Choosing a club

   Having just uprooted ourselves from dangerously close to Dunstable to nicely near to Cambridge, we're now having to choose a new home for the fleet.  For the contender the choice seems obvious: it has to be Grafham; a decent stretch of open water and the possibility of training as much as I want thanks to full time safety cover.  But what about the other boats?  At £122 per boat, Grafham is out of the question, so where should they go?

What then, are your priorities in choosing your sailing club?  Friendly people. good open water, the type of boats sailed, competitive racing?

I'm not asking for suggestions for clubs - I pretty much have that sorted, I just wondered what factors influence choice on such things - 

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winging it Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Really should get out more Joined: 22 Mar 07 Online Status: Offline Posts: 3958	Post Options Post Reply Quote winging it Report Post Quote Reply Topic: Choosing a club Posted: 05 Feb 09 at 11:52am
	Having just uprooted ourselves from dangerously close to Dunstable to nicely near to Cambridge, we're now having to choose a new home for the fleet. For the contender the choice seems obvious: it has to be Grafham; a decent stretch of open water and the possibility of training as much as I want thanks to full time safety cover. But what about the other boats? At £122 per boat, Grafham is out of the question, so where should they go? What then, are your priorities in choosing your sailing club? Friendly people. good open water, the type of boats sailed, competitive racing? I'm not asking for suggestions for clubs - I pretty much have that sorted, I just wondered what factors influence choice on such things -
	the same, but different...

getafix Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Really should get out more Joined: 28 Mar 06 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 2143	Post Options Post Reply Quote getafix Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 05 Feb 09 at 12:37pm
	Sailing area first Friendly people second Classes/Racing third I thought friendly people would be first on the list for me, but on reflection I think the sailing area is more important as even the nicest friendliest bunch aren't going to make a tree-surrounded windless pond very satisfying... unless of course your primary 'goal' is social rather than sailing. Types of boats and competitiveness of racing are only considerations for me if you're happy with who you're sailing against, and where you're sailing.. but there's bound to be some dissagreement here shortly......
	Feeling sorry for vegans since it became the latest fad to claim you are one

radixon Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Really should get out more Joined: 27 Oct 06 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 2407	Post Options Post Reply Quote radixon Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 05 Feb 09 at 12:40pm
	Friendly people and a good stretch of water. If I were to choose a club in West London, it would have to be either BA Silverwings or Island Barn. One has good friendly scene, the other good open stretch of water but tricky launching/recovery. this is based on experiences from the Laser Circuit events I did. I chose the club I am at based on the fact you can sail at all hights of tide and the friendly scene it greated me with when I first went there.

Chew my RS Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Visit Member's Homepage Really should get out more Joined: 05 Oct 05 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 790	Post Options Post Reply Quote Chew my RS Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 05 Feb 09 at 12:47pm
	I suspect most people just pick their nearest bit of decent water. "Friendliness of members" is an ever changing thing, difficult to quantify (especially after one visit), and unlikely to be vastly different from one place to the next if you sample enough people. Edited by Chew my RS
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Fans1024 Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Posting king Joined: 30 Nov 06 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 177	Post Options Post Reply Quote Fans1024 Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 05 Feb 09 at 12:58pm
	Another one to throw into the ring. Access. If I did it pre mile, my sailing club is quite a bit further than some others in the area, but I do live in London. I can get down there for Wednesday night sailing, whilst the closer ones I couldn't, oh and I'm not taking my sailing kit on the tube, as I would probably be murdered, nor I am cycling with it, as work is about 15 miles away and cycling in London is scary.

getafix Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Really should get out more Joined: 28 Mar 06 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 2143	Post Options Post Reply Quote getafix Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 05 Feb 09 at 1:04pm
	went home on the tube once, in summer, still with hikers on and at least half a dozen friendly folks asked me what the heck I was wearing, several thought they were a new type of "cycling shorts" for deviants!
	Feeling sorry for vegans since it became the latest fad to claim you are one

Captain Morgan Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Far too distracted from work Joined: 03 Sep 08 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 211	Post Options Post Reply Quote Captain Morgan Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 05 Feb 09 at 1:09pm
	Most importantly - How frequently can I get out on the water? (Without having to travel miles to get there.) All year round racing/sailing/facilities would be my preference, provided that the club in question was receptive to whatever class I wanted to sail.

Graham T Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Visit Member's Homepage Posting king Joined: 09 Apr 07 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 123	Post Options Post Reply Quote Graham T Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 05 Feb 09 at 1:15pm
	Access to the water would be my priority too. One of the prime reasons for choosing my club over more local ones was unrestricted sailing times. Friendly people and a fantastic stretch of water help a lot too.... If you are after very competitive racing then you are more likely to find that by travelling the open circuits anyway.
	Osprey 55 "Tebutinnang" Osprey 1245 "Two Bob Bit" Miracle 1358 "Thumper"

JimiQuik Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Groupie Joined: 08 May 08 Online Status: Offline Posts: 49	Post Options Post Reply Quote JimiQuik Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 05 Feb 09 at 1:17pm
	From my experience all sailing clubs seem to be friendly so I wouldn't worry about that at all. I have always felt welcome at other sailing clubs. The two most important things for me would have to be sailing area and a decent fleet of something because I would rather not race handicap.

JimC Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Visit Member's Homepage Really should get out more Joined: 17 May 04 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 6662	Post Options Post Reply Quote JimC Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 05 Feb 09 at 1:55pm
	All the factors first listed in balance. No club will ever be right for everything, so just take your compromises...