You love spending your time on the water or outside, but have you thought of joining your local sailing club? We asked the RYA to share the benefits of club membership.
Sailing clubs provide a great range of activities, for all ages, abilities and interests. Whether you are looking to access boats, take a course or simply spend more time outdoors with the family, here are five reasons to check out what your local club has to offer.
Try something new
Clubs are not just about dinghy racing, although it is a great reason to join. Many venues also offer a fantastic range of watersports with activities such as paddleboarding, winging, opening water swimming and kayaking that cater to individuals of all ages, abilities and interests. Many clubs also run RYA training courses with opportunities to practice your new skills in a safe environment. Clubs often provide opportunities for members to access club boats, participate in start sailing or improver courses and offer opportunities to join crew or find sailing partners.
Family fun
With dedicated youth and junior programmes and pathways for youngsters to learn and progress their skills it is no surprise clubs are a big hit with families. Many have sailing weeks running in school holidays run by friendly RYA qualified instructors. You can often access boats through membership or a hire system, so what better way to spend time outdoors as a family.
Social scene
Whatever your age, clubs are great places with vibrant social scenes with many offering events such as quiz nights, summer BBQs, family fun days and dinners. For the younger sailors there is no better place to form lifelong friendships and make lasting childhood memories out on the water.
Contribute to your community
Interested in giving something back to your local community? Although some larger clubs do employ staff, sailing clubs are almost always in need of volunteers. From boat maintenance, safety boat cover to event organisation, pulling pints behind the bar or even just cutting the grass, there will be a job for you and it is a great way to give back to the local community and meet new people.
Sailing may not be as expensive as you might think!
Annual membership costs vary depending on the club, typically around £200 per year for a family membership. Some clubs will have gym style memberships, including the use of club boats and equipment, whilst others have a simpler offering – providing access to the facility. Many clubs operate on a volunteering system where members contribute their time a couple of times a year while others have paid staff managing operations year-round.
Check out the RYA’s where’s my nearest tool at find.rya.org.uk.
Discover sailing
Many clubs have been running Discover Sailing sessions across the UK this summer. This is a great way to find out more about your local club and find a free or low cost taster session near you. Find opportunities near you at www.rya.org.uk/start-boating/discover-sailing.
