Woolamai Newsletter - April 2026 Edition
Web: www.woolamaibeach.org.au | Email: secretary@woolamaibeach.asn.au | Postal Address: PO Box 49, San Remo, VIC 3925 | Telephone: 0467 475 263
In this Edition:
President's Report
40th Channel Challenge
Cowes Classic
International Women's Day Awards
Champion Junior Life Saving Development Day
Community Beach Safety Day
Club Champs
Board Update
Patrol Highlights
President’s Report - Jason Close
It has been a busy start to 2026 and we are almost at the end of the patrolling season.
Some of the highlights of the season have included:
Keeping our beaches safe. We have done an amazing job keeping Woolamai Beach and Smiths Beach safe throughout the summer as well as responding to call outs in other locations.
A hugely successful Nippers program which saw over 420 participants gain confidence and beach awareness while having a great time. A big shout out goes to Heather Ridley, the Nippers Committee and all of the age managers, junior age managers, water safety members and other volunteers who made the program possible.
The Channel Challenge and Cowes Classic events continue to grow as ‘must do’ events on the local sporting calendar. The Channel Challenge again sold out ahead of the race and the day saw over 800 competitors cross the channel in perfect conditions.
This was the 40th Anniversary of the Race and a highlight of the day was pre-race celebration event on board Wildcoast Cruises ‘Arafura Pearl’. This saw 40-50 people who had played an important part of the event’s history come on board and get the best view in the house for the start of the race. Ron Nicholson and the Events team are to be commended for their amazing job in organising the whole event.
In late March we held an incredible Mental Health Workshop ran by Speak and Share. This was made possible by the Victorian Government Sporting Club Grants Program. We all learnt something and despite being a very close knit community, we still found ways to strengthen our connection with our peers. It also showed us that no matter how well we know someone, we can always initiate conversations to check in and support our mates. Thanks to our Director Member Wellbeing, Erin Close for organising this.
On the March long weekend we hosted ‘Science of the Surf’ an incredible community beach safety event. This was attended by 150-200 people and a highlight was learning more about rips from Professor Rob Brander, also known as Dr Rip. A very informative panel discussion took place and featured a range of expert speakers from our own Club, Life Saving Victoria & Surfing Victoria and Dr Harpreet Singh who brought along many members of the Gurdwara Siri Guru Nanak Sikh community from Officer in Melbourne’s south eastern suburbs.
It was great to see several of our members taking part in supporting the Disabled Surfers Association Bass Coast events at Inverloch and Smiths Beach this season. This is an amazing event which sees 60-100 surfers with disabilities catching waves with help from a similar number of volunteers. It’s a great day and a very rewarding experience. We look forward to more surfing days in 2026-27
Unfortunately there have been a few challenges this season.
One of these has been the drop in patrol attendance after summer. On some weekends it has become increasingly difficult for the Club to patrol both Woolamai Beach and Smiths Beach. Whilst we have introduced a fuel reimbursement initiative and patrol lunches to help encourage attendance, we will need to look at new ways next season to make sure that we can provide beach coverage across the whole season.
A disappointing aspect of the season has been the manner in which the Clubhouse has not been looked after by members staying overnight at the Club. This has led to significant cleaning costs being incurred by the Club. There has also been a few issues with members, particularly junior members staying at the Clubhouse without booking. Our approach to Clubhouse accommodation will also need to be reviewed in the off-season.
Presentation Night
Presentation Night will be held this year on the evening of Saturday 30 May 2026 at Silverwater Resort San Remo.
This event celebrates the achievements of our Club and its members over the past season.
This year’s event will be extra special as we will also be recognising and welcoming our newest Life Members Michael Sullivan & Rob Murphy and Life Governors Michelle Murphy and Brian Whittaker.
Tickets will be on sale shortly.
Annual General Meeting
Our Annual General Meeting will be held at the Clubhouse on the afternoon of Saturday 25 July 2026, to be followed by drinks and food.
Keep your eye out for separate letters and posts with nomination and agenda details.
Looking forward to catching up with everyone at Presentation Night.
Regards
Jason Close
President
40th San Remo Channel Challenge, Sat 21st Feb
40th San Remo Channel Challenge, Sat 21st Feb
Max Eldridge
A massive thank you to all involved in the planning, preparation and execution of the 40th Annual Channel Challenge event. We had another sell out event this year, with perfect conditions for an amazing race.
With a late start, it was always going to be an interesting day. However, true to form, our fantastic members came through and produced a great event for the community and to raise funds for our club together.
A few special mentions:
To our fantastic water safety and first aid personnel- thank you so much for your continued efforts and persistence. Every time we run this event I am blown away by the team that assembles to protect strangers, give up their time and raise funds for our club.
