors, youth and adults. Programs on offer include junior Tackers (Sail and Play) for younger children; Learn 2 Sail for juniors (7–12), youth (12–17) and adults (16+); Start Sailing 1 & 2; dinghy and keelboat courses; powerboat handling and Safety Boat Operator training; performance coaching; Green Fleet and Youth Squad training; school sailing partnerships; and holiday camps. The Academy is an Australian Sailing Discover Sailing Centre and runs term programs and weekend clinics throughout the year.

The pathway doesn't stop at the beginner level. Squadron members have competed at every Olympic Games since 1956, and the club hosts major youth events like Queensland Youth Week. That gives junior sailors a clear line of sight from their first Tackers session to state, national and international racing. Adults can move from Learn 2 Sail into keelboat racing on the bay.

Comparing options? Browse sailing courses on YouSail.

The Squadron sails on Moreton Bay from its Manly base, Brisbane's eastern bayside. It also operates a second site at Canaipa Point on Russell Island in southern Moreton Bay.

Moreton Bay is a big, shallow, island-studded bay, sheltered from the Coral Sea by Moreton and North Stradbroke islands. That makes for great racing and cruising, but also for sandbanks, strong tidal streams and afternoon sea breezes that can build quickly in summer. Racecourses off Manly give good open-water sailing, and the southern bay around Russell, Macleay and Karragarra islands is a favourite cruising ground. Canaipa Point is a handy base for exploring it.

For passage planning, anchorages and local hazards, see our Moreton Bay sailing guide and Moreton Bay location page.

RQYS traces its origins to 1885, when a group formed the Brisbane Sailing Club. The club later became the Queensland Yacht Club and was granted permission to fly the Blue Ensign in 1894. The title "Royal" came in 1902, the name changed to Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron in 1961, and it was incorporated as a company in 1991.

Over more than a century, the Squadron has become the centre of Brisbane's organised sailing. Its members have competed at the Olympic Games since 1956, and the club has hosted a long run of state, national and international regattas on Moreton Bay. It has also been closely involved in Queensland's offshore racing, including the Easter Brisbane to Gladstone race, one of the country's great coastal classics.

Today the Squadron combines that racing heritage with a big community program: an accredited sailing academy, a busy marina and boatyard, and two waterfront venues. It remains one of Queensland's most active sailing clubs.