Llangorse looking for number one spot

Claire Ellis collecting the award from British sailing team member Nick Thompson as a finalist in the RYA Club of the Year © Paul Wyeth / RYA

Sailors in Llangorse are determined to build on being named one of the top five clubs in the UK, with developments this summer aimed at securing number one spot next time round.

Brecon club Llangorse were named as one of the five finalists in the RYA Club of the Year Awards, thanks to their work improving junior sailing, the new club house and extensive work on the launch and recovery area.

It all means the facilities offered by Llangorse are the envy of many clubs in Wales and it has been the chosen venue for the annual Welsh OnBoard regatta - one of the largest youth sailing events in Wales with over 100 junior sailors participating.

However club commodore Colin Fletcher said, "Having been named in the top five we can build on what we have achieved to improve going forward and keep challenging for the main award.

"No-one is perfect and there is always something that needs tweaking. We have identified some of the things in our present situation that we can improve, such as two man training boats for juniors and our website.

"There is continual development and improvement in the directions we are going." It is an exciting time at Llangorse as they prepare for the official opening of the new clubhouse in June, with the chance to build on the current membership of around 200.

The youth academy has tripled in the past 2 years, club racing is also thriving, with a third more boats on the start line. Regular 'Free Sailing' sessions were also introduced to encourage non-racers to get on the water too.

Through running successful taster sessions, a range of RYA training courses, year round coaching sessions and a varied racing programme, the club ensures that newcomers have plenty of opportunity to learn new skills and gain experience and confidence on the water.

"We are continuing to expand out academy through juniors and youth, getting people through to the regional and national squads which is pretty good for a small club," said Fletcher.

"The key has been following the RYA training centre plans for 13 years so we have trained a lot of instructors over that time.

"That has resulted in a lot of people wanting to join because they know the children will be instructed properly.

"The new clubhouse has a first floor with a state of the art training facility and a balcony looking down the lake.

"We are also refurbishing the changing rooms, it has all helped membership go up 20 per cent."

Llangorse can look forward to an exciting summer with the new clubhouse being officially opened, while still pushing for further recognition next year.