To the fantastic team that ran the Race Centre/Registration and on the ground operations on the day- it is a long day that is full of twists and turns and hard work. Thank you so much for your prep, and resilience through another fantastic event.
Ron Nicholson- 30 out of 40 events as a key member and leader of the team! Amazing work Ronny! Nothing more can be said. Thank you for your continued service and passion.
Mick Sullivan- You lead and we follow! Always with a few laughs along the way. Thank you Mick! The event is in safe hands!
Lets gear up for number #41 next year, making it bigger and better.
Cowes Classic and Little Penguin Dash, Sat 31st Jan
International Women's Day Awards, Weds 4th Mar
Jason Close
This March, some of our high achieving female leaders were recognised at the Life Saving Victoria International Women’s Day Awards Breakfast.
• Sophia Hungerford — Innovation
• Ellie Ryan — Impact & Engagement
• Melanie Davies — Community Contribution
• Bre Goodger McGrath — Exemplary Service
The International Women’s Day Awards celebrate and recognise the incredible contribution and leadership of women who have made a significant impact on lifesaving across Victoria. These awards aim to highlight the breadth of achievements by women past and present, who inspire others and strengthen our lifesaving community. We are very proud of these outstanding women who have demonstrated exceptional commitment, innovation and influence in our Club and the lifesaving movement.
Champion Junior Life Saving Development Day, Sat 28th Feb
Will Borschmann
On Saturday 28th of February I attended the Champion Junior Lifesaver Development Day at the Life Saving Victoria headquarters in Port Melbourne. It was aimed at SRC level lifesavers.
I was representing Woolamai beach SLSC after being selected by a panel where the club reviewed my interview video that I had to make as well as my written application.
There were kids from across Victoria, including surf lifesaving clubs from Portland and Portsea, Woolamai Beach, Elwood, Half Moon Bay and many more. I went to the day hoping to learn more about lifesaving and approaches to different scenarios. The best activity from the day was the practice scenarios where we had to rescue drowning patients and people had to call for help and revive the patients. I had a really fun day and was quite tired at the end of it. It was a great learning opportunity, and I got lots out of it.
I felt a bit nervous because I didn’t know anyone there but quickly found that all the other kids felt the same way, so we bonded quite well. I recommend it to anyone who is interested in leadership and challenging themselves. I found it interesting that since not everyone there was from a surf beach, the skills varied and that generally the people at the surf beaches were stronger in their skills. Thank you to Woolamai Beach SLSC for supporting me and selecting me for this great opportunity.
Community Beach Safety Day, Sat 7th Mar
Jason Close
On the March long weekend Woolamai Beach SLSC hosted ‘Science of the Surf’ - an incredible community beach safety event.
The event was organised by Bass Coast Shire Council in conjunction with our Club, Life Saving Victoria, Phillip Island Nature Parks and a number of other local emergency service organisations including Victoria Police and Ambulance Victoria and also the Westpac Helicopter.
Between 150-200 people attended this very engaging event and learnt a lot from Professor Rob Brander (also known as ‘Dr Rip’) as he delivered a very informative session on ‘the Science of the Surf’.
Prof Brander shared vital insights on:
-What are rip currents?
-Types of rip currents
-Are rips dangerous?
-How to spot a rip
-What to do if you get caught in a rip
We also saw the power of a rip first hand as Prof Brander put coloured dye into a rip.
A panel of experts shared their knowledge about community safety, inclusion and beach awareness.
A big thank you to panel members:
-Dr Harpreet Singh Kendra, Senior Lecturer at Federation University Australia
-Jordie Campbell, Head of Programs at Surfing Victoria-Ramzi Hussaini, Diversity and Inclusion Project Co-ordination at Life Saving Victoria
-Erin Close, co-Club Captain & Director Member Wellbeing, Woolamai Beach SLSC.
We would also like to thank Bass Coast Shire Council and Mayor Rochelle Halstead as well as Jordan Crugnale MP for their attendance and support of the event. We were privileged to be joined by many members of the Gurdwara Siri Guru Nanak Darbar Sikh community from Officer in Melbourne’s south eastern suburbs - we thank them for being part of the day, some wonderful food, photos of the day and the friendliness of their community. The event provided an incredible opportunity for connection across many communities and organisations. We look forward to continuing our work with these organisations and communities to continue to improve beach safety and surf awareness. For more pictures of the event, please see the Woolamai Beach Surf Life Saving Club Facebook page.
Club Champs, Tues 3rd Jan
Board Updates
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Meeting at 116 Vista Dve, Cape Woolamai
Present: Jason Close, Fi Blackmore, Jordan Kuerschner, Erin Close, Heather Ridley, Darrell Clark, Nick Reynolds, Nic Frances Gilley
Apologies: Grant Edmunds
Decisions
New category of social membership approved. Will allow bar access but not access to other parts of Clubhouse. No WWCC required
General Business
Presentation Night locked in for 30 May 2026
Cowes Classic Trivia Night proposed for 31 Jan 2026
Patrols using bar must have RSA. Club will fund two members per patrol to have RSA
Teams Stack App created for communication with all members and able to be used by U16 members.
