The Blackwater Sailing Club at Heybridge Basin held their annual Open Day on Saturday 7 May from 11.30 to 17.30. The weather was generally kind with only two brief showers in the morning and finished in glorious sunshine. The day saw a steady stream of visitors coming to the registration desk, with a total over the day of 315 people keen to see what our sailing club has to offer. Everyone was offered a guided tour of the clubhouse and grounds by our team of volunteers wearing high viz jackets.

The team on the Lake were offering sailing sessions in a range of dinghies, helmed by experienced Dinghy Instructors – over 200 people had a trip on the water, wearing buoyancy aids provided by the Club. The Cadet Section staged a demonstration of Optimist racing for the younger visitors to enjoy.

The upstairs galley team were busy all day producing filled rolls, cake, tea & coffee for our visitors while the downstairs bar which opened at noon did a brisk trade all afternoon.

Once the tide came in, we were able to offer our visitors trips on the river – either in one of our safety ribs or the club launch, which also ferried visitors out to one of two cruisers who were offering a chance to try a different type of sailing. Club racing also started at 15.30 so visitors were able to watch the racing from the sea wall in lovely sunshine.

The membership teams in the main clubroom were working hard to answer all the various questions about the terms and cost of membership and signed up 42 adults & 8 cadets at the end of the day with a number of other visitors thinking about joining in the near future

The success of this special day could only happen with the amazing dedicated support of more than 80 volunteer members – my thanks to everyone who helped to ensure our visitors had a memorable day.

The Blackwater Sailing Club is one of the leading sailing clubs on the East Coast; an active family-focused Club offering dinghy & cruiser racing for experienced sailors on the river; a well organised Cadet Section for children aged between 8 to 18 years offering initial training on the 7 acre freshwater lake & then coached training and racing on the river for the older Cadets. The Sailing School is now able to offer RYA Level 1 & 2 courses for Adults, which has been in much demand from new members.

If you missed out on our Open Day but are interested in membership please visit our About Us page or email our Hon. Membership Secretary 

Photos © Nigel Butler, Iain Marshall