Sandringham Yacht Club (SYC) CEO Richard Hewett has reported the club has “never been busier” since officially opening the foredeck at the end of October as part of the latest stage of its clubhouse improvement works.
Working with Amity Building Group, Watson Young Architects, and Gallagher Jeffs as project manager, the club undertook a 15-month, two-stage improvement project aimed at creating an expansive new space for its members.
Situated on the picturesque foreshore of Victoria’s Port Phillip Bay, overlooking the marina, the $4.2 million project delivered the new foredeck, an indoor-outdoor space adjoining the club’s expanded members’ bar and bistro. The redevelopment now offers members sweeping views of the SYC marina, Sandringham Harbour, and the start line for regatta races.
“Our members were telling us they wanted a bigger and better space with an enhanced food and beverage experience, better menus. But we were really limited with the setup we had. That was the driver,” Hewett said.
“The narrative for us is that the members asked for a much better food and beverage space, so that’s what we’re going to deliver.”
According to Hewett, the renovation has significantly increased the club’s all-weather seating capacity by 35 per cent.
“This means in bad weather we used to seat around 220 people, but now we can seat 300 people indoors and outside we can seat another 100,” he explained.
Other features that have been introduced include a family-friendly lower podium area equipped with a boat, synthetic grass, and picnic tables; a revamped bag rack system; and the addition of 40 bike racks in the undercroft. Alongside this, the audio-visual system was upgraded with larger televisions for announcements and live broadcasts of sporting events.
The work also saw the introduction of a pod and pave flooring solution to cope with wet sailors.
While it’s still early days, Hewitt said the club had a “very strong couple of months in November and December” and is optimistic that, based on overwhelmingly positive feedback from patrons, the momentum will continue.
“It’s just a great space, and now everyone’s out there with their phones taking photos because, all of a sudden, the marina feels like it’s right next to the room – and that’s really photogenic,” Hewitt said.
To mark the revamped clubhouse, SYC is offering the public the opportunity to experience its facilities through the Club PASS, an introductory offer available up to three times for individuals.
This initiative mirrors the successful SAIL Pass program, which allows the public to go sailing at SYC up to 30 times over a two-year period.
“Introduced 20 years ago, the SAIL Pass now accounts for 40-50% of the club’s new members annually,” Hewett said.