choosing a club

When choosing which sailing club to join or use what do you look for?

Yes we all want good sailing, but if two clubs both offer good sailing what would make you choose one over the other.....even down to the smaller details! I

 know this could be lenghty, but your help would be very welcomed, many thanks,

I'd choose one that felt more like a sailing club than a golf club in terms of dress code and ambience. There are a certain number of the latter around, mostly prefixed with "Royal".

Add to Harry's list: cost, quality of changing rooms, standard of food, but above all, ambience! If it feels good, it probably is.

I joined a new club recently, after a year or so of deliberation. In that time, I kept going back to various local clubs, and chatting to people. In the end I changed classes too, 'cos I could see a friendly group of people who sailed regularly, having good racing on good water. It wasn't a class I'd ever looked at before, but I now sail in probably the biggest singlehanded fleet for miles, and I'm really enjoying it! If I'd not taken the time, I would probably have been looking again, this time next year.

 Many clubs allow day or week membership, which can help you decide. (i.e. go and give it a try)

I would change the order a bit and add to Harry's list so it became:

Friendliness
Training
Intrinsic Safety (esp if you have children)
convienience to get to
membership cost
Size of fleet you sail or
Does it have a handicap fleet
Clubhouse facilities

But if you're trying to increase membership not only do you have to have the attraction for new members but also have a way of telling them about it (commonly called marketing) So things like open days, try a boat, advertising beginners courses...

Personally, I think the fact that it actually exists is pretty much the first consideration (living in a country where there is basically 1 club...)