Clubs in North Wales/West Cheshire

Having been back a couple of times in the last year or two, they have really turned it around. It can be pretty ferocious in a strong SW but its a great place to sail.

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What Class of Boat do you Sail/ want to sail??

Chester is a fantastic club, it has a great togetherness feel (almost like extended family) about it and is very well ran. They get allot of gear through grants, have a great training fleet which ordinary members can use etc etc. They also have a very active junior section which seems to travel about quite a bit on the Junior Travelers. The only (great) shame is the water they are on. It is very restricted, and very busy with through traffic (the Dee is on of the big Rowing rivers in the North of England with 5 Clubs (Grosvenor, Royal Chester, Kings School Chester, Queens Park High School & University Of Chester. The latter have just got permission to build a new club house with pontoon right in the middle of the sailing clubs already tight stretch of water). You also have pleasure boats which tend to chug up and down.

I was a member there for 3 years, infact was where I started dinghy sailing. Great people, we still get together now and sail together in various locations.

Shotwick is where I am currently, I will try and be as impartial as possible. I understand that it does have it's flaws however it is a club in transition and there are a few people that are really working hard to get things working. Shotwick biggest asset is the fact it now owns the lake outright, which means no large fees to land owners, this is reflected in membership fees, as is the amount of space that the club has around the lake for boat storage. It is one of the cheapest sailing clubs around to join. It doesn't have the most aesthetic access admittedly. The lake was originally the cooling lake the what was Shotwick Steel Works so there is a bit of industry around the area (access is down in front of a paper mill) but the lake it self is surrounded by farmers fields (that seem to be growing leaks most of the time). There is a footpath around the entirety of the lake and about a dozen slipways for boats. So you can get out pretty much anywhere. The wind is pretty consistent and stable as it funnels down the estuary off the Irish Sea but we do have a bit of shelter from the worst of it. Facilities are probably described as a step up from basic, however the focus has been on securing the purchase of the lake the last few years which now complete, will shift onto the clubhouse. If you are going to be bringing your family, potentially have a few boats Shotwick would certainly be the cheaper option.

Gresford, never actually been but know a few people that have. It is small and have heard there are a few 'Characters' there

Budworth visited once, and considered it at one point, though is a journey for me from the Wirral. Seemed what I would consider as a properly structured sailing club. The thing that decided it for me though was, I initially thought it would be a bit expensive (inc the traveling) and I didn't sail any of the classes they allowed.

Nantwich & Borders, sold my Laser to a feller there (120622 anyone seen it recently) and dropped it off for him as he didn't have a tow bar. You seem to have to drive through a field to get to it and was attacked by sheep on the way in (they must have sensed my Welshness ;-) ) Apparently there is a submerged bandstand that you have to watch out for.

Bala, I find Bala an interesting club, have sailed there a few times, never as a member though. Everyone I know that sails at Bala actually sails most there time at other clubs. It is a well set up club, but doesn't have the numbers you would think. It tends to be a holiday club for people from elsewhere rather than having its own core membership. The water is OK, you really need a Northerly or a Southerly to get any real wind as it is in a deep valley. The lake is pretty deep aswell, which means it is freeeeeeeeezing most of the time. We capsized at the Easter regatta last year a jeeez I think my organs tried to rearrange themselves despite wearing 6mm+. We considered Bala at one point, but it never had that feeling of being an actual club, the same feeling I got from visiting Grafham a year or two ago.

West Kirby is one we have strongly considered, you get best of both worlds on the tide and the lake and great wind. However as well as membership you have to buy a license for the lake per boat from the local council. For us it just tipped it into the slightly pricey range for us. But as with Budworth it is a proper structured sailing club

Shropshire/Telford haven't been so cant really comment.

One you may be interested in looking at could possibly be Llyn Brenig

http://www.llynbrenigsc.org.uk/

I have never been but it was one that have looked at seriously, just a little to far for us.

I would (of course) say don't discount Shotwick on first appearances, as a little gem it will start to shine soon.

But you have to find what is right for you and your family, good luck with where ever you choose and happy sailing