Itchenor Sailing Club Open Day
by Rebecca Hele 21 May 2015 12:29 BST
17 May 2015
Members and guests mingle at Itchenor Sailing Club¹s Open Day last weekend © Mary Pudney
A gloriously sunny day greeted over 100 visitors to Itchenor Sailing Club on Sunday. Potential new members started to pour in from 9am; a number of who had pre-registered to take part in the morning races. Adults and children alike showed a genuine desire to take up sailing and join one of our existing fleets.
Many visiting families were enthusiastic about the possibility to actually learn to sail at Itchenor in particular at Wednesday sessions for ladies in the morning and for children after school in the afternoon. The club provides "safe" boats for them to develop their skills whilst being coached by qualified instructors. Being able to access the beautiful waters of Chichester Harbour from Itchenor at all states of the tide was seen as very appealing.
Those interested in racing have been invited to sail in one of our seven dinghy classes or three classic keelboat fleets. Itchenor's commodore Charles Hyatt commented, "I was delighted to meet so many sailors wishing to join us, as well as those who are keen to take up the exciting sport of sailing."
The day long event, part of the RYA initiative to encourage people to take up water sports, was generously supported by the local branch of Strutt and Parker - their teatime strawberries were particularly popular!