Choosing a club

At my local Golf Club, Mid Herts, there is a huge joining fee, but in return you take an equity share in the club. Is it the same with sailing clubs?

Edited by Strawberry

Firstly, Andy, I have just come from Farmoor and always found them to be very friendly, though the boat parking is at a premium, which would be why they want to charge.  I would simply wait and join in March, or take out winter membership.

Between us she and I have four boats, so I'll be joining Grafham for the contender, because I need regular practice and lots of water to fall into, and almost certainly Hunts for the rest of the fleet, because I've had some very positive emails from the commodore and there's a good chance of doing some voluntary coaching/instructing, which is actually pretty important to me.  They also have a phantom fleet, with an altered handicap to suit my aged craft.  Fees are reasonable and boat fees are ok ish, half the price of boat storage at Grafham.

I will, by the way, be taking out my Grafham membership at the dinghy show because they have a special deal where if you do so they waive the fairly hefty £80 joining fee.

I look forward to seeing you at Hunts then Nessa, look out for the tall bloke in the turqoise 8.1 and come and say hello.

Oh and I second that for Les, he came over and said hello when i did the GGP a couple of years ago.


Edited by jeffers

Originally posted by PlankyPlank The very fact that the club/water board(?) rules require there to be safety cover whenever there is someone on the water would put me off right from the start.

Unfortunately this will be the case on any reservoir... Its only at places like Ullswater where there's a right of public access that you'd be able to sail on your own. There aren't many lakes like that in Southern England...

Have you noticed that everyone who has contributed to this thread seems to combine sailing ( a cheap and easy accessible sport) with the closely related, but by no means identical pastime (ruiniously expensive) of owning a boat.

Which club should a crew join? I would say firstly - the one with a big one design fleet, as that is the best way to learn and develop. Doesn't really matter which class as long as you are more or less the right size. Secondly, a club that turns out quality race officials, because that is a guarantee of good, fair, intelligently run racing. Thirdly, a club that has developed those forms of our sport that do not rely on owning a boat - team racing, match racing.

In some areas clubs are pricing themselves out of the market - perhaps more a problem here in Ireland than the UK. In which case a competent crew can simply join his MNA as a direct member , and contribute in that way to the development of the sport.

Finally - as a race official I rarely enter a club without being a member - all good SIs should grant temporary memebershiàp to competitors and race official at events - if only to satisfy the requiements of the bar licence!

Clubs should not charge joining fees - bit reduce subscriptions after a certain number of years membership.

Gordon