Coronavirus causes financial squeeze on yacht club upgrade
The coronavirus has halted planned upgrades to Beaumaris Yacht Club because of a financial squeeze. But the club hopes five years from now, the space will offer world-first facilities.
Inner South
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Plans to transform Beaumaris Yacht Club into a multipurpose sailing and education facility will be delayed by up to five years because of the coronavirus.
The dilapidated facility, which hasn’t seen a major revamp in decades, was on the brink of a $10 million renovation when Bayside Council decided to put the plans on the backburner due to financial strain caused by COVID-19.
The president of the organisation who is hoping to reinvent the club said he thinks the virus will postpone the plans by five years.
Ray Lewis from MESAC said when the club isn’t being used for sailing there is an opportunity to educate people about marine life in the area.
“We have worked closely with the yacht club and they have been great in terms of planning and working with us to achieve something that will benefit everyone,” he said.
“It’s a brilliant area and the opportunity for people to get into marine education is fantastic.”
The upgrades would turn the two-storey private club into a three-storey space that could be used by the public.
“We hope to have an auditorium overlooking the bay which can be used by the public,” Mr Lewis said.
“The space would also become a marine education centre, a world centre for disabled diving and sailing, as well as be home to the sailing club.”
MESAC is also facilitating 37 top-class teachers from North Carolina to travel to Melbourne and educate Beaumaris High School students about marine life.
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When the original Beaumaris High School opened in 1958, the school buildings weren’t ready, so students spent six months using the yacht club as its classroom, something that isn’t lost on honorary life member of the yacht club, Joan Adshead.
“My sister was in that class and she said it was hard to study because of the beautiful views of the bay,” Ms Adshead said.
“I was involved in the yacht club for almost 40 years and I think the idea to turn it into a marine education facility as well as a yacht club is fantastic and it’s great the facility can be used.
“It would certainly get more people around the yacht club too.”
Ms Adshead said she remembers standing and watching as her late husband Jack helped concrete the second storey floor in about 1965.
“It would be great for the club to receive a facelift and I sincerely hope anyone who uses it has as much pleasure as we did that generation ago.