Derwent Sailing Squadron

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Sandy Bay, TAS
Derwent Sailing Squadron

Offering a thriving Club culture, on and off the water, where everyone belongs! We look forward to welcoming new members into our family.

From its humble beginnings in 1906, the Derwent Sailing Squadron, more commonly known as the DSS, has grown to become one of Tasmania's premier yacht clubs, with a 1300+ membership base, many of whom berth their boats in the Club's marina. We pride ourselves on offering new members the warmest of welcomes and providing some of the best boating facilities in Australia. We know we are exceptionally

lucky to have such a spectacular location on the banks of the River Derwent to call home. We are also exceptionally grateful to have such strong support all around us - from our members, our sponsors, our fellow clubs, our local community, our local council and our state government.

2015 was a pivotal year in the club's history, as we embarked on a major expansion of our marina to double its size. In doing so, our marina has become the largest and most technically advanced Club marina in Tasmania. The Derwent Sailing Squadron is supported by the Tasmanian Government.

04/09/2026

❄️ ONE LAST WINTER HIT-OUT ❄️

This Sunday brings the Battery World Hobart Winter Series to a close, and, with it, the final race day of the Squadron’s entire 2025–26 sailing season.

There is plenty on the line, with the winners of all three divisions still to be decided.

⛵In Division 3, Ben Morgan’s Joie De Vie leads on 12 points, with Young One close behind on 14 and Graham Hall’s Serenity still firmly in the mix on 16.

⛵Division 2 is even tighter. Peter Haros’s Wings Three leads on 10 points, just two clear of Stephen Henley’s Flyin Scud and Knest Modular Prion, both on 12.

⛵In Division 1, it couldn’t be much closer. In a battle of the Farr 40s, Damon Wecker’s Plausible Alibi leads on 10 points, with Gary Cripps’ Guilty Pleasures breathing down their necks on 11. There is little doubt Wayne Banks-Smith’s War Games will also be out to spoil the party.

Our winter series has again delivered everything we enjoy about sailing at this time of year, crisp mornings, changing conditions, close competition and plenty of good-natured banter back at the Club.

Good luck to all crews lining up on Sunday! See you back at the club for a post season BBQ.

Thank you to everyone who has competed, volunteered or helped make the 2025–26 season possible, and to Battery World Hobart for its valued long-time support of the Squadron's Winter Series.

03/09/2026

🌞 SQUADRON MEMBERS HEAD NORTH 🌞

Over the last few weeks, plenty of Squadron members have headed north to the beautiful Whitsundays – using the excuse of racing in one or more of the various race weeks as cover for soaking up some sun and, by all reports, enjoying a few suitable refreshments 🍹🍷🍺 along the way.

Three DSS owners did the yards and took their boats north. ⛵ Ben Davidson and his Hanse 54e Sea Fever raced both Airlie Beach and Hamilton Island Race Weeks, ⛵ David Warren took his Jeanneau 44 Seachelle 2 to Airlie and ⛵ Cousin Glenn Myler raced his home, the Beneteau Oceanis Thylacine, at Hammo.

They all achieved some pretty handy results too.

Sea Fever finished🥉 overall in Division 1 Spinnaker at Airlie and backed it up with another🥉 overall in Hamilton Island Division at Hammo – just pipped by that well-known cruising boat Wild Thing 100. The team capped it off with🥇 in the Hammo Prix d'Elegance Parade, rocking the Top Gun theme.

🥉 Thylacine nailed🥉overall at Hammo in Non-Spinnaker, while the Seachelle 2 crew had some great results at Airlie, including a race win. 🏆

Great to see Squadron boats and members out there having fun in the Whitsundays.

Well done all! 👏⛵

Not jealous one bit….. 😊

📷Airlie Andrea Francolini Photography
📷 Hammo Salty Dingo for Hamilton Island

Whitsunday Sailing Club Airlie Beach Race Week Hamilton Island Race Week 2026

01/09/2026

𝐓𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐫.

The Derwent Sailing Squadron is looking for an organised, hands-on Sailing & Training Co-ordinator to help deliver and grow one of Tasmania's most active sailing and boating programs.

You'll coordinate club racing, regattas, cruising and training, while supporting the members, volunteers, race officials and instructors who make it all happen.

No two weeks are the same.

If you know sailing, enjoy working with people and want a varied and rewarding career at one of Tasmania's leading sailing clubs, we'd love to hear from you.

View position and apply via seek - https://au.seek.com/job/94331919?ref=cm-ui

21/08/2026

⭐ Doing their bit for the Derwent ⭐

The invasive Northern Pacific seastar - 'Asterias amurensis' - is a serious introduced marine pest in the River Derwent and beyond, feeding on native shellfish and other marine life and impacting the health of our local marine environment.

Each year, Sam Ibbott and his Marine Solutions team undertake a sea star collection at the Squadron.

Today they were joined by a group of environmentally conscious students from the Friends School and together they removed several thousand of these marine pests from around the Squadron.

A fantastic hands-on effort for the health of the Derwent. Thanks to all of you.

Well Played!

Every little bit helps. ⭐🌊

16/08/2026

☀️ Glorious morning for a Winter Race! ☀️

Sunshine, a light north-westerly and even a hint of warmth greeted the fleet for Race 4 of the Squadron’s Battery World Winter Series this morning.

And while the breeze may have been lightish, there was nothing slow about Russell Hunter’s Young 88, Young One. Sailing the boat like they stole it, the crew were the standout performers of the day, recording an impressive seven-minute corrected-time win in Division 3. 👏👏👏

Donovan Oak’s Mt Gay 30, Knest Modular Prion, also had a ripper day, cleaning up across the handicap results in Group 2, while Wayne Banks-Smith’s Farr 40 completed a clean sweep of the handicap results in Division 2.

