Whitefriars Sailing Club Open Day on 9th May
by Hope Halstad 26 Apr 09:32 UTC
9 May
Whitefriars Sailing Club © WSC
Whitefriars Sailing Club will be opening its doors to the public on Saturday 9 May with a Discover Sailing Open Day, offering visitors the chance to try sailing and find out more about the club’s activities on and off the water. Whitefriars is a dinghy sailing club on the beautiful Cotswold Water Park near Cirencester and Swindon.
The Open Day is aimed at adults, families and young people, and no previous sailing experience is required. Throughout the day, visitors will be able to go afloat on the club’s lake with experienced volunteer helms in safe, stable club boats. Buoyancy aids will be provided, with participants advised to wear clothing suitable for being on the water.
Alongside the on-water activity, visitors will have the opportunity to meet club members, explore the clubhouse and lakeside facilities, and learn more about the range of sailing and paddling activities available at Whitefriars.
Whitefriars Sailing Club offers sailing opportunities for a wide range of ages and abilities. Adult members can take part in learn-to-sail courses, social and recreational sailing, and club racing, while junior sailors aged 8 to 18 are supported through training, fun sailing sessions and opportunities to try racing. The club runs RYA training courses from beginner through to advanced levels.
Racing forms an important part of the club calendar, with regular racing on Sunday afternoons and Wednesday evenings during the summer. A wide variety of boats are sailed at Whitefriars. We have strong National 12, RS Aero, Hansa and Laser fleets. The club also supports recreational sailing and paddling, with opportunities to use paddleboards, windsurfers and canoes on the lake.
Whitefriars places a strong emphasis on accessibility and inclusion. There is a Sailability group based at Whitefriars that provides additional support for sailors who need help getting on the water. The club as good accessibility. The club runs a thriving Women on Water group that offers coaching and social sailing. Radio-controlled sailing is also active at the club.
The Juniors group offers fun sessions, RYA Training and supports racing both within the club and at away events. We were proud to achieve RYA Pathway status earlier this year. This is the RYA’s initiative to make junior and youth racing more affordable, accessible and engaging and to improve the performances of aspiring young British talent.
Facilities at Whitefriars Sailing Club include a clubhouse with training rooms, boat berths, club hire boats and an adjacent camping field. Entry to the Open Day is free, with no booking required and free parking available on site.
Further information about the Open Day can be found at www.whitefriarssc.org/open-day