west london sailing club recommendation?
Printed From: Yachts and Yachting Online
Category: General
Forum Name: Beginner questions
Forum Discription: Advice for those who are new to sailing
URL: http://www.yachtsandyachting.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=7099
Printed Date: 12 May 25 at 12:51am
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Topic: west london sailing club recommendation?
Posted By: shonen-angell
Subject: west london sailing club recommendation?
Date Posted: 02 Sep 10 at 2:15pm
Hello,
I've
sailed dinghys a fair bit when I was a kid, (wayfarers, gp 14, toppers -
all in the sea), but haven't done anything in ages.
I'd
thought i'd pick it up again (now I'm a bit older) and have recently
got my RYA Level 1 (I never bother with the qualifications before). I
live in West London (near Kew - very close to the M4) and I found quite a
few good sailing clubs in my area (all based around the heathrow
airport area).
Basically
I'm looking for recommendations for a particular club, to get my level 2
and do a bit of racing and general messing about.
Any suggestions? Recommendations? Blatent advertisements?
Stephen.
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Replies:
Posted By: Femto
Date Posted: 02 Sep 10 at 4:07pm
Have a look at Burghfield - definatly worth the trip down the M4. Has to be one of the friendliest and most active clubs in the area.
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RS600 717, RS400 870 Netley SC
Kerr 11.3 (Pier View YC)
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Posted By: radixon
Date Posted: 02 Sep 10 at 4:28pm
Clubs near you:
Datchet
Queen Mary
Wraysbury
BA Silverwings
Island Barn
Queensmead SC/HOAC
It all depends on what boat you want to sail, distance you want to travel etc.
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Posted By: shonen-angell
Date Posted: 02 Sep 10 at 4:42pm
I don't want to travel too far - Burghfield looks nice but is a bit of a trek.
because it's been ages (as in 30 years) since I was last in a dinghy (until a couple of weekends ago). I can't really say with any authority what boat I want to sail. But I do fancy a bit of racing - that could be fun - so whatever's light and fast nowadays
It's also important what the club is like (what the members are like, facilities, and so on) and a lot of that comes from personal experience... hence why I am looking for recommendations...
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Posted By: radixon
Date Posted: 02 Sep 10 at 5:57pm
I did the Laser circuit 2 years ago, visited all the clubs above.
I did feel a warm welcome from BA silverwings, its a small gravel pit but with nice launching facilities and I believe you dont have to be a member of BA anymore.
Island Barn is another friendly club I visited, great facilities for the size of the centre.
Please dont get me wrong with the following, this is my opinion.
Datchet, Queen Mary and Island Barn are all reseviours belonging to Thames water, they are usually emptied in teh above order when TW require water.
Queensmead/HOAC is another club but a lot smaller than the TW venues above also on a gravel pit, it does offer training, as does QM, Datchet and possibly some of the others.
The above clubs will welcome new members, just enquire and see when is best to visit, probably a sunday when sailing takes place.
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Posted By: Stuart O
Date Posted: 02 Sep 10 at 6:13pm
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Dont forget Wraysbury...a small but very friendly club
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Posted By: patj
Date Posted: 02 Sep 10 at 6:42pm
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Thames SC (Surbiton ish) is friendly and has a "classic" fleet - ie cheap old boats which are ideal for starters.
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Posted By: MerlinMags
Date Posted: 02 Sep 10 at 10:57pm
Pick the nearest ones and turn up on Sunday looking for a crewing job (phone a club committee member first to help the process along). An easy way to test the club, and a boat!
http://www.yachtsandyachting.com/community/generic_map.asp?type=12&postcode=kew&zoom=12 - Y&Y club map - centred on Kew
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Posted By: A Seabadger
Date Posted: 03 Sep 10 at 7:54am
Papercourt.
Typical "Pond" winds (like many mentioned so far) but very friendly. Does RYA level 2 course for members in the Spring.
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I don't suffer from insanity...I enjoy every moment of it.
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Posted By: ASok
Date Posted: 03 Sep 10 at 10:21am
I've been a member at both Queen Mary and Datchet over the years. Both memberships were over 3 years, so I had a good stint to see what they were like.
Firstly, they are exceptionally well run clubs with very good committees and facilities. Great sized sailing area and on a good day you can be really spoiled.
However, my only problem was that they were big and had lost the 'club' feel - they felt a bit more like 'sports-centres' or businesses in my opinion. I also found a lot of the membership used the place as storage while they toured their boats in traveling series. This impacted club turnouts in some classes.
I also sail a cat and both lakes have a cat fleet in decline, although I hear that Datchet are doing well to re-invigorate it. Another issue for me was water level - Thames Water are a nightmare and Datchet has been hit the worst with dropping water levels. That said the club have made huge investment in winches and mobile pontoons to aid members.
My money would be on heading to Burgfield or to the south coast. I have heard great things and about Burgfield and if I sailed a dingy (they dont allow cats), I'd be there straight away. Well worth the extra 20mins drive in my opinion.
I'd visit them all and get a taster from yourself. You will meet enthusiastic members at all of them - so get enough information to make your choice.
