Elwood Sailing Club (Victoria Australia)
Elwood Sailing Club, Elwood Victoria
Elwood Sailing Club (ESC) is located on Port Philip Bay approximately 8km SE of Melbourne.
The club has a mix of mono-hull & multi-hull sailing craft. Sailors meet for racing on Saturday’s from October to April each year.
It also has a strong following of recreational windsurfers with up to 50 members dedicated to the sport. There is currently no competitive windsurfing held at ESC. On a good day you can find 20+ windsurfers launching from the club and a further 20+ who launch from
Launching of kites is prohibited in this area so this club is not suitable to kiters however you often see kites cruising up-and-down the coast past ESC.
Anyone passing through who wishes to sail from the club area will be welcomed by other sailors.
Sailing Type & Ability
The sailing here is predominantly bump-and-jump or flat-water-blasting on days of lighter winds with bigger sails & slalom gear.
Some days when the wind is high enough and in the right direction the chop/waves can be around 1.5 metres enabling windsurfers to conduct freestyle manoeuvres.
The area is relatively protected and there is a life-saving club right next door making it an ideal place for beginners and improvers dependent on the wind-strength and direction.
Wind – best seasons & wind directions
The best time for sailing here is during the warmer month between November and March but sailing here is possible all-year-round.
The ideal wind is from the SSW to NE and during summer on the warmer days there is a reliable “cooler” afternoon sea breeze that kicks in around 2pm (most typically 15 – 20 knots).
SW breezes are directly on-shore and can be the most difficult to sail as you are effectively running across the beach. Northerlies are off-shore and can be very strong during the summer months. The water is very flat when the wind blows from the north but the winds are typically very gusty.
Water – temps & conditions
Water temps peak at around 22 Deg C in Summer so a short wetsuit (sometimes shorts & Rashie) will suffice and can be a chilly 12 Deg C in winter so you will need a good wetsuit or very thick skin.
The water is typically clear and blue except for after any significant rainfall where it can get a bit murky due to storm-water drains that flow into the bay. Sometimes during summer after a big rain event it can be advisable to not enter the water due to health risks.
When the wind blows from the south it is cross-on-shore and if the breeze is above 12 knots a reasonable shore-break is present.
Rigging & Launching Area
There is a grass rigging area in front and next to the club-house although most of the grass tends to die in front of the club house during the hotter months.
From the rigging area it is only about 30m across a soft sandy beach to the launching area.
There is a rocky groin protruding out into the water near the club providing some protection from the shore-break or if you want get straight on the plane, head to the windward side of the rocks.
Hazards
Sailors should be aware that they are not to sail inside the yellow markers into the swimming zone. They should also keep an eye on swimmers doing laps between the markers when sailing to/from the launch area.
At certain times of the year the bay gets inundated with jelly fish. They are not deadly but direct contact with your skin can cause an irritating rash.
There is a small rocky reef on the North side of the rocky groin so be aware of this at low tide as a fin strike is possible.
Other things to be aware of is other sailing craft, fishing boats and personal water craft.
Facilities – Parking, toilets, showers, bbq, kids, non-sailor
For members, the club has BBQ facilities, men’s & women’s changing rooms, hot showers, toilets, wash-down facilities for gear and storage. On Saturday’s when there is club racing on for the other boats the upstairs bar is open to members.
For non-members there is public BBQ’s located nearby as well as toilets & change-rooms next to the lifesaving club.
Lessons & Club Gear
The club has some basic windsurfing gear for club members looking to try windsurfing as well as SUPs for those light wind days.
More about to the club
If you are interested in knowing more about the club or about joining the club, visit the website here: https://www.elwoodsc.com/
Nearby Services – retail, restaurants, bars
The nearest shops for windsurfing gear are Sailboard Headquarters in Sandringham (https://www.shq.com.au/).
There is a pizza restaurant and up-market restaurant near the club and Elwood Village is about 500 metres away which has a variety of restaurants and bars.
Where to stay – camping, RV, hotel/motel, apartment/house
If you are looking for accommodation nearby you will find a number of houses and apartments on Air BnB and hotel accommodation on Booking.com.
There are no camping grounds or RV parks in the area.
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1 Review on “Elwood Sailing Club (Victoria Australia)”
I have been a part of this club for many years sailing both catamaran’s on weekends and windsurfing whenever I can any day of the week.
In recent times the windsurfing side of the club has really developed with 50+ active members. The biggest issue is trying to find storage for new members.
The clubhouse is not plush (or stuffy) by any means; it is old-school and has a great vibe with a nice cross-section of members.
Facilities – the club has a good lounge area, outdoor BBQ & seating area, bar open on race days. There are wash-down facilities for your gear and hot showers & change rooms.
Storage – there are storage lockers for about 50 members. You can generally get at least 2 sets of equipment in a locker. The lockers are horizontal which is not ideal for managing & retrieving gear but they are adequate.
Sailing spot – whilst it isn’t the best sailing spot on the planet, its convenience to the inner suburbs of Melbourne is fabulous. And on its day it can be great!
Rigging & launching – the grassy area at the front of the club is convenient for rigging although the grass does die-off over summer leaving you to sometimes rig on dirt. The launching area is from a sandy beach and there can be a bit of a shore break at times making launching a little challenging for the less experienced.
Friendliness – I really love the club for this; ESC is part of my greater-family!…actually I see members more than my family 🙂
Club equipment – there is a mish-match of gear available for people wanting to give windsurfing a go but nothing to get too excited about. There are also SUPs available to members to use.