Racing looks a pretty intimidating pastime to those who have not tried it (and even to those who have) so Why do the majority of club sailors take part in it ?

All of us, when we were learning, found keeping the boat upright, avoiding moving parts and missing stationary objects to be sufficient test of our skills. As we became more confident, we found that ‘screaming reaches’ across the lake added to the excitement but even that can pall.

The answer for many is the gentle pastime of racing; that is, following a pre-set course in the company of other like-minded sailors. Not only does the racing encourage the development of sailing skills by encouraging you to get the best out of yourself and the boat, it forms the basis of hours of light-hearted jibing around the bar at the end of the day.

As one’s desire for racing grows, the world of open meetings is opened up. Many of those who travel to Open events have permanent friends in far corners of England ( and even Ireland, France, Germany, Belgium, Italy and Holland ) gained from meeting at such events.

Those with ambition should look to Paul Brotherton, a junior racer at this club who went on to compete at the Barcelona Olympics, representing Britain in the 470 class.