Celebrating the Volunteers Behind BYS
At Blairgowrie Yacht Squadron, National Volunteer Week is always an opportunity to celebrate the people who keep the Club running, thriving, floating and, most of the time, pointing in the right direction.
This year’s Volunteers’ Champagne Breakfast brought together volunteers from across every corner of the Club to enjoy each other’s company, connect with fellow members, and celebrate another incredible season of contribution both on and off the water. Volunteers were formally welcomed and thanked by Commodore Georgina Plumridge, who opened the morning’s celebrations, before BYS Club Captain Jenni Maclean reflected on the extraordinary contribution volunteers make across the Club and announced the 2025–26 BYS Race Management Volunteer of the Year Award.
The People Behind BYS
Throughout the morning, Jenni reflected on the many volunteer groups whose work helps shape the culture and success of BYS.
“To our committee and subcommittee members: your work is quieter, but absolutely essential. You prepare reports, read documents, debate ideas, solve problems, and help steer the club’s direction. You give your time not for applause, but because you care deeply about the future of this place.”
She thanked the working bee volunteers who rolled up their sleeves for “painting, fixing, cleaning, digging, rigging, derigging, polishing, and this year’s favourite, shifting sand. So much sand.”
Jenni also recognised the Club’s Sailability volunteers, whose patience, kindness and commitment create life-changing experiences for sailors who may otherwise never have the opportunity to experience the freedom of being on the water.
The Art Show volunteers were acknowledged for helping bring the wider Mornington Peninsula community into the Club through an event that celebrates creativity, connection and community spirit.
And, of course, there was special mention for the Club’s “random-task heroes”, the volunteers who say yes before they even know what the job is.
“You are the duct tape of this club: not always glamorous, but absolutely essential,” Jenni said, recognising those who quietly solve problems, fill roster gaps and keep the Club operating behind the scenes.
Supporting Racing and Regattas
But at the heart of the speech was the role volunteers play in making sailing happen.
“You want racing? You want regattas that run like clockwork? You want a club that stands tallest on the Mornington Peninsula? … It’s the volunteers on the water and in the tower who make those events shine.”
Jenni praised the Club Racing volunteers who turn up “in every possible weather condition” to make racing safe, fair and fun, whether standing on the start boat in sunshine, sideways rain, or during “that one day the wind changed direction a dozen times before the first warning signal.”
She also recognised the huge contribution of the regatta volunteer teams who supported events including the RS Aero National Championships, Petersville Regatta, J/70 regattas and multiple class championships throughout the season.
“You’ve wrangled fleets, managed protests, soothed stressed sailors, and survived the ‘where’s my tiller extension’ crisis of the RS Aero Nationals,” Jenni joked. “You deserve medals. Or at least bottomless mimosas.”
The morning also highlighted the Club’s commitment to volunteer development and training, with volunteers participating in Race Officer Essentials, Mark Laying & Buoy Zone, Powerboat Handling refreshers, radio communication workshops and Australian Sailing e-learning modules throughout the year.
“This commitment to learning is what keeps our racing safe, fair, and professional. It’s what allows us to run major regattas with confidence. And it’s what makes BYS such a respected and sought after regatta host.”
The numbers behind the season tell a remarkable story. Across the 2025–26 season, 398 volunteers completed 1,354 race-day duties supporting keelboat and off-the-beach racing and regattas. Seventeen volunteers each completed 15 or more race-day duties, while one volunteer contributed on 43 separate race days throughout the season.
Volunteer of the Year: Garry Snell
A highlight of the breakfast was the presentation of the 2025–26 BYS Race Management Volunteer of the Year Award to Garry Snell.
In announcing the award, Jenni described Garry as “a calm, capable presence on the water” and “someone who steps forward before anyone else has even had the chance.”
Although Garry only joined the Club in May 2024, he has quickly become one of BYS’s most dependable race management volunteers. This season alone, he completed 28 race-day duties and supported major events including the J/70 Victorian Championships, Petersville Regatta, RS Aero Australian Championships and Contender Victorian Championships.
“What makes Garry’s contribution even more impressive is that he did not come to BYS with a sailing background,” Jenni noted. “Instead, he brought strong boating experience and a deep understanding of marine conditions and then set about learning everything he could.”
She praised his willingness to learn, support new volunteers and strengthen connections between BYS and the Southern Peninsula Rescue Squad, where Garry is also an active volunteer.
“Garry embodies everything we value in our volunteers: generosity, curiosity, community spirit, and a genuine desire to help others,” Jenni said. “His contribution this season has been exceptional, and his impact on our racing and regatta operations has been profound.”
Accepting the award, Garry encouraged others to get involved.
“Petrina and I joined the club two years ago and we just love it down here. We want to get involved and do things and talk it out and that’s what we do. So all I can say is thank you, and for anyone else out there who’s not volunteering very often, do it, because it’s enjoyable.”
Voices from Our Volunteers
The morning also featured a series of short volunteer interviews, capturing the friendships, humour and sense of community that volunteering creates at BYS.
For Marc Bouten, the highlight is “the involvement, meeting all the people and being close to the water, if not on the water. The Aero Championships, organising the trolleys was great fun, and I’m looking forward to the World Championships next year”
John Plumridge summed up volunteering at BYS in two simple words: “Great friendships.”
Ian Delmenico reflected on the variety that comes with race management volunteering. When asked his preferred volunteering weather, sunshine, wind or chaos, he said, “They’re all different and you learn something every time something different happens.” Ian’s favourite job is timing on the start boat, a role he’s perfected this season.
And Vero Collet spoke about the welcoming nature of the BYS volunteer community. “It’s fantastic to be so welcome, I met so many people. I’ve even been stopped in Coles, recognised by my voice as the BYS radio girl!”
Jenni closed the morning with a reminder that volunteering is about far more than simply giving up time.
“Volunteering isn’t about having spare time. It’s about having a generous spirit. The willingness to pitch in, the ability to stay cheerful when the wind drops out just before the first boat gets to the start line.”
“Every hour you give, every task you take on, every moment you spend helping someone else, it matters. It builds culture, it builds connection, it builds a club that people are proud to belong to.”
