With racing still currently suspended, the MWSC has made the call that it is untenable to move ahead with the Beehag 100, typically scheduled for November, but the club is still expecting to run its marquee Southern 80 event in March.
Club president Steve Shipp says he expects racing to have resumed by that time, and the club is busy putting plans in place for the 2026 event.
“There’s a lot of organisation to be done, and we’ve made the call we’re not going to run the Beehag, it’s just too tight, but the Southern 80, we’re definitely full steam ahead with that,” Shipp said.
“We’ve got (plans) in place, and because the Southern 80 next year is in March, we’ve got a fair bit of time.”
Both the 2024 Beehag and 2025 Southern 80 were unable to be held due to the hold placed on racing by the governing body, Ski Racing Australia.
The MWSC held a Southern 80 boat show on March 22, with more than 100 boats on display, to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the race.
Ski racing was postponed nationally by SRA in June 2024 after several safety events in the first half of that year, including the death of a skier at the 2024 Southern 80.
Since then, SRA has been in extended consultation with Maritime NSW and appointed special purpose investigators, undertaking a full review of the sport with a view to taking steps towards a resumption of racing.
SRA’s 10th and latest update states the body has responded to the confidential maritime special purpose investigation into the sport, and the investigators have since asked 10 additional questions, seeking further clarification on some issues.
Once the investigators complete the report, it will be sent for review by the NSW minister of transport and Maritime NSW’s executive director of transport for NSW.
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