By Guy Glenny
Chair, Sydney Cove Regatta Committee
Twenty-nine years ago, the Rotary Club of Sydney Cove conceived the concept of a charity regatta as its principal fundraiser. The club had been chartered in 1988, the bicentennial year, and first met on a Captain Cook Cruises vessel on magnificent Sydney Harbour. It therefore made sense that the Harbour should be associated with its fundraising activities.
This year, the club’s prestigious Friday afternoon event will be held on November 17 at the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, home to the Rolex Sydney to Hobart yacht race. Volunteer owners from CYCA offer their racing yachts and crew to compete in the regatta, which can be sponsored for the day by corporates wishing to entertain their clients or staff with a day of adventure and hospitality.
Many of Australia’s best-known yachts compete, including Wild Oats X and IchiBan, which won the 2017 and 2019 Sydney Hobart races respectively. This is a great drawcard for the sponsors, who can sail on yachts normally reserved for the most experienced sailors, and enjoy the facilities of one of Australia’s premier yacht clubs. No previous sailing qualifications are necessary.
In addition to enjoying a fantastic sail on the harbour with their clients, the corporates also appreciate the opportunity to raise funds for the Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation (SCHF), the Safety of Life at Sea Trusts (SOLAS), and other Rotary Club of Sydney Cove charitable projects. Since inception, the regatta has raised in excess of $5 million, around half of which has funded various projects for the Children’s Hospital, particularly around respiratory diseases.
For more information on the regatta, visit www.rotarysolascharityregatta.com.au where there is a dramatic information video featuring Kristina Keneally, the new CEO of Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation.
PICTURE: Gavin Little Photography