London and South East Clubs boost membership ahead of RYA Dinghy Show
Almost two years on from the first national lockdown, the Royal Yachting Association (RYA) is reporting the number of sailing club members in England is back up to pre-pandemic levels with over 255,000 people in England currently members of their local sailing clubs and 34,000 joining in 2021 alone.
Clubs across London and the South East have boosted their memberships as more people choose to spend their spare time afloat. Here some of them tell their story:
Dan England, the club’s Commodore, says: “These past two years our leadership team has worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic to keep the club operational as much as possible, when social distancing rules have allowed, providing a much needed distraction away from the “Covid blues” for our local community.
“We’ve seen over a 20% uplift in membership in 2021 compared to 2020, most of the growth coming from young families joining up with their children and learning to sail with us from scratch. There has also been a significant uplift in other watersport memberships including stand-up paddleboarding, sea kayaking and sea swimming. We hope this trend continues in 2022 and we continue to welcome anyone with an interest in non-powered watersports to join us.”
Founded in 1957 the club is a not for profit community amateur sports club whose main purpose is to promote sailing to the local community. The club welcomes new members of all abilities and walks of life, from complete beginners to national champions. Membership has many benefits including free tuition, racing, a place to store your boat, social events and full use of the excellent club facilities.
Club Commodore Peter Edel reports: “We’re happy to see that many people who hadn’t been as active in recent years have returned to the water during the pandemic. Actions such as setting up a COVID committee group ensured that we were one of the first clubs active and on the water again.
“We are committed to fostering a sense of fun and inclusion on the water and making sure that everyone is enjoying it as much as possible and from this we have seen new growth, especially in family memberships and individual members from more diverse backgrounds.
“We recently added wing foiling and stand up paddleboarding to our growing list of watersports and, in partnership with the London Watersports Company, we are dedicating more time to training with the hope of retaining members both new and old and growing all of the watersports we offer at King George.”
Located on Chingford reservoirs, bordering Enfield, Chingford and Sewardstone, the club boasts the largest sailing area in London, 420 acres. Founded 50 years ago, the club has evolved to offer sailing, windsurfing, wing foiling and SUP. The club has an active membership engaged in racing and recreational sailing. It has dedicated RYA training for those new to the water, with affordable boat and board hire.
Clara Sanchez, the club’s Communications Officer, says: “When the pandemic hit, we knew we had to stand together as a community for our members. We established different WhatsApp groups and very active Virtual Regatta racing twice a week. Our members were more engaged than ever on a personal level, and we supported each other during those tough times of isolation. Taking advantage of the extra time, a team of us worked on building and launching a brand-new website, more attractive to prospective members.
“Once the restrictions were partially lifted, the club was quick to re-open as soon as possible, offering an outdoor activity with enough social distancing and limited contact. With the new website, and a renewed local interest for outdoor activities, our sailing and paddleboard membership went through the roof.
“As a club, we were very happy to be able to offer a safe option for open-air sport and limited socialization, keeping our community more vibrant than ever.”
The club offers year-round sailing, with something for everyone, from complete beginners to expert sailors, including racing every week. There are 54 acres of water with three islands and different areas to explore. It has three slipways and four pontoons so launch and recovery is easy. Whether enjoying social sailing or competitive racing, you are sure to have fun in a safe and friendly environment.
North London Sailing Association
The North London Sailing Association is a community association run by volunteers and open to all who want to sail. It sails at the West Reservoir Centre, Stoke Newington, one of London’s best kept sailing secrets, set in a beautiful location behind the Castle Climbing Centre off Green Lanes, and also at its coastal sailing base at Brightlingsea in Essex.
Mary Leaming, Membership Secretary for the association, says: "When the pandemic struck and we were forced to close, we were worried about our future, and lost members. When the West Reservoir Centre opened up again, however, open water swimming became immensely popular, and swimmers and their families and friends realised that boating might be available, and found our website. People confined in flats in lockdown, who were looking for outdoor activity in the local area, realised water sports were possible in central London, and we had a steady increase in membership once we opened up again."
Rob Clark, RYA Director of Sport Development says: “We know that spending time outside and on the water during the pandemic has been a source of solace for many. Sailing clubs are an affordable place to spend time with your family doing an activity that everyone can participate in.
“Results from our annual Club Membership Census are also showing more family and junior memberships which is fantastic and we know that many venues are now offering even more activities for their members whether that’s SUPing, kayaking, swimming or windsurfing”.
Head to the RYA Dinghy & Watersports Show at Farnborough International (26-27 February) to find out how you can spend your 2022 on the water. The show promises to be a great day out with plenty to inspire and entertain all ages including sailing, windsurfing and winging simulators, activity pool and plenty of competitions. Best of all kids go FREE all weekend! Find more information and get your tickets