The Goolwa Regatta Yacht Club is located in South Australia's historic river-port of Goolwa, near the mouth of the River Murray. The club is the home of Goolwa's sailing community with modern clubhouse facilities including a licenced bar, lounge, shower, dining and barbecue facilities. Casual functions for over 200 guests can be arranged while the dining room caters for up to 70 seated guests.

The Goolwa Regatta Yacht Club has been associated with sailing and yachting in the Goolwa area since the early days of the then Province of South Australia, being formed as the “Goolwa Regatta Club” some time prior to August 1854. Its primary purpose then was to organise and run an annual regatta event, a highly popular outing which attracted both locals and many visitors from Adelaide. In 1969 the club was renamed the Goolwa Regatta Yacht Club in order to cater for the booming interest in sailing in the area and now offers a year round calendar of events.

Racing

The GRYC conducts a wide variety of regattas and events with both a summer and a winter sailing season, catering for trailable yachts, sports boats, vintage riverboats and off the beach classes including multi-hulls. Competitors from other clubs are welcome.

Race types include point-to-point, out-and-return and around-the-buoys races. Regatta Week held in January of each year includes the running of the Milang Goolwa Freshwater Classic, South Australia's premier freshwater race.

We race every Friday during the summer sailing season, with the pre-race briefing at 1730 for a race start at 1800. In winter, informal twilight racing is held monthly on a Friday night with the pre-race briefing at 1600 for a race start at 1630.

Weekend races are also scheduled throughout the year.

See the Club Program for more information.

Social

The club is open most Friday nights, with meals offered during the summer racing season. The club's facilities are also open on any other days when sailing events are scheduled. The Christmas Twilight race series held between Christmas and New Year is a fabulous opportunity to chill out after a hectic Christmas lead up and enjoy a relaxing meal and drink while overlooking the beautiful Murray River.

The Marina

The club's marina accommodates 106 boats up to 12 metres in length. Power and water are connected, and berths may be leased or sub-leased. Should you wish to keep your vessel anywhere in the Goolwa channel then the GRYC is very competitively priced. An excellent boat ramp allows the launching or retrieving of two vessels simultaneously in almost all weather. A number of berths are reserved for short term visitor use.

The majority of vessels berthed in the marina are trailer-sailers or other lifting-keel yachts which are well suited to the relatively shallow waters of the adjacent Lower Murray Lakes and Coorong areas. An increasing number of power boats are kept in the GRYC marina as well.

Visitors

The club would like to extend an invitation to all who wish to visit the GRYC.

Members from other yacht clubs and sailing clubs are welcome to use the Club's facilities and are also welcome to participate in all of the Club’s racing, cruising and social events. On arrival, contact should be made with either the Club Manager or one of the Committee members for advice and assistance. Twelve pens have been reserved for use by visiting boats.

Please review our club program for events throughout the season. There are also comprehensive cruising notes covering the Goolwa, Coorong and Lower Lakes area available on this website.