Q&A WITH BELMONT 16s SAILING MANAGER NADINE STEENSON

How long have you sailed?

I started Sailing when I was 8. I then became actively involved with the Club again when my eldest son started sailing when he was also 8. Wanting to be involved in my kids sport I then began volunteering on rescue boats and in different roles. Now I enjoy watching all three of my kids and my husband sail at Belmont 16s.

What brings you joy in your role?

There are so many things I love in my role to be honest. Watching the progression and confidence build in the juniors as they grow and learn, seeing bonds and friendships between the junior sailor’s form and the fact that there is a real community feel amongst our sailors and volunteers brings me joy and contentment. This sailing community is truly special.

What is your favourite Sailing “Class”?

Tough one, but it would have to be the Flying 11s. It is a great intermediate class where you can sail for fun and socially or you can be competitive. The kids learn so much in this class about regattas, race management and team work.

What is something you find challenging about your role or sailing?

Regattas/ championships are really rewarding to host, but a lot of effort goes into working with different classes and organising all the different aspects of hosting a regatta, as well as ensuring we have enough volunteers and on-water resources.

What’s a Trend you can see progressing in Skiff sailing?

There is a lot of interest from new families wanting to get involved and learn to sail. We are seeing a real growth in all classes across the board, particularly our Junior Pelicans and O`pen Skiffs. We are also starting to see a lot of younger sailors going into the 16ft Skiff Class coming out of Flying 11s, this really great for the class and great to see young sailors transitioning through.

What about Sailing are you most proud of at Belmont 16s?

In our Juniors, hands down it’s the introduction of the Tackers program and the increase in our Junior Pelican and O`pen Skiff fleet.

About 4 seasons ago, Junior sailor numbers were on the decline, now these classes are strong with 25 pelicans registered this season alongside 26 registrations in the O`pen Skiff fleet. I also love seeing Belmont get up in Championships. I see them work so hard week in and out and then when they achieve on a broader scale at state and national championships providing them with even more motivation to go even harder.

With our Seniors, hosting the 2021-22 Australian 13ft & 16ft Skiff Championships was fantastic to see 16ft Skiff Sailing receive so much coverage in the media. It was also thrilling to see Olympic Gold Medallists, World and National Champions, all battling it out on our very own Belmont Bay. The Centenary Celebrations were also awesome to be a part of, to see 100 years of history and all the milestones the club has achieved since that very first skiff race, was quite incredible.