Detailed History (Part 1)

The Start

After the first World War, in 1918 a group of Seacliff enthusiasts formed an embryo Seacliff Sailing Club, their headquarters being a modest hut built of aloes. At the same time a small group of boat owners, who moored off the Brighton Jetty, planned to form their own club. However at a meeting in Southcott's Rooms, Jetty Road, Brighton, in October 1919, attended by twenty residents of the district, the two groups came together and founded the Brighton & Seacliff Yacht Club. Benjamin Benny was elected Commodore and T.M. Bennett Secretary.

Thus the Brighton & Seacliff Yacht Club was born and it is unlikely that those early members could have visualised the fleet as it is today, let alone the type of boat the members would be sailing. The boats that raced that first season were a far cry from today's sleek craft but they must have been an impressive sight with huge sail area, long overhanging booms and projecting bowsprits. In that first season of 1919 seven boats raced; two eighteen footers, Fife (L.T. Bennett) and Bonney Rig (Cecil Gregory and Gil Vaughton) which were moored at the Brighton Jetty; four fourteen footers, Weeona (H.G. Collyer), Swallow (W. Ashdown), Kangaroo (M. Somerville) and Nimrod (H. Hustler)and one hard chined thirteen footer, Fizzy Lizzy (C.B. Norton).

In 1920 the club fleet grew from seven boats to eleven with four more eighteen footers sailing from the club, Shamrock (H. Hancock) which was moored at Somerton, and two Glenelg eighteens, Adele (Lew Cottrell) and Lavendo (C.H. Deckert) joined the fleet. Cliff Norton had sold Fizzy Lizzy to Colin Haselgrove who headed a syndicate which built the eighteen foot Unity, a remarkable boat which sailed with great success until she was caught in a severe storm in 1924. Unity was washed through the jetty and was severely damaged, never to race again. 1921 saw further additions to the fourteen foot fleet creating a diversity which would have tested the handicapper in obtaining fair results.

The Twenties

In the early days a number of regattas provided the highlights of the season. The popular ones were Brighton Regatta on New Year's Day and the Glenelg Commemorative Day Regatta on January 28 which saw boats sailing from Henley and Grange to compete. The club existed without a clubhouse until 1925 when difference of opinion as to location were resolved and T.M. Hardy as Commodore successfully negotiated with the Minister of National Pleasure Resorts the lease which the club now stands on. The registration fee and stamp duty amounted to the equivalent of $1.25.

Having acquired the land in June 1926 it became necessary to raise money to build 'a clubhouse capable of providing accommodation for small craft equipped with dressing rooms, showers, lockers etc.' The estimated cost was four hundred and fifty pounds. The official opening of the building was on Saturday January 29 at which time membership had reached seventy five including ten life members and eight cadet members.

Cadet Dinghies: In 1925 particulars of the cadet class dinghy were obtained by T.M. Hardy from Mr Paul Ross, a great friend of Mr Hardy's. This proved an event of great significance to the club as the eventual adoption of this class laid the foundation for class racing of future years. The introduction of this class was probably the first positive step in Australia to cater for youth sailing. Many of today's top Australian yachtsmen and women started sailing in these fine boats.

The 12 foot cadet dinghy continued to develop and was the dominant class in the club from the mid thirties to the mid forties. The seagoing capabilities of these small craft was well demonstrated in the 'Ocean Race' which was held annually over a fifty mile course, leaving Brighton on Saturday afternoon to Outer Harbour, round Torrens Island and back to B&SYC on the Sunday evening. Crews were permitted a fifteen minute rest at Outer Harbour before the all night passage home. The racing was surprisingly close, in March 1936 Heather won by a boat length to Tom Thumb.

Another seagoing effort recorded is the Christmas cruise to Port Noarlunga from the Sunday to the Tuesday with two dinghies escorted by two eighteen footers and a motor launch. Crews camped at Noarlunga, held sailing and rowing races with the highlight being the community campfire. As lifejackets were not commonly used, crews in 1936 - 37 had to undergo a 400 yard swimming test before being permitted to compete in club events.

The Thirties

The depression in the thirties saw the club go through difficult times and the scant records available indicate a drop in membership though subscriptions were reduced from one guinea to ten shillings. Fortunately this was not to last with the late thirties seeing the fleet grow once again and improvements made to the club rooms and surrounding grounds. With the regular breezes experienced a fixed triangular course was set starting with a south westerly mark to a northerly off Brighton then twice around an easterly and finishing off the club.

The Forties

Whilst membership had been fairly static during the war years, there was an increase in both members and boats after the war and in 1947 - 48 membership had reached one hundred and sixteen which included seventeen female members. Further upgrades were made to the club with extra facilities created for boat storage. While the twelve square metre Sharpie was first introduced to Brighton in the thirties, this international class sailed in England, Holland and Germany strengthened after the war continuing to provide competitive racing until 1963 with the introduction of the Lightweight Sharpie.

The Fifties

The fifties saw the introduction of two more classes, the Payne-Mortlock Sailing Canoe and the Rainbow giving the club four recognised classes which competed in weekly racing. Jim Hardy, Fred Neill and Bob Lanyon were among the more successful sailors of this time to name a few. As a measure of the successes, state championships went to Fred Neill, Jim Hardy and Neil Crowley who also took out the Australian National Championships in the Payne-Mortlock Canoe which were hosted at the club.

Additions to the club and its racing facilities included the first rescue boat, a fifteen foot six H.P. petrol motor launch and separate starts were introduced for each class. The first floor of the new clubhouse was built from 1956 - 57, designed and organised by club members.

The Sixties

1960 - 65 saw further significant changes in all areas firstly with the introduction of junior training and the Holdfast Trainer. Two new senior classes also made their debut, the Lightweight Sharpie and the International 505. Membership was to almost double and a full time caretaker was appointed. The major undertaking was the completion of club extensions and Australian yachting history was made when the club hosted the 505 World series which was the first world series ever held in Australia.

In 1960 - 61 junior membership stood at sixty five and interest was being shown by many others. A sub-committee led by Harvie Haselgrove was appointed to consider the establishment of a junior training scheme. Nine club Holdfast Trainers were built by the end of 1961. By 1968 there were ninety three Herons also registered at the club - by far the largest fleet in the eleven classes at the club. A new rescue boat was also commissioned. Championship highlights of the sixties were significant including a national championship in the international 505s to Fred Neill and world championships to Brian Price and Chris Hough in 1963, John Parrington and Chris Hough again in 1964 and Jim Hardy and Max Whitnall in 1966 which were hosted at the club and fielded seventy competitors. Further achievements included a national championship to Robin Haselgrove and national junior championship to Sue Haselgrove in the Rainbow class. Sue later married Bob Perkins who became one of the most successful helmsmen in the now flourishing Lightweight Sharpie.

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