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Choosing a club

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Mikey 14778 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Quote Mikey 14778 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Choosing a club
    Posted: 05 Feb 09 at 11:09pm
Originally posted by turnturtle

welcome newbie- so tell us, what
boats do you sail Mikey 14778?
Well Mr Turtle, that would be a Fireball for
the windy days and an RS300 for the less windy days, and
(up until a few days ago) an occasional 18' skiff when
somebody else rigged it for me. I think I may sail at
the same place as you, but I'm very shy and retiring and
you probably won't have noticed me

PS, Back on topic, size of the water is most important,
followed by what classes sail there in decent numbers.
Nobody wants to sail round by themselves. The people at
whichever club you choose will be generally the same as
people everywhere else, ie mostly very nice.

Why is my post all squashedo up like this ?
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Rupert View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Quote Rupert Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 Feb 09 at 11:22pm

[/QUOTE]
Why is my post all squashedo up like this ?[/QUOTE]

As you post more, you get more space...

Firefly 2324, Puffin 229, Minisail 3446 Mirror 70686
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dave.blakesley View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Quote dave.blakesley Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 Feb 09 at 8:20am
Why is my post all squashed up oke this ?


^^ Problem with safari, i get the same problem!
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G.R.F. View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Quote G.R.F. Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 Feb 09 at 9:00am
Originally posted by Mikey 14778



Why is my post all squashedo up like this ?


Are you a maccy?

Oh and welcome you're in the minority here.

There's a little arrow bottom right hand corner, click and drag it to the right
especially if you are posting links or images, the Emo's that run this site for their
Grandparents haven't been given permission to use modern forum software so
we have to put up with its little inadequacies..
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Mikey 14778 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Quote Mikey 14778 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 Feb 09 at 9:48am
Cheers guys. Not a Maccy BTW, using Chrome, probably blame that.

Party on dudes
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jeffers View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Quote jeffers Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 Feb 09 at 12:45pm
Originally posted by winging it

Thanks for that Paul.  What is the policy on sailing during the week?  Is there a 2 boat rule, or can you only sail when there is safety cover?

By the way, there is a contender for sale at Paxton Lakes, the other club I am considering. 

Certainly some company for ye olde phantome would be good!

Interestingly, hardly any one has mentioned the cost factor.  I also wondered what people thought about joining fees.


The policy is that you can sail any time you like but there is only rescue cover on Sundays (every Sunday there is racing), Saturdays in the summer and Wednesday evenings in the summer.

The lake is pretty small so unless it is howling you can always swim to the nearest shore and walk round.

I sailed at Paxton many years ago and found it pretty friendly but very overshadowed by the trees.

There is sailing on at Hunts every Sunday except the last 2 in February when we have work parties (although unlikely to be sailing this weekend I think....).

Pop up and see us. The Phantom fleet is pretty strong and we have a split PY for handicap racing (your boat would be off the standard PY of 1043 with a 'new' boat going off 1030).
Paul
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Late starter View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Quote Late starter Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Feb 09 at 10:36pm
Interesting topic. The bigger clubs are surely those that are most likely to survive and prosper in future, as they tend to have better ponds, facilities, paid staff etc and hence more of a "turn up, sail, go home" sort of vibe which is in keeping with the modern vibe.

Yet the small club thing can be great too, yes you may get dragged into doing a few duties each season, but when it works it can be like racing with your mates every week. You pays your money and takes your choice etc. I think that for those folk sailing slow stuff (ie most of us) the size of the pond isn't too crucial assuming its not a complete puddle!   Oh, and to those who say that all clubs are friendly - IMHO some are, some aren't, so thats a factor too.


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andymck View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Quote andymck Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Feb 09 at 11:47pm
Having been a member at Grafham and Hunts, it depends what you are
looking for. As soon as I was not sailing assymetrics, I found hunts much
more friendly, Les being one of the exceptions at Grafham. Have now moved
to Oxford, and am having same concerns about joining at Farmoor. Am
currently driving to Burghfield, as its a really friendly club, but since I can
almost see Farmoor from my bedroom window, but everyone I chat to says
they are not the friendliest of clubs. Am currently put off because they want
a full year boat parking free for a month and a half before next years subs
are due.

Andy
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Adam MR 1137 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Quote Adam MR 1137 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 Feb 09 at 10:53am

Personally from a large club or small club point of view.

I would always pick the small, family orientated and volunteer run club. As I prefer the feeling of belonging to a club, rather than paying for a facility, and the sense of achievemnt you get from the club running properly, after the hard work you and your many club friends have to put in to keep it going. The environment promoted by these clubs is one I would much rather devote my sundays too. I think those who have a turn up, sail and go away attitude are somewhat a detriment to the sport. I accpet that not all people can put in large amounts of effort, but everybody can and should pitch in!

This would be the most important factor to me when choosing a club, as I sail on a very restricted piece of water at the moment, everywhere feels quite large!! Subs would also make a huge impact on my decision, given that currently I have very little spare cash, and in general smaller member and volunteer maintained clubs have much smaller fees!

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Roger View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Quote Roger Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 Feb 09 at 1:58pm

Originally posted by turnturtle

Originally posted by winging it

I also wondered what people thought about joining
fees.


a necessary evil- there was a thread on here a while back criticising the
Hayling joining fee, but ultimately if they have a waiting list why not charge
a premium???

 

Joining fees are NOT necessary but are certainly evil, they can put people off joining certain clubs and can put newcomers to the sport off too.

Over the years I have had to relocate several times, for work reasons, and this has meant I have been a member of 8 different clubs, from memory all bar one charged a joining fee, usually this at least doubled year one subs.

I was always given the reason for its existance being the work done by the current and former members to bring the club up to the standard it was; total rubbish in my opinion, who is to say these new members aren't going to contribute more than the current membership to the running, promotion and development of the club anyway.

Over the years I have read articles and letters in most of the yachting press about joining fees, all stating how unjustified they are, I have yet to hear one even mildly interesting reason for why they exist.

 

When choosing a club there will inevitably be pluses and minuses, and it will always be a compromise...

I chose my current club due to the fact that I could join a fleet of Phantoms there. There were few other considerations, other than it was a reasonable distance to travel.

There is no doubt each club has its own unique character, and there is in my experience a distinct difference between the members run club and those with full time staff, I'm not saying either is better, just different, and as we all have a different set of criteria it is very much each to their own; but I would always visit a club at least once before joining and spend some time there, always providing you can get past the locked gates you will find at some clubs (locked as in locked even when the club is open).

 

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