Security lighting and cameras may be required for Smiths Beach Rescue Base following another attempted break in.
No major issues for Club with beach access now confined to ramp due to loss of access track in front of Clubhouse. Occasionally buses park in front of bollards.
Patrols going well. Still some issues with junior member accommodation.
Fortnightly patrol newsletters going out.
Successful Nippers program 420 participants. Biggest issue was some age managers and junior age managers dropping out during program. Generally positive feedback. Next years program will be 6 days but with longer sessions. Will need a beach co-ordinator for each beach next season, more admin support required.
Work underway with Council, Phillip Island Nature Park on beach safety signage and public rescue equipment project.
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Meeting online
Present: Jason Close, Nick Reynolds, Fi Blackmore, Darrell Clark, Jordan Kuerschner, Erin Close, Heather Ridley, Grant Edmunds
Decisions
Paid school programs co-ordinator role approved -this will take a lot of work off the Chief Instructor which is of a largely administrative nature. PD to be developed and advertised.
General support for direction of Remote Beach Strategy. Club to work with Bass Coast Shire, Phillip Island Nature Parks, Life Saving Victoria with aim of having beach rescue equipment installation at 20+ beaches around Island. Each installation to house a rescue tube with potential to add on a defib at a later point.
General Business
Club to submit award nominations to LSV for International Womens Day awards for Sophia Hungerford, Ellie Ryan, Erin Close, Bre Goodger McGrath and Melanie Davies.
Small grant priorities determined. These include whiteboard, first aid/oxygen kits, mannequins, long blue boards and buoys for Nippers
Lifeguards given permission to hold Kmart Challenge at Clubhouse in Feb
AGM date set -afternoon of Sat 25 July 2026 at Clubhouse
Music fundraising event to be held at Clubhouse on Sat 11 April 2026
Channel Challenge 40th Anniversary event to be held on boat off San Remo Pier before race. Invitations have gone out, approx. 40-50 attending
Hosted visit to Clubhouse by Hayes family on 10 Jan and received $22K cheque from Charity Golf Day
World Surfing League to use Clubhouse in Feb
Locks replaced on noticeboard outside Clubhouse
Patrol attendance starting to dip
Will need to do a call out to members to come forward to help with Presentation Night, also a call out needed for members to identify upcoming length of service awards
Club Champs and Cowes Classic events went well
Rainbow Zinc and Pink Zinc struggled for numbers
Nippers post season equipment stocktaking underway
There is interest in adult Bronze courses, but more advance notice required
Lots of Comms -Jason took part in 774 ABC interview in Jan, multiple articles in local papers during Jan e.g pre-Christmas beach safety article, early Jan article about rescues, mid Jan article about keeping cool on beaches/boards between flags, article on 21 Jan ahead of long weekend about general beach safety, article on 28 Jan about Hayespower Electrics Golf Day. Other articles about Cowes Classic, Newhaven College beach safety training.
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Meeting online
Present: Jason Close, Nick Reynolds, Fi Blackmore, Darrell Clark, Jordan Kuerschner, Erin Close, Heather Ridley, Grant Edmunds, Nic Frances Gilley
Decisions
Funding of Cert IV training courses for Sophia Hungerford and Kadek Humphris to gain qualifications to support training team
Social membership management software purchase approved -Joinable, will provide facility for digital cards. To be developed for use by Mike Whittaker and Nick Reynolds
General Business
Bass Coast Surf Science beach safety event to be held at Clubhouse on 7 March. Event being co-ordinated by Bass Coast Shire. Other emergency services will be in attendance with displays. Presentation by Dr Rip (Professor Rob Brander). He will do a rip dye demo. Panel discussion to be held -Erin Close to be Club rep on Panel. Large contingent coming from south eastern suburb Indian communities.
Comms needed to Club members to clean out kitchen and bunkrooms ahead of school bookings.
A lot of Clubhouse cleaning required post summer peak season.
Patrol attendance declining as season goes on
Grant priority list being developed
Mental health first aid course to be delivered later in March
Channel Challenge very successful 850 competitors, great feedback. 40 year celebration event went very well and attracted about 45 guests who have played key roles in events history
Multiple articles in local paper about Channel Challenge, beach safety and finish of mid week patrols. Media release about Science of Surf community beach safety event. Community Bank article about Club, article about Smiths Beach rescues on 21 Feb.
Patrol Highlights:
Hellfish
Smithsonians
Captain’s Patrol
