Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron general manager Shawn Ket resigns

The scandal-plagued Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron has lost a key figure with the resignation of general manager Shawn Ket who says he is looking forward to a new chapter in his career.

The Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron general manager Shawn Ket has resigned. Picture: Renae Droop

The general manager of the Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron has quit after six years, during which time the elite sailing club has been embroiled in several scandals.

Shawn Ket, 64, said he was looking forward to sailing to the Whitsundays in the winter without the demands of a full-time job.

“When you’ve been around a 136-year-old institution you can only do so much, but I am leaving the squadron in peak health,” Mr Ket said.

Announcing the resignation to members, Commodore David Redfern said Mr Ket would “in many respects, leave the squadron in a much better place than when he first arrived”.

Mr Redfern said Mr Ket’s achievements included increasing membership, overseeing major capital works and creating a strategic plan and risk management strategy.

Mr Ket said his decision to leave was not sudden.

“It’s been on my mind for a couple of years and I’ve had honest discussions with the board for quite a while,” he said.

Kevin Miller when Commodore of the Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron in 2015. Picture: Josh Woning.

In December last year, Mr Ket defended the squadron’s financial transparency after property tycoon Kevin Miller and other high-flying members urged the board to ditch the “smokescreen” amid exorbitant marina berth fee hikes.

Mr Miller questioned where the assets of the RQYS Marina Ltd, which in 2016 included 42 berths with a saleable value of almost $3 million and $961,951 in cash had gone, and “how bad the financial position of the squadron is to justify this blatant rip-off of a section of the membership”.

Mr Ket told The Courier-Mail an independent auditor would review the calculation methodology that led to the “magnitude of the rise” in berth leasing charges.

In September last year, the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner revealed it would question RQYS over a data breach that led to personal details of 617 members being made public.

Mike Freebairn was expelled from Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron for making allegations of mismanagement of Covid relief funds by the elite sailing club. Picture: Mark Cranitch.

In July 2020, The Courier-Mail exposed alleged misuse of government Covid-19 relief funds, and the following month whistleblower Mike Freebairn was expelled. The club denied any wrongdoing and Mr Ket has never been accused of any wrongdoing personally.

In February last year, RQYS expelled another long-term member, Peter Hollis, who pleaded guilty in Brisbane District Court to assaulting a woman causing her bodily harm, while armed.

Mr Ket said he would stay on as general manager until early next year.

“I told the board I’d like to offer a guarantee of a fabulous financial year through to April (2022).

“During my time, membership has increased by 25 per cent, I’ve moved revenue from $8 million to $14 million, and the squadron has never looked or performed better.”

Mr Ket said he would return to business consulting, and reactivate his RQYS membership which was suspended while he was GM.

“At this stage in my career, I want flexibility and my wife and I want to sale north with the whales and spend winters in the Whitsundays.”