Welcome to the Cairns Yacht Club!
For 116 years, the Cairns Yacht Club (CYC) has been a cornerstone of the Far North Queensland sailing community. At Marlin Marina and Ellis Beach, the club offers a variety of facilities, including two clubhouses, training amenities, a scenic beachfront lease, along with three keelboats (J24 and Masrm 720), 32 dinghies (Optimist, Pacer, Laser, Quest), two catamarans (Nacra 350), three power boats (rescue), and eight outrigger canoes. Over the years, the club has fostered a vibrant sailing community through a diverse range of events, training programs, social activities, and quality boating facilities.
Wednesday Afternoon Go Sailing
Wednesday Afternoon Go Sailing is referred to as WAGS. In 2026 WAGS is expected to re-commence on the 11th February. Local yachtsmen and women can invite crew to join them in a social race on picturesque Trinity Inlet on Wednesday afternoon, subject to weather and boat availability. Pre-registration is opened 48 hours prior for the limited number of spots available each week. There are pre-requisite requirements to be eligible to be invited aboard the private vessels for WAGS. If you have a boat and would like to join our fleet, please contact us as we would love to grow our CYC fleet. We expect this to commence on the 11th February 2026 with registrations of interest via our events page. Please review the link above for further information.
The club is dedicated to nurturing the next generation of sailors through its Junior Sailing programs, which include Australian Sailing Tackers 1 and 2 (7 – 12 years old) and Youth Sailing (12 – 17 years old, Australian Sailing's Out There Sailing curriculum). This program is held through school terms 2,3 and 4 every year. With Tackers 1 and 2 being held on Friday nights from 4-6pm and Youth Sailing being held on Saturday mornings from 9:30 - 12pm. No experience necessary. Please contact us for details.
In 2023, CYC launched SheSails, a program aimed at empowering women in sailing. Since its inception, SheSails has made a significant impact, with over 400 women participating in land-based and on-water training and social events. In particular, SheSails has been instrumental in cultivating female talent in sailing, having supported the development of 2 female Australian sailing instructors and 2 female sailing mentors.