BRIEF HISTORY
The Mounts Bay Sailing Club takes its name from the beautiful bay which was once located at the foot of Mt. Eliza in Perth Water. These days the area is reclaimed land providing the Northern approaches to the Narrows Bridge. Originally the club catered for menagerie cruisers, 14 foot, 18 foot and 22 foot plumb stemmers sharing premises and sailing programmes with the Perth Flying Squadron which was formed about the same time in 1897.
The M.B.S.C. was responsible for sending the 14 footer "RENE" to an interstate regatta in Sydney in January 1905. This was the first occasion such an event had taken place.
In the return match on Australia Day in 1907, the M.B.S.C. 18 footer"AEOLUS" sailed by Ted Tomlinson defeated the redoubtable Chris Webb in the Sydney yacht "AUSTRALIAN" to become the firstever W.A. Yacht to win an Australian Championship.
In the mid '20's the club adopted the 16 foot Skiff class which had been introduced to the Swan River by JACK NORRIS. It was fitting therefore that NORRIS should become the first local to win an Australian 16 foot SKIFF championship in "VERONA" in 1929, the State's Centenary year,
Largely, through the efforts of Mr. L.E.JOUBERT the Mounts Bay Sailing Club acquired its present site and incidentally its first club house at Pelican Point in the mid '30's. The weatherboard structure stood on the waters edge in the vicinity of the existing launching ramp. During World War II the building served the United States Navy which operated a Catalina flying boat base at Craw ley Bay.
The larger part of M B.S.C.'s modern brick premises was built by volunteer labour in the late 50'sand early 60's. The name of the principal enthusiast in the project Arthur Kilburn is commemorated by KILBURN HALL.
In 1960 the light weight Sharpie class, which had operated as a trailer club from the Nedlands foreshore, was adopted as a further class. This was followed in the mid 60's by the adoption of the GP14 class - the club's first International class. Next lo come a lew years later in the early 1970's was the one-man Laser class.
In the late 70's the club building was extended southward to provide improved changerooms and upstairs lounge and bar space. Herein the name of a long-time Stalwart member who had filled virtually ever off ice in the club at one time or another is commemorated by the COL TAYLOR lounge.
Further classes such as the International 420 and 470 and the exotic 18 footers were also adopted about this time.
The Mounts Bay Sailing Club has long been aware of the importance of junior sailers to the club's well being and over the course of post-waryears has sailed Vee Jays and Cherub class yachts. Currently the club promotes the Flying Ant and Mudlark classes for juniors and sub-juniors respectively.
Throughout the club's long history the Mounts Bay Sailing Club has known many champions both on and off the water. However, the three JACKS:
NORRIS, MITCHELL AND CASSIDY stand out as true champions of their various eras establishing the club as a leader in the field of centre board
sailing.
