Newsletter 15 April 2021
A brief history of 130 years of the Sydney Flying Squadron, 1891 to 2021. Recounts the founding meeting at Rainford's Cambridge Club Hotel in August 1891, the election of WJ Richardson as first Honorary Secretary and a committee including Mark Foy, and reproduces 1891 newspaper articles from Aquatics and the Sydney Morning Herald on the club's formation and a request to use Clark Island, credit...
A brief history of 130 years of THE SYDNEY FLYING SQUADRON, 1891 to 2021
SYDNEY FLYING SQUADRON LTD - AUSTRALIA'S OLDEST OPEN BOAT SAILING CLUB
In 1891 a group of Sydney sailing enthusiasts met to discuss the establishment of a sailing club which would admit all classes of sailing craft. It was their belief that if they were successful in forming such a club it would revolutionise sailing on Sydney Harbour. The meeting was held at Rainford’s Cambridge Club Hotel in Sydney in August 1891.
The first Honorary Secretary elected at that meeting was WJ Richardson. The meeting also elected a committee of seven, consisting of G Ellis, Mr Eaton, Mark Foy, Mr Lapham, W Fitzhenry, Mr Blair and Mr Perrett.
NOTICE OF CLUB FORMATION - AQUATICS 13 August 1891
REQUEST TO USE CLARKE ISLAND - SMH 27 August 1891
Newspaper articles accessed at Trove.nla.gov here and here
The Sydney Flying Squadron was a result of the vision of Mark Foy to make racing on Port Jackson available to all, in a sport both healthy and exciting to spectators as well as participants.
This was the reason for his three innovations, triangular course, pre-start handicapping and coloured sails (later reduced to coloured symbols).
NOTICE OF FIRST RACE - SMH 5 October 1891
The first race was to be held on 5 October 1891 (Notice of Race) but due to weather conditions was abandoned. Read the race report from the SMH on 6 October 1891 here.
Hanging around Clark Island waiting for the start...
William Hall Photo, 1905. ANMM Collection
Photo courtesy of Jim North collection
Over the years the club has met many challenges, such as the debacle of the 1892 Anniversary Regatta, the defection of the League in the 1930s - just to mention a few... but the Squaddie continues to prevail!
In 1958, with the help of Club membership, the SFS secured the Club House at the current location in Careening Cove and in 1973, assisted by legendary “SFS Members for Life” the club bought the Pattons Slipways site.
North Shore Rowing Club, Careening Cove
Photo courtesy "A century of Sydney's Flying Sailors"
If only Mark Foy and those founding members could see that their vision still exists 130 years on.
The Sydney Flying Squadron’s values remain the same to this day, a club for the everyday man or woman, while every competitive sailor worth his or her salt across the world knows what a Mark Foy Start is. It is indeed a lasting legacy!
We are always looking to provide opportunities for people to join us. Don't worry if you are a first timer, there are plenty of old hands to teach you. If you want to be a volunteer on one of the support boats, or just with social events, there are lots of opportunities to get involved. Our sailors and volunteers range from teenagers to 80-year-olds. Boats have a range of male and female crew and everyone is welcome. Get involved.
Much of the content in this mailout has been taken from Margaret Molloy's book "A Century of Sydney's Flying Sailors"
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See you at the Squaddie!
Sydney Flying Squadron Ltd
Australia’s oldest open boat sailing club
Our mailing address is: 76 McDougall St Kirribilli NSW 2061
This text was read from the scanned original below by optical character recognition. It has not yet been checked by a person, so it may carry mistakes, and any results tables in the original are not reproduced here. The scan is the authority.