WHILE Tweed Valley Sailing Club's (TVSC) commodore will be aiming for a big result in tomorrow's Tumbulgum Passage Race, his focus is more firmly placed on the future of the sport.

Originally from Grafton, lifetime sailor Bill Fenelon has been on the Tweed for a decade and now in his third year as TVSC's commodore, Fenelon will fill his 16 foot, three-crewed corsair boat with juniors during Sunday's fourth annual passage race.

A former shipmaster who used to host week-long voyages at sea for junior sailing training, Fenelon said winding down the Tweed River with young sailors would give him the greatest satisfaction.

"I used to take groups of 30 kids on the voyages, and that was my job for years. You could see kids really thrive on the experience for the week, but then it was all over,” he said.

"So what we try to do at the Tweed is get kids involved in the club and stick with it as it's something they can do for the rest of their lives. We're very big on junior development.”

Tomorrow's event features two main classes of a corsair fleet and single-handed Olympic class Lasers, as well as a mixture of sailing dinghies, which will race down the Tweed River from Condong to Fingal Head.

The race attracts crews from Brisbane, Ballina, Clarence Valley, and Tamworth, in what Fenelon said was a unique style of racing for competitors and spectators, with sailing completely in one direction.

"This is our biggest event for welcoming visitors. It's one of the few passage races, and that's the unique thing about it,” he said.

"The other (attraction) is the Tweed River and the country we sail through, you have canefields and rainforests, Stotts Island, the scenery around the hills of Terranora and finishing up on the coastal area.

"Spectators can sit on the riverbank and watch the racing up close. It brings people to parts of the river where they wouldn't normally go, and when you put 40 sailing boats down the river, sailing comes alive.”

Fenelon said the lighter Lasers had the advantage over the heavier corsairs in the race which takes between three- and six-hours to complete, and would feature some of Australia's best laser sailors.

He said the nature of sailing meant that the best sailor or crews could win, regardless of gender, which was a key factor in attracting juniors.

"Boys and girls compete equally, there's no physical impairments involved, and there's no need for major physical strength,” Fenelon said.

"It's like a game of chess, and it's a thinking sport. A lot of girls do really well.”

The Passage race brings an end to TVSC's winter season, ahead of their summer season.

Fenelon said the club, which has more than 90 members, was predicting their biggest summer of racing ever, with up to 30 boats competing in fortnightly events at Fingal.

Tomorrow's Passage race begins at Clarrie Purnell Park, Condong with rigging at 7am, before racing from 9.45am.