The dining arrangements at the exclusive Cruising Yacht Club of Australia in Rushcutters Bay have had all the twists and tacks of a Sydney-to-Hobart classic in recent weeks, with its high-profile food operators already out of the race. The club has taken back its food operations, just over a year after The Boathouse Group – which has a glam stable of waterfront restaurants from Palm Beach to Wollongong – relaunched the club’s restaurant with a styled interior of lobster pots and a menu of prawn toast and crab pasta. In another twist, an email to club members informed them Dedes Waterfront Group – which operates CBD fine-diner Alpha – will hoist its ensign at the club from next week, news that excited skippers hoping to load up on slow-cooked Greek lamb before setting sail on Boxing Day for the big race.
CYCA commodore Sam Haynes praised Boathouse for improving the restaurant during its brief tenure, explaining the split was driven by cultural differences. “They are more of a commercial operation, we’re member-driven,” he said. The commodore used the example “that the club might want to do something not profitable because we’re providing a member service”.
“There’s no bad blood,” says Boathouse Group chief executive Antony Jones. “It’s a mutual parting, we just couldn’t find common ground.” Haynes explained that where the Boathouse tie-in had been a joint venture, the CYCA has taken control of the food at the waterfront venue, with Dedes as .