Yachties come together for Shag Islet Cruising Yacht Club Rendezvous
This annual yachting event represents more than just a weekend of sailing and socialising with over $800,000 raised for prostate cancer research and a global community.
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What began as a tongue-in-cheek response to yacht club elitism has grown into a global movement.
More than 8000 members from 18 countries have raised more than $800,000 for prostate cancer research, and there’s more to come.
Yachties, campers, and charity supporters are about to descend on Cape Gloucester for the annual Shag Islet Cruising Yacht Club Rendezvous, raising money and awareness for prostate cancer.
“We started as a joke,” said Shag Islet Cruising Yacht Club founder Ken Thackeray, who recalled not being allowed into a club because he wasn’t member of the club or the flag officer of any fleet, so he formed his own club.
“The first night on the meet and greet, it’s interesting to sit back and look at people. You see old friends hugging and people meeting new friends and by the time they’ve had four days together, they become friends for a long time,” he said.
“It’s one of the reasons why it’s grown so much, I suppose, is that people have just become tribal, they all look after one another on the water.
“It’s turned into something bigger than we thought it would, we thought we’d get 50 friends and have some fun.”
That joke has since earned him a Medal of the Order of Australia for service to the community through marine rescue and charitable initiatives.
Mr Thackeray said the cause became clear in the early days, when a conversation over drinks revealed a startling reality.
“I said, we’re in danger of making money and one of the ladies said, my father died with prostate cancer and my brother’s got prostate cancer, she said us girls are good at looking after our t*ts, but you guys are useless,” he said.
“Our demographic is probably 45 to 80, so it’s the zone where the males are in trouble.”
The week-long event now includes entertainment, fundraising, and education, designed to get people together and start important conversations.
“At the Rendezvous we have a breakfast where we have a scientist from the Prostate Cancer Foundation give a presentation, with the wives sitting beside them so they can go home and remind them,” he said.
This year’s festivities will include a Friday night Blanc-sur-Blanc party under lights on the beach and a Woodstock Revisited theme for Saturday night’s main event.
Ferry services will be provided by SeaLink Whitsundays and Red Cat Adventures to ensure people can enjoy the weekend safely and responsibly.
SeaLink Whitsundays General Manager Asher Telford said she was proud to support the much-loved event that brought people together for a good cause and a great time.
“Events like this showcase the Whitsundays lifestyle while raising vital awareness and funds for prostate cancer, a cause that touches many of our guests, crew, and the wider community,” she said.
“It’s a privilege to help connect people to something so meaningful.”
See our gallery of throwbacks from rendezvous past:
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Originally published as Yachties come together for Shag Islet Cruising Yacht Club Rendezvous