Sailing club to celebrate 70th anniversary
The Richmond River Sailing Club, now known as the Richmond River Sailing and Rowing Club, will celebrate its 70th anniversary with a dinner on August 18 at Ballina Beach Resort.
Keith Alcock, a former club commodore, said the the club had its origins in 1937. However, with the Richmond River’s strong maritime history, Keith says sailing as a leisure activity was probably carried out long before the club was started.
“In the late 1930s a group of local sailing enthusiasts sought support from the Vaucluse Sailing Club in Sydney to help establish a club and find some second-hand boats that would form the basis of a fleet at Ballina,” Keith told Ballina.Info.
“Arthur C Brand, a Lismore pharmacist, was elected foundation commodore.”
Mr Brand was made the club’s first life member, and his Certificate of Life Memership was donated back to the club by his wife and is on display at the clubhouse, which is located next to the swimming pool.
The first clubhouse was built near the wharf where North Coast Steam Navigation Company ships docked (now the Fawcett Park recreation area).
The original clubhouse was at the end of Cherry Street, on land provided by S G White, who owned the Ballina Slipway (now the new Ramada Hotel site).
Prominent local sailors in the 1940s, 50s and 60s included Fred Forbes, Len Jung, George Pickers, John Young, Gordon ‘Pip’ Whitehead, Terry McLaren, Max Saxton, John McKenzie, Charlie McKenzie, Mick Kempnich, Bruce Small, Rae Campbell, Noel Hicks, Gordon McLaren, Max and Brian Sidney, and ‘Slim’ Somerville, a Lismore photographer.
Max and Brian Sidney went on to become national champions in another type of craft — they were part of Ballina Surf Club’s three-times national champion surfboat crew.
Among the ‘characters’ in the club were brothers Jim and Les Munsie.
Keith says Les was better known as ‘Basher’ — ‘not from the physical sense, but more as an avid ear-basher’. “He could talk the leg off a table,” Keith said. Both Jim and Les were great clubmen, Keith said.
The inaugural clubhouse was destroyed by a storm in the 1960s, and the club set about finding a new home. Eventually, in 1969, the present clubhouse was opened.
Construction was a hands-on job by the members: One member, Arnie Strong, was a concreter, and on weekends 20 club members would go to his depot and make the concrete blocks used to build the clubhouse.
The club has produced champion sailors over the years, including Ken Richards, Bruce Small, Nick Peate, and Andrew Hurford and Craig Alcock, who have competed internationally.
These days, the club continues to go from strength to strength. Keith says club assets have doubled in the past five years, 25 to 30 boats race each weekend in the summer, the club has 14 training craft, membership is 110, and the club now has been joined by local rowers.
One reason for this growth, Keith says, is the club’s emphasis on being family-orientated.
The club’s season is from September to May. Learn-to-sail courses are offered under the guidance of Mike Wiley. Major events hosted by the club include the Ivan Bathgate Memorial and the annual regatta.
For more details on the club, go to http://richmondriver.yachting.org.au/
If you need more information on the 70th anniversary dinner or you have items of club history, please contact Janet Allured on 0423 578 899.
PICTURES: Two of the club’s former commodores, Graeme Fleming, left, and Keith Alcock. Scroll down for some historical pictures.