With just one race remaining, the series is beautifully poised.

⛵ In Division 3, Ben Morgan’s Joie De Vie leads on 12 points, with Young One on 14 and Graham Hall’s Serenity still right in the mix on 16.

⛵ Division 2 is even tighter, with Peter Haros’s Wings Three leading on 10 points, just two clear of Stephen Henley’s Flyin Scud and Knest Modular Prion, both on 12.

⛵ And in Division 1, it couldn’t be much closer — Damon Wecker’s Plausible Alibi leads on 10 points, with Gary Cripps’ Guilty Pleasures breathing down their neck on 11.

So, with one race to go, there’s plenty still to play for!

The Battery World Winter Series wraps up on Sunday 6 September.

As always, a big thank you to our terrific team of volunteers, led today by RO Ian Ross, who make these race days possible. Many thanks also to today's BBq chief, Director Sam “Tongs” Dobie for her outstanding flipping form on the snags. 🔥🌭

Bring on the final race!

📷 Jessica Holiday

14/08/2026

𝐁𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐖𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐏𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐬 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐈𝐭𝐬 𝐏𝐞𝐧𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐑𝐚𝐜𝐞

The Battery World Winter Pennant returns to the Derwent this Sunday, 16 August, for the penultimate race of the pennant series.
With three races now under the belt, there are some close battles developing across the PHS divisions, with plenty still to play for as crews look to put themselves in the best possible position heading into the final race.

PHS Division 3 is being led by Ben Morgan’s Joie de Vie, which has made a great start to the pennant. Sitting on just six points, Joie de Vie has recorded a 2nd, 3rd and 1st across the opening three races. Letoile is currently second on 11 points, while Young One sits third on 13. Just one point separates Young One from Cool Change and Serenity, who are both sitting on 14 points. With the standings so close, Race 4 could shake things up before the final race.

PHS Division 2 is also shaping up to be a close battle. Wings Three currently leads the standings on seven points, with Flying Scud just one point behind on eight. IYKYK sits third on 10 points, followed by Knest Modular Prion Racing on 11 and The Dog House Sailing on 13. IYKYK has also been showing plenty of form across the handicap divisions, currently leading both IRC Division 2 and ORC AP Division 2. With only a few points separating the leaders in both divisions, Race 4 will be another important one before the final race.

In PHS Division 1, Guilty Pleasures VI holds the lead, with Gary Cripps and crew sitting on six points after three races. Their consistent results of 3rd, 1st and 2nd have put them in a strong position. Plausible Alibi is currently second on nine points, while White Knuckle Ride and Bad Habit are tied on 13 points, with Wargames just one point further back on 14.

With the penultimate race of the pennant here, every result will count as crews look to hold their positions, make their move up the standings and set themselves up for the final race.

Sunshine is forecast, as Race 4 gets underway this Sunday at 0940hrs, with the fleet heading back onto the Derwent for another day of winter racing.

Good luck to all competitors!

Photos & words: Amy Potter

VIEW ENTRANTS: https://topyacht.net/publicresults/SeriesIndex?seriesId=1084

12/08/2026

MEET THE BOARD SERIES | Board Member Phil Mason

10/08/2026

💥💥WELCOME TO THE FLEET – MYGA💥💥

A warm welcome to MYGA, making their Launceston to Hobart Yacht Race debut under the ownership of three good mates – Jonny Cooper, Seton Lewis and Ollie Nicholas.

Recently purchased as a project boat, the 32-foot Kevin Costin-designed canting keel yacht was built in Queensland and promises to be plenty of fun on the race south. While this will be MYGA's first Launceston to Hobart campaign, many of the crew are no strangers to the event and bring valuable race experience to the team.

With the ability to surprise some of the bigger boats if the conditions suit, MYGA is sure to be an exciting addition to this year's fleet. We look forward to welcoming MYGA and its crew to the 2026 Knest Modular Homes Launceston to Hobart Yacht Race.

Derwent Sailing Squadron | Tamar Yacht Club | IRC Rating | ORC - Offshore Racing Congress | TasPorts

06/08/2026

💥💥WELCOME TO THE FLEET – JUST FARR LOVE💥💥

A warm welcome back to Just Farr Love, with skipper Scott Lovell returning to the Launceston to Hobart Yacht Race after previously competing in 2023.

The 51-foot Bruce Farr-designed fast cruiser was built by Binks Yachts in Adelaide in 1996 as the first of five yachts built to Farr Design No. 193. Featuring a beautifully crafted interior of Tasmanian Huon Pine and Blackwood, Just Farr Love combines offshore performance with classic Australian craftsmanship.

The crew heads into the 2026 race following a strong result in the 2024 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, where they claimed both PHS Division 2 and PHS Overall honours. With a proven offshore record and another Launceston to Hobart campaign ahead, it will be great to see Just Farr Love back on the start line and heading south once again.

We look forward to welcoming Just Farr Love and her crew back to the fleet for the 2026 Knest Modular Homes Launceston to Hobart Yacht Race.

ENTER NOW: https://l2h-dssinc.org.au/race-documents/

Derwent Sailing Squadron | Tamar Yacht Club | ORC - Offshore Racing Congress TasPorts | IRC Rating

Address

23 Marieville Esplanade
Sandy Bay, TAS
7005

Telephone

+61362231977

Website

http://www.dssinc.org.au/, https://www.instagram.com/derwentsailingsquadron, https://www.instagram.com/moorings_dss/

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