It’s been 18 months since the Narrabeen Lakes Sailing Club clubhouse burnt down, along with its whole training fleet. Commodore Aymeric Cabuil has ensured that club spirit is stronger than ever.
When Aymeric Cabuil moved from France to Sydney eight years ago, the keen sailor wanted to find a safe place for his children to learn the craft.
He did a trial with Narrabeen Lakes Sailing Club (NLSC) and found it ideal, as the lake has no traffic, tide, or current.
“Plus, I was very warmly welcomed. So, I decided to stick around!”
It’s a world away from learning to sail on the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of France in his teens. But Aymeric, who is now club commodore, would not have it any other way.
NLSC is very much a family club, where children of members learn to sail on a Sunday morning, then crew for their parents in a ‘herons’ boat for the afternoon races.
“It’s just another way to have a relationship with the kids,” he says.
“When we sail together, we are still a family, but we’re also a team, which you don’t necessarily have in daily life.
“You have some sailing clubs that are far more competitive, where it’s all about adults and performance.
“Whereas at NLSC, it’s more about the family than about the result. The family aspect of sailing is something that’s made me really love the club.”
As commodore, Aymeric has been instrumental in ensuring the 118-year-old NLSC has kept operating since its clubhouse burnt down in November 2021.
The fire destroyed all of the club’s learn-to-sail fleet, instrumental for training some 45 children who use them on weekend mornings.
The devastating event did not stop the club from operating. One week after the fire, they borrowed 10 training boats from the Open Skiff Association in Manly for the children.
Shortly after, Whitworths Marine and Leisure donated eight new training boats, called ‘optis’.
“Of course, there was a lot of emotion,” Aymeric says. “But we were all saying, ‘You don’t need a clubhouse to have a club’.”
The NLSC is using shipping containers to store optis while it waits for a new clubhouse to be built.
Northern Beaches Council (NBC), which owned the building, moved quickly to help, setting up shipping containers in Jamieson Park to store the optis and boats donated by other sailing clubs.
While some organisations may suffer an attrition during such a tough time, NLSC members have rallied around their mutual love of sailing.
“Ever since the clubhouse burnt down, it’s been uncomfortable, it’s been impractical, but the club spirit has been stronger than ever,” Aymeric says.
As commodore, Aymeric ensures the smooth running of NLSC, from ensuring the club has enough qualified coaches to teach the juniors, to overseeing special sailing events. This includes the forthcoming Heron Junior NSW Championships.
He is passionate about the benefits of sailing for young people.
“The kids get a level of autonomy and independence that they don’t necessarily get from other sports because (very quickly) they’re alone on their boat,” he says.
“You’ve got that sense of empowerment when you are sailing, because (the boat) is yours.”
For Aymeric, sailing also puts you ‘in sync’ with nature.
“It’s gliding without any engine, any outside source of power or energy,” he says.
“It’s just the wind that takes you and then your boat does rest. (So) you’ve got to respect nature, you’ve got to respect the ocean, you’ve got to respect the waves.”
Club commodore Aymeric Cabuil has been keeping club spirit alive since its training fleet was destroyed.
As for rebuilding the clubhouse, NBC has already conducted a community consultation on what a new sports amenities building could include.
A design brief will be prepared this year, with more community consultation on the final plans. Aymeric is keen for other recreational users of the lake to share the building.
“This rebuild is also the opportunity for other community groups to have their life improved, with NLSC as the main tenant,” he says.
The club will likely have to wait another two years until it is built but, until then, it sails on.
The club welcomes new members and is raising funds to ensure a proper fit out of its clubhouse once it is complete. For more information on how to join or donate, visit the Narrabeen Lakes Sailing Club’s website.
To help Narrabeen Lakes Sailing Club rebuilt its clubhouse, go to: https://asf.org.au/projects/Narrabeen-lakes-sailing-club
