What is Bellerive Yacht Club?

Bellerive Yacht Club (BYC) is one of Tasmania's largest and most active sailing clubs, based on the foreshore of Bellerive on the eastern shore of the River Derwent at Hobart. With over a thousand members, it runs a broad program across keelboats and off-the-beach dinghies, and it hosts the Crown Series Bellerive Regatta — Tasmania's biggest combined mixed-fleet regatta, held each February on the Derwent.

Where is Bellerive Yacht Club?

BYC is on the foreshore of Bellerive village, on the eastern shore of the River Derwent, across the water from central Hobart. The Derwent is the same celebrated stretch of water that hosts the finish of the Sydney Hobart and much of Hobart's summer sailing, giving the club a prime setting for racing and events.

When was Bellerive Yacht Club founded?

The club was founded in the mid-1920s and celebrated its centenary in 2026, marking a hundred years of sailing on the River Derwent. Over that century it has grown into one of Tasmania's largest clubs, with more than a thousand members and a leading role in the state's racing calendar.

What is the Crown Series Bellerive Regatta?

The Crown Series Bellerive Regatta is Tasmania's biggest combined keelboat and off-the-beach sailing regatta, run by Bellerive Yacht Club each February on the River Derwent. Open to sailors of all ages and a wide spread of classes, it draws hundreds of competitors and incorporates several Tasmanian state championships, making it the standout mixed-fleet event on the Tasmanian calendar.

What classes are sailed at Bellerive Yacht Club?

BYC caters to both keelboats and off-the-beach classes, from handicap and one-design yachts to dinghies such as the Sabre, along with a youth and junior program. This breadth is reflected in its Crown Series regatta, which brings keelboats and off-the-beach fleets together and spans competitors from children to sailors in their eighties.

Kangaroo Bay marina and moored boats at Bellerive, Hobart

Tasmania

Bellerive Yacht Club

Bellerive Yacht Club (BYC) is one of Tasmania's largest and most active sailing clubs, on the eastern shore of the River Derwent at Hobart — host of the Crown Series Bellerive Regatta, the state's biggest mixed-fleet event.

Photo: Owen Allen, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

2 min read

Bellerive Yacht Club (BYC) is one of Tasmania's largest and most active sailing clubs — on the eastern shore of the River Derwent at Hobart, host of the Crown Series Bellerive Regatta, the state's biggest mixed-fleet event. Having marked its centenary in 2026, it sits at the heart of Tasmanian sailing.

The club

BYC is on the foreshore of Bellerive village, on the eastern shore of the River Derwent, across the water from central Hobart. With over a thousand members, it runs a broad program spanning keelboats and off-the-beach dinghies, from learn-to-sail and junior racing through to state championships. Its position on the Derwent — the same water that hosts the finish of the Rolex Sydney Hobart — gives it a prime setting.

Kangaroo Bay foreshore at Bellerive on the River Derwent — Bellerive, on Kangaroo Bay and the River Derwent — Photo: jacobharrisau, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

History

The club was founded in the mid-1920s and celebrated its centenary in 2026, marking a hundred years of sailing on the Derwent. Over that century it has grown into one of Tasmania's largest and most influential clubs.

Where it sails

BYC races on the River Derwent at Hobart — a broad, deep and often lively stretch of water framed by the city and Mount Wellington. The Derwent is central to Tasmanian sailing, hosting summer racing, championship regattas and the famous Sydney Hobart finish.

Classes and racing

The club caters to a genuinely mixed fleet:

Keelboats — handicap and one-design yachts.
Off-the-beach dinghies — including classes such as the Sabre.
Youth and junior sailing.

Its signature event is the Crown Series Bellerive Regatta, Tasmania's biggest combined regatta, run each February and incorporating several state championships. For the difference between the divisions, see our guide to line honours versus handicap.

Following the club

BYC publishes its racing calendar, regatta details and results through its official website. The sailing terms glossary covers the vocabulary you will meet across the keelboat and off-the-beach fleets.

Frequently asked questions

What is Bellerive Yacht Club?: Bellerive Yacht Club (BYC) is one of Tasmania's largest and most active sailing clubs, based on the foreshore of Bellerive on the eastern shore of the River Derwent at Hobart. With over a thousand members, it runs a broad program across keelboats and off-the-beach dinghies, and it hosts the Crown Series Bellerive Regatta — Tasmania's biggest combined mixed-fleet regatta, held each February on the Derwent.
Where is Bellerive Yacht Club?: BYC is on the foreshore of Bellerive village, on the eastern shore of the River Derwent, across the water from central Hobart. The Derwent is the same celebrated stretch of water that hosts the finish of the Sydney Hobart and much of Hobart's summer sailing, giving the club a prime setting for racing and events.
When was Bellerive Yacht Club founded?: The club was founded in the mid-1920s and celebrated its centenary in 2026, marking a hundred years of sailing on the River Derwent. Over that century it has grown into one of Tasmania's largest clubs, with more than a thousand members and a leading role in the state's racing calendar.
What is the Crown Series Bellerive Regatta?: The Crown Series Bellerive Regatta is Tasmania's biggest combined keelboat and off-the-beach sailing regatta, run by Bellerive Yacht Club each February on the River Derwent. Open to sailors of all ages and a wide spread of classes, it draws hundreds of competitors and incorporates several Tasmanian state championships, making it the standout mixed-fleet event on the Tasmanian calendar.
What classes are sailed at Bellerive Yacht Club?: BYC caters to both keelboats and off-the-beach classes, from handicap and one-design yachts to dinghies such as the Sabre, along with a youth and junior program. This breadth is reflected in its Crown Series regatta, which brings keelboats and off-the-beach fleets together and spans competitors from children to sailors in their eighties.

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