Stewarts Gully Sailing Club has been getting Christchurch families out on the water since 1950. Perched on the sheltered waters of the Waimakariri River between the old railway bridge and the Kaiapoi river and beyond, the club is barely fifteen minutes' drive from the centre of the city — an easy hop from town to a quiet, protected stretch of river made for sailing.
This is a family oriented club at heart, with an emphasis on yacht racing, coaching, learning to sail, safety, the Racing Rules of Sailing and social activities. Members range from juniors finding their sea legs to experienced racers, all supported by a programme of coaching and a culture that treats safety and fair racing as fundamentals rather than add-ons.
Club sailing runs to a published programme and duty roster, so members always know when they are on the water and who is running the day. Alongside club racing, the club publishes a Notice of Race for age group events and maintains a connection to the classic New Zealand Moth class, with NZ Moth plans and rules available through the club.
Newcomers are well looked after. A dedicated Learn to Sail programme is run by Neale Elder, and membership options cover the whole household: Senior, Junior and Family sailing memberships, plus Social memberships for supporters who want to be part of club life without sailing. Anyone curious can contact the membership team or simply come along and see the club on a sailing day — often the best way to get a feel for the place.
The club is run by its officers and volunteers, with Christie Henderson as Commodore, Andrew Church as Secretary and Lindsay Russell as Treasurer. Whether you are chasing a start line, looking for a sport the whole family can share, or wondering whether sailing might be for you, Stewarts Gully offers a friendly, sheltered corner of the Waimakariri to find out.
Just fifteen minutes' drive from the centre of Christchurch, on the sheltered waters of the Waimakariri River, Stewarts Gully Sailing Club has been getting locals out on the water since 1950. Tucked along a quiet reach between the old railway bridge and the Kaiapoi river and beyond, the club enjoys calm, protected sailing water — a rare and handy thing so close to the city.
For more than seventy years the club has been a family oriented club at heart. Its focus spans the whole sailing journey: yacht racing, coaching, learning to sail, safety, the Racing Rules of Sailing and — just as importantly — social activities that bring members together off the water as well as on it.
The club runs to a published sailing programme and duty roster, so members know when they are on the water and who is running the day. Racing sits at the centre of club life, backed by coaching for those still building confidence, and an emphasis on safety and knowing the rules that keeps the sport fair and friendly. Sailing at Stewarts Gully is a genuine community affair: the duty roster means every sailing day is run by members, for members, and the social side of the calendar is treated with the same seriousness as the racing.
The club's home water is one of its best assets. The Waimakariri River between the old railway bridge and the Kaiapoi river and beyond offers sheltered sailing, away from the chop of the open coast. From central Christchurch it is only around fifteen minutes' drive, making an afternoon on the water an easy weekend proposition.
Finding the club is straightforward once you know the trick: turn east down Kainga Rd from just south of the old Waimakariri road bridge, go past the houses, turn left towards Riverlea Estate, then right at the reserve. Keep left and follow the yacht club signs up over the river stopbank to Stewarts Gully Sailing Club.
New sailors are very welcome. The club runs a dedicated Learn to Sail programme under the guidance of Neale Elder, with coaching woven through club life along with a strong emphasis on safety. Junior sailors are a familiar sight on club days, and the Racing Rules are taught as part of the sport rather than treated as an afterthought.
Families are catered for directly: alongside Senior and Junior sailing memberships there is a Family sailing membership, so parents and children can be part of the club together. Social memberships are available too, for supporters who want to enjoy club life without sailing themselves. If you are curious, look out for the club's Open Day — a natural first stop for anyone wanting a taste of sailing before committing.
The club also keeps a connection to one of New Zealand's classic classes, the New Zealand Moth. Plans and rules for the class are published through the club, a nod to a design with deep roots in local sailing. The club's sailing programme takes in age group events as well, with a Notice of Race issued for those regattas.
Membership enquiries are easy. You can contact Simon Wright on 029 201 4293 ([email protected]) or Lindsay Russell on 03 313 6709 ([email protected]) — or simply come along and see the club on a sailing day, which is often the best way to get a feel for the place.
The club is run by its officers and volunteers: Christie Henderson serves as Commodore, Andrew Church as Secretary and Lindsay Russell as Treasurer, with Neale Elder looking after Learn to Sail.
Whether you are a racer chasing the start line, a parent looking for a sport the whole family can share, or a complete beginner wondering whether sailing might be for you, Stewarts Gully Sailing Club offers a friendly, sheltered corner of the Waimakariri to find out — barely fifteen minutes from the centre of Christchurch.