The landlocked Carcoar Sailing Club is up for national honours later this month after being named a finalist for Club of the Year at the Australian Sailing Awards.

On Saturday, September 19, the club was named the 2026 NSW/ACT Club of the Year at a function held at the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron in Kirribilli, taking the top honour from fellow nominees Hunters Hill Sailing Club and Saltwater Veterans Sailing Project.

The club now progresses as a finalist in Category B for Club of the Year at the Australian Sailing Awards, which will be held at the Sofitel Hotel in Darling Harbour on October 30.

Club commodore Rene Reimers said the award reflected what the club had been working towards for the past four years, growing from just seven members to almost 90.

Reimers, an Australian Sailing coach, said the club achieved accreditation as an Australian Sailing Discover Sailing Centre two years ago, enabling it to deliver nationally recognised Learn to Sail programs for adults and children in the Central West.

“Our club is about giving people in our region access to sailing, even though we are so far from the coast across the mountains,” he said.

“We’ve seen peaks and troughs of energy and activity over the last 53 years since the club was established in 1973. We are proud to be part of a resurgence with lots of effort being put into making it worthwhile to be a member at the club – you can now turn up, with kids in tow, pull out a club sailing boat and be out on the water together, easily enjoying what many on the coast take for granted every day.”

Reimers said the award really belonged to all the volunteers, members, juniors, families, supporters, and everyone who had helped rebuild the club.

“For a small inland club from the Central West to receive this recognition across NSW and the ACT is something we’re incredibly proud of,” he said, adding the national nomination was also an opportunity for the club to showcase the fun of sailing to the local community.

Reimers said the club’s programs were designed to cater for beginners through to experienced sailors, juniors and adults, with an emphasis on grassroots participation and practical sailing skills.

“We’ve been building towards having a fabulous team of instructors, and we’re now prepped to help locals learn the basic skills of sailing, helping them develop confidence on the water and making sailing available to everyone,” he said.

“We want to open the doors of sailing to our regional communities. You shouldn’t have to live on the coast to discover this sport. We would love people from across the Central West to come out to Carcoar Dam, meet us and see what sailing is all about.”

The club is holding an open day on Sunday, October 25, from 10am, giving the community an opportunity to experience the club firsthand and get out on the water.

Families, prospective sailors, and members of the wider Central West community are all invited to visit the facilities, meet the team, and discover what sailing at Carcoar Dam has to offer.

The open day will include club tours, membership information, demonstration sails, a coffee cart, and a sausage sizzle, providing an easy introduction for people who have never sailed before. No previous sailing experience is necessary to begin discovering the sport.

You will find the club at 540 Carcoar Dam Rd, Carcoar NSW.

For more information, visit www.sailcarcoar.com.au.