With back-to-back champions Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron moving into the Hall of Fame, the 2027 Club of the Year Award is guaranteed to change hands when the winners are announced on Tuesday 4 May 2027.
When Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron (RQYS) collected the Club of the Year Award in 2025, it became the first club in the history of the Nautilus Marine Insurance Marina of the Year Awards to win the category back-to-back. In recognition of that sustained excellence, RQYS now moves into the Awards’ Hall of Fame, and for the first time in four years the title is genuinely up for grabs.
RQYS set a high bar. The judges saw a 600-berth marina run with precision, a freshly renovated clubhouse, 5 Gold Anchor accreditation and member benefits that extend well beyond the berth, including the Squadron’s “down the bay” Canaipa retreat on Russell Island.
Accepting the award, Marina Manager Glenn Scott said the club was especially proud of the win given the strength of the clubs it was up against.
That competition was real. Sandringham Yacht Club finished just a few points behind and was named Highly Commended, on the back of an eight-year, $6 million marina refurbishment, occupancy at or near 100% and member satisfaction above 90% for a decade. It was familiar territory for Sandringham, which first claimed the title in 2013.
Both clubs belong to a select group. Since 2011 the title has been won by Royal Motor Yacht Club Broken Bay (2011 and 2021), Sandringham Yacht Club (2013), Royal Perth Yacht Club (2015), Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club (2017), South of Perth Yacht Club (2019) and RQYS (2023 and 2025). Champions have come from New South Wales, Victoria, Western Australia and Queensland, and from large metropolitan clubs as well as community-focused clubs that do almost everything with volunteers. What they share is a willingness to put their hand up and tell their story.
The recognition lasts, too. Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club still promotes itself as Australia’s 2017 Club Marina of the Year, while Royal Motor Yacht Club Broken Bay used its 2021 win to show how far it had come as a boating lifestyle destination. It has since celebrated its centenary and opened a $12 million transformed clubhouse.
So who will be next? MIA represents 42 member clubs across Australia, and the sector has rarely been busier. Clubs are redeveloping and expanding their marinas, adding superyacht berths, and building wellness centres, family precincts and new dining spaces. More clubs than ever hold Gold Anchor and Clean Marina accreditation. Every one of them could be in the running in 2027.
If your club has invested in its facilities, lifted service standards, grown its membership, strengthened its environmental performance or given back to its community between July 2025 and February 2027, it has a story worth telling, and the Awards are a chance to benchmark that story against the best clubs in the country.
The process has value in its own right. Preparing a submission gives your club a structured look at its operations, service and strategy. Finalists also receive an independent site visit from an Awards judge and mystery shop feedback, which looks at the club through a visitor’s eyes. Winners and finalists gain national recognition and coverage in Waterline.
Entering is easier than many clubs expect. You don’t need a professional writer or a big budget, just a clear picture of what your club has achieved and the evidence to back it up. MIA is happy to walk any club through the guidelines, explain what the judges look for and share what makes a strong submission.
Contact Chris Stone, Operations Manager at
Category: Club of the Year Award, open to not-for-profit clubs with a marina
Eligibility period: Activities between July 2025 and February 2027
Entries close: Friday 26 February 2027
Entry fee: $300
Winners announced: Gala Dinner, Tuesday 4 May 2027, Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron
For more information, visit www.marinas.net.au/about/2027-marina-of-the-year-awards/
