St Edmundsbury Sailing & Canoeing Association's 2020 season preview
by Mike Steele 27 Feb 2020 16:19 GMT
St Edmundsbury Sailing & Canoeing Association's 'Push The Boat Out' Open Day © Mike Steele
Preparations are in hand for the St Edmundsbury Sailing & Canoeing Association's 2020 season, which commences on Sunday, 29 March at Lackford Lake, five miles NW of Bury St Edmunds.
This year's programme is busier than ever with on the water activities scheduled for nearly every day throughout the summer. Club dinghy racing is held on Sunday mornings and Thursday evenings, while social sailing and training mainly take place on Saturdays and Sunday afternoons. It is a great feature of the Club that it has its own fleet of dinghies and kayaks, so that you don't need your own boat to sail or paddle.
The highlights of the season will be the Club's RYA (Royal Yachting Association) 'Discover Sailing' Open Day, which is being held on Sunday, 10 May, and the '8th Antigua Sailing Day Regatta', which is being held on Sunday, 7 June. The Open Day is a fun occasion when members of the public are invited to visit the Club and try sailing or kayaking for free. The Regatta celebrates 'Antigua Sailing Week' and is, once again, being generously supported by the Antigua & Barbuda Tourism Authority, who will be providing a steel pan band for lunch time entertainment.
SESCA is an RYA recognised Training Centre, so will again be running a number of 'Learn to Sail' courses and a series of monthly 'Sailing Support Sessions' for members looking to improve their skills.
The Club's flourishing disabled sailing group, WASH Sailability, will be sailing on Thursday mornings; Tuesdays and Saturday afternoons, while the Club's junior sailing group, Young People Afloat, will be sailing on Wednesday and some Monday evenings.
The Club's three Sea Cadet Units - Bury St Edmunds, Mildenhall and Newmarket - are also thriving and will each be running several sailing and gig rowing sessions per week. The Cadets are looking forward to getting out in their new RS Quest and Zest dinghies and doing some more racing.
The Suffolk Scouts, who run nearly all their watersports activities at Lackford, have also significantly expanded their programme this year and will be running multiple sessions for Cubs, Scouts and Guides from across the County. Priory School, in Bury St Edmunds, will be continuing their paddling outings on Monday evenings.
The Club is also delighted to welcome RAF Honington Kayak Club, who have recently joined SESCA as another group member.
Anyone interested in dinghy sailing (pottering or racing), canoeing or kayaking is most welcome to visit the Club to see what is on offer. The Club prides itself on its low membership fees and being affordable to all. (Cadet £25 pa; adult £62 pa and family £90 pa). New members welcome.
For further information, please see www.westsuffolksailing.org.uk