Clubs.

I've just got back from a trip up to Hunts, and I have to say what a delightful place that club is, I've travelled up that end of the M11 hundreds of times over the years on countless trips to Grafham, but nothing until now has ever given me a) cause to drive by that delightful town St Ives and the picturesque view up the river, nor b) to visit that club. OK it was a bright sunny spring day, but nonetheless what a pleasant location for a sailing club, just off a major roundabout, easy access, population centre nearby and a fair sized piece of water.

Originally posted by NickA My first ever go in a sailing boat (a GRP Ent called Zonda) was at what I guess was the original Hunts SC when it was on the Ouse at Hartford.  Boy, were we glad when Grafham opened for business! ... having said which, there is indeed something special about small, member run clubs for which a vast area of windy water doesn't always compensate.  And if someone had persuaded Redland Quarries to join all those gravel pits together - there'd be a lake bigger than Grafham.

I wouldn't write off Grafham completely....  despite the 'big unfriendly lake' moniker they seem friendly enough to get a new fleet of *eros off the ground- no mean feet.  And maintain some excellent racing for asymmetrics, cats and Lasers etc.  Their winter event is the BEST in the SJ series by a country mile imho and they have put a lot back into the sailing community hosting all manner of training camps, open meetings and inland championships over the years. 

Edited by turnturtle - 22 Apr 15 at 9:53am

I have the same feeling of Grafham, spent the entire winter of '78 up there training, dinghy's were still in their hey day it was still a relatively new club back then, but all that time,at the end of it I hadn't met and got to know anyone other than the folk I was training with, oh and maybe the bar guy. Then again I suppose you can say that about most of the big clubs, but Hayling, which is the other monster just seems a bit more accommodating, they do at least take you money with a smile and maybe a chat, just Grafham there never seems to be anyone, except on that demo day I did with RS and Rodney, the commodore guy did show up for that for a bit.

Originally posted by Woodburner You kind of expect Sailing Clubs to be up their own dark places, so it's to be expected, which is why when you come across the Hunts and Broxbournes of this world you're pleasantly surprised