The WPNSA is particular bad I used to be a member (notice used to..) with a dinghy kept there. I then borrowed a boat off a friend for a couple of days and went sailing in it.

I was collared by a member of staff and told that because I was not using the boat I was joined with I would have to pay the day launch of £23!! And I was a member! I could have understood if they charged harbour dues as the boat was not registered but to charge me full day fee was ludicirous in my opinion.....

Where are you a member of now? Are you local?

Showers seemed "OK" to me- reasonable temprature,and pressure, but the shower rooms appear to be going moldy- black stains spreading across walls and ceilings.

First comment (and don't take this the wrong way) is, welcome to the real world. I guess what I'm refering to here is the attitude that I often hear about people expecting the earth, and in the next breath complaining about paying £40 or £50 for an open event. The reality is that once you take the "unpaid volantary services" away that you gt at most clubs, this is what you get. Value what clubs provide for the money, you'd be surprised how little they make.

Next comment - I think that if you pay club membership, that should entitle you to use the club facilities with whatever boat, board (or whatever) you want. If you want to park 2 boats in the pound, then you pay for 2 spaces, but only one membership.

This does smack of "rules by beaureaucrats", but then WPNSA isn't really a "club" is it. It's a government-funded commercail venture. Nuff said

Yeah I was looking at that tonight. They're getting new shower blocks for the Olympics but it's one of the things to be pulled down again soon after.

Is it possible sail out of castle cove on day membership and then move to the acadamy for the event?

seems as if theres an opportuntiy to take your business elsewhere, which is really your only bargaining chip.

Shame that its that way though.

I don't think castle cove do cats.

And there ends an otherwise suberb idea!  (no mention of cats in the post though).

Well if that is what they are going to charge for day membership I wonder what we are going to pay for a week long World Championship.

How much do people pay to have an open meeting there?

Their prices seem to have an exponential property in for the last few years we've paid £25, then £28 for a single hander 2 day event.  They've indicated it's going to be £35 for next year. This is sailing as part of their annual regatta so we've been sharing increasingly busy courses (6 fleets on 1 trapezoid course this year). Economies of scale don't seem to apply, more boats at the regatta but prices going up?

Moomin

Are people expecting to practice with safety cover looking after them?  If so, then you need to cover their costs and its fair.

If you just want to go sailing and are happy to rely on yourselves out there, then just find a public slipway and have a shower at home after sailing.  Call the harbourmaster and find out where they are. 

WPNSA provide no safety cover for this amount of £26 per day to go sailing- they provide tarmac, adequate (but not great) changing facilities and a slip shared with PGL, Sail Laser and whatever else.

Before the Moth Worlds competitors were charged £6 per day to have their boats in the boat park and work on them- despite the fact the Worlds were about to start.

Not sure if Castle Cove is much better

Well I don't agree with that.  I think that sailing clubs need to have visitors as members for insurance reasons, but charging for rigging up before an event and that price for day launching for practice seems like money grabbing.  I've been to plenty of events where they are more welcoming and will to allow you to leave boats etc for slightly longer periods.

I'd still suggest calling the harbour authority and seeing whether there is a public slipway. 

WPNSA is expensive for a lot of things; the open meeting fee for the 600's was £5-£7 higher than the other venues, the food is more, and it doesn't have the atmosphere of a traditional sailing club.

When I went down to watch the Moth worlds I got a snotty note on my windscreen within 10 minutes of arriving saying I couldn't park there (no signs or yellow lines to say otherwise), was charged the day rate plus harbour dues but I couldn't keep my boat there overnight from 4pm when I arrived without paying for another day so I took my boat back to the campsite, and to cap it all I was approached on four occasions by RIBs demanding that I go back in, the racing is over!

Cheeky gits, I wasn't a competitor, I've paid to sail for a day, and I will do so!

whay not ask your class association barter for a deal for practice days.  it could potentially bring a higher percentage of cometitors for longer.  for example if only 5 out of 50 competitors turn up early and get charged £25 a day for two days each thats £250, but if say the class association got a deal at £5 a day and 25 people showed up fpr two days training that would also be £250. that way everyone is happy.  yes they might not make as much profit but the initial costs have been taken up by the full membership and grants etc.  anything extra is for profit.

That's the odd thing. WPNSA is supposed to be a 'not for profit' organisation. 

Why not just not go there. This is supposed to be a facility for the general public.

Their membership fees do not look that bad at £165 for full membership. But then you need to add harbour dues and boat storage of £220 for a dinghy or £305 if you keep your dinghy on your road trailer.

How can that be legal?  Surely, at the very least, you can't stop EU citizens?

That can't be correct -wasn't the Moth 'Worlds' just held there???

I hate snotty marinas and clubs.  There are so many great places to sail, I would suggest you log your complaints to your class association and avoid holding events there. 

The olympics is supposed to have a lasting legacy that will promote sports and yet this location, the supposed flagship of our sailing venues, seems to promote money grabbing and seems generally unwelcoming.

I'm all for finding that public slipway and sticking two fingers too them!  You may be surprised and find that their slips have local by-laws and rights of way - now that would be funny. 

when i say profit i mean it in a general term, so it could go to wages or improvements etc.

and im not just talking about weymouth.  lots of other places charge for use of their facilities.  which is fair enough.

on a side note, i did the national18 nationals there a few years back and thought that the facilities were abit rubbish considering the money spent.  just my opinion and they may have uprated them by now.