The Commodore of Bellerive Yacht Club and Owner of Lewis Marine shares some insights about the popular Tasmanian club and his passion for boating.

Please share some of your early on-water memories.

My parents had a shack at Half Moon Bay near the mouth of the River Derwent where I learnt to waterski at the age of six or seven. I skied competitively, representing Tasmania at a national level and still enjoy the occasional ski – even after two hip replacements! I also sailed International Cadets. My interest in sailing was later rekindled, and I became a member of the Bellerive Yacht Club in 1983.

Please give us an introduction to Bellerive Yacht Club (BYC).

The BYC will be celebrating its 100-year anniversary in 2026. The longevity of the club is testament to its appeal to people from all walks of life. The Club boasts a membership of approximately 1,000 people – Senior, Junior, Social and Crew members and including 14 Life Members. The Club is situated in a prime location on the Eastern Shore and has the capacity to berth 230 boats in its state-of-the-art marina. The BYC was the first club in Tasmania to host midweek twilight sailing with sponsorship primarily from Lewis Marine, for over 30 years.

Tell us about your role at BYC.

Having been a board member for the BYC and serving on several sub-committees, I took on the role of Commodore in 2024. I am very proud of the progress that the club has made and with the continuous support of so many dedicated members and staff, our future goals will be achieved. The BYC is very keen to foster Off The Beach and junior sailing, improving facilities for members and encouraging the non-sailing social members to be highly involved in the club.

Your yacht Hartbreaker recently took part in Hamilton Island Race Week, SeaLink Magnetic Island Race Week and Airlie Beach Race Week. What do you enjoy about racing in The Whitsundays?

I thoroughly enjoy the racing and social activities in the warmer climate. I had the good fortune to purchase a yacht called Hartbreaker, a Reichel Pugh 46, and saw this as an ideal opportunity to put together a campaign comprising of my old crew and some fellow sailors from the BYC.

Hartbreaker’s journey north was not all plain sailing. Unfortunately, abeam of Byron Bay the boat collided with a whale and needed repairs at Gold Coast City Marina & Shipyard. With the assistance of Nautilus Marine, we had the repairs carried out and the delivery crew had the boat in Airlie Beach in plenty of time for the Race Weeks. Magnetic Island was a successful campaign for Hartbreaker after placing second on a countback from Daguet 2 in Division One Spinnaker Class. Hartbreaker is now on the hard in Townsville until the 2026 Race Weeks begin.

Tell us about Lewis Marine, one of Tasmania’s largest marine dealerships which your family has owned since the early 80s.

My father started an engineering workshop in 1954. The first foray into the marine industry was selling wetsuits from our engineering workshop in the early 80s. From there it was a natural progression to find outboard and boat franchises. After outgrowing two previous sites in the Hobart city area, a relocation to Cambridge in 2008 evolved through the need for more indoor and outdoor space.

This led to Tasmania’s largest indoor boat showroom and a yard space being established on 8,000m² of land. To be successful in the marine industry I firmly believe there must be passion, dedication, determination, an ability to embrace changes and be respectful of customers and staff. Fortunately, Lewis Marine is now ably run by our two children, Seton as General Manager and Kendal in administration.

What does boating mean to you?

Boating is a very important part of my life. My interest in boating is such that over a long period of time I have owned a range of boats including ski boats, yachts and motorboats. I’ve skied for many years, sailed competitively, including four Sydney Hobart Yacht Races, cruised extensively from The Whitsundays and around southern Tasmania.

Visit byc.org.au

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