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Posted By: laser4000
Date Posted: 03 Sep 10 at 10:42pm
Originally posted by ASok
I've been a member at both Queen Mary and Datchet over the years. Both memberships were over 3 years, so I had a good stint to see what they were like.
Firstly, they are exceptionally well run clubs with very good committees and facilities. Great sized sailing area and on a good day you can be really spoiled.
However, my only problem was that they were big and had lost the 'club' feel - they felt a bit more like 'sports-centres' or businesses in my opinion. I also found a lot of the membership used the place as storage while they toured their boats in traveling series. This impacted club turnouts in some classes.
I also sail a cat and both lakes have a cat fleet in decline, although I hear that Datchet are doing well to re-invigorate it. Another issue for me was water level - Thames Water are a nightmare and Datchet has been hit the worst with dropping water levels. That said the club have made huge investment in winches and mobile pontoons to aid members.
My money would be on heading to Burgfield or to the south coast. I have heard great things and about Burgfield and if I sailed a dingy (they dont allow cats), I'd be there straight away. Well worth the extra 20mins drive in my opinion.
I'd visit them all and get a taster from yourself. You will meet enthusiastic members at all of them - so get enough information to make your choice.
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I normally couldn't agree with you more - certainly my experience of datchet was 'over-priced sports centre' and burghfield feels much more like a proper club. Having said that on a March visit to Queen Mary for some umpiring, I noticed on the other side of the bunt they had some 40 odd lasers club racing. Chatting to will henderson he said the club had done quite a lot of work on 're-activation' and now had a thriving laser fleet scene even in the middle of winter.... a few other names in the fleet included tim law and John lewis..
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Posted By: shonen-angell
Date Posted: 07 Sep 10 at 3:22pm
many thanks for all your replies - makes the decision making a lot easier to have a bit of informed opinion as well.
I'll definitely take a look at Burghfield (even though it's a bit far) and Queen Mary and Island Barn too. I'm not in a big hurry to join up, so I'll take my time choosing.
Thanks again.
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Posted By: Boydgt
Date Posted: 08 Sep 10 at 12:07am
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http://www.tamesisclub.co.uk/Tammybanner2.GIF - http://www.tamesisclub.co.uk/Tammybanner2.GIF
I know I crossed the Kew bridge when I collected my Merlin Rocket from the Thamesis Sc, which is down past the old Teddington TV studios.
They seemed a friendly bunch, and I bet you would get to crew for someone.
The club seem to have an eclectic mix of classes, I see also that you can have a six week trial before joing full time.
Incidentally the gentleman who owns the first Jack Holt prototype Wizard named Kate(the second was Merlin)I met when down there. It was an interesting day if not an uneventful journey home to North Essex. Just for the record Wembley looked brilliant with the Arch in the background.
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http//:www.webspawner.com/users/gavart/index.html%3cimg%20src=">
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Posted By: ChrisJ
Date Posted: 08 Sep 10 at 8:57am
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Littleton? Near the M3 rather than the M4, but it might meet the balance of club friendly / size for the competition / different type of water than just a concrete bowl.
But I would agree with other punters: nothing wrong with Burghfield!
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Posted By: Sailaboat
Date Posted: 05 Oct 10 at 11:16am
Littleton sailing club is in Shepperton and is a good shape and sized lake and we even hire boats out. Friendly locals and good sailing. Have a look at www.litletonsc.co.uk
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www.Sailaboat.tv for high quality training videos on sailing
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Posted By: Burgerr
Date Posted: 12 Sep 11 at 10:12pm
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Hi, this thread has been very usefull to me! Does anyone know anything about Kingsmead sailing club? (horton)
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Posted By: rb_stretch
Date Posted: 13 Sep 11 at 5:33am
Originally posted by A Seabadger
Papercourt.
Typical "Pond" winds (like many mentioned so far) but very friendly. Does RYA level 2 course for members in the Spring. |
One of the reasons I sail at Island Barn. Far cleaner winds than other local clubs (Papercourt and the Thames based ones) and basically the same windwise as QM.
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Posted By: newground
Date Posted: 01 Nov 11 at 3:44pm
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A bit late to the game here but I am currently a member at London Corinthian. I've been a member at a few other clubs before but found Corinthian particularly friendly when I first went there. Dinghy sailing is on the Thames, times change every week due to the tides. There is a decent Laser fleet and also racing in Enterprises and RS Visions. To be honest the wind isn't that clean a lot of the time, but combined with the tide it gives a decent challenge for anyone (the Rooster 8.1 nationals were there last time out).
There's plenty of RYA training at all levels (dinghy and offshore) and it's a very sociable club with the best clubhouse I have come across in a long time.
It's also a very active offshore club, cruising and racing, with boats entered into Round the Island, Cowes week, JOG race, Fastnet etc. etc.
http://lcsc.org.uk/ is the website for more. Tuesday is club night so you can just drop into the bar overlooking the river for a beer and to find out a bit more.
Also nice and easy to get to from Kew!
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lcsc.org.uk
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Posted By: gordon
Date Posted: 01 Nov 11 at 6:18pm
My first club was Rickmansworth (along time ago) - they still sail real Int 14s there (the wooden ones!)
Gordon
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Gordon
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