Southern Cross Model Yacht Club Inc

 

Sailing started at "Walka Water Works" in 2000 when some skippers got together and formed a Club, with permission from the Trust of the site at that time. 

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The deep, fresh water dam at Walka, with an elevated sailing position makes a perfect radio controlled sailing site.

 

In our relationship with the Trustees of the Walka site our members enjoy 7 day access to the site, but:

        Currently we sail:

Saturdays from 11:00 am at the end of the dam wall.

We  now sail 3 classes: R10R, a modified East Coast 12, and the DF 65 class on Wednesdays. Mostly we have a mixed fleets and works well. Some of our older skippers are finding the 10 raters a little too big to manage so are sailing 1 metre boats as well.

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                                                         When the Club started sailing, the only facilities at that point in the Walka site, were a                                                            timber bird observation platform, and an 18 metre timber pontoon.

 

                                                         In 2004 working with the Trustees and a "work for the

                                                         dole program" we added a picnic table.

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This picture shows a regatta held by the club in 2008.

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                                             In 2012, our pontoon was vandalised - set fire to and sunk. Luckily for us the Trustees had a                                               second smaller pontoon that had been prepared as a bird nesting device that had never

                                            been used. This was made available to us.

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2013 was a great year for the Club. Trusteeship had passed to the Maitland City Council.                                                 Our President who had been an elected member of the Trust, with the support of the                                                             Council, applied for and was successful for a large NSW Sport Infrastructure Grant.                                                             The application was for the supply and installation of a double carport size shelter.                                                               The Council's Heritage Officer helped us with some hurdles because Walka is a heritage site,

and other support from the Council was invaluable in completing the grant. (In summer it can be                                        at least 5 degrees cooler in the shade.)

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                                         In 2015, the second wooden pontoon was also damaged. The Council engineers responsible for                                               Council's assets were not keen to replace old treated pine structures with like, so after                                                          researching commercial pontoons, the old pontoon was replaced.

 

                                       It's wonderful that the Council recognise that the radio yachts and Club activities add a spectacle for visitors to the site.

 

In 2023, we have added another course on the water to cater for the DF 65 class of boat that we have introduced. These are available through toy and hobby shops at a reasonable cost, so are an excellent class to enter and learn about radio sailing.

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Southern Cross Model Yacht Club is fortunate to be so well supported and enjoy the facilities at such a wonderful venue as Walka.

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