Chew Valley Sailing Club

Commodore's Blog

It could not have been better. We had to put up with a bit of rain and a spell of cold weather but what a reward. The lake is full and last weekend the sun came out: even the remnants of last years’ tube of sun cream were required.

We hosted the annual Open Meeting for Flying Fifteens, Fireballs and Scorpions. There were 59 competitors across the three fleets. On Saturday the wind was light and fickle and Peter Sherwin, the Race Officer, had to abandon the third race for lack of wind. On Sunday, though, exactly on time, the wind arrived and slowly built to a pleasant force 3. In the Scorpions Tom Gillard dominated the fleet with four wins. In the Fireballs and the Flying Fifteens the top spots were rather more hotly contested. Indeed, in the fifteens, going into the last race any one of three crews could have won: it was Hamish McKay and Andrew Lawson of the Royal Highland yacht Club who won. Dave Wade and Bob Gardiner won the Fireball Class. The Laser fleet provided a very efficient and competent race management team over the whole weekend.

On Sunday it was nice to see the juniors out learning the ropes in Toppers and Optimists.

We are just entering the busy part of the summer season. The addition of the Olympics and the Jubilee has added a small new dimension to the programme. On the Jubilee weekend there will be the usual Saturday sailing with no formal event so come and enjoy one of Doug’s lunches before or after sailing or bring a friend sailing and have a picnic tea. Bring as much bunting as you like and have a good day. On Jubilee Sunday there will be a series of Jubilee races along the lines of a Class Race Day.

Thursday evening sailing will start again soon. This year it will be fully supported by rescue boats and, hopefully, catering. The lake will be open for anyone to sail until one hour before sunset. For beginners some instruction will be available under the watchful eyes of some RYA Dinghy Instructors: details will appear on the website.

Wednesday 23^rd of May sees the first of the “Olympic” events at the Club: the evening torch race to mark the passing of the Olympic Torch through our area.

Last Updated (Tuesday, 15 May 2012 09:47)

Welcome to Chew Valley Lake Sailing Club

Chew Valley Lake is the biggest inland waterway in the south-west of England and a great place to sail.

The lake is situated on the northern edge of the beautiful Mendip hills, eight miles south of Bristol.

The picturesque surroundings make the lake a popular destination for walkers, picnickers, bird watchers and anglers as well as sailors.

On the water, the Club can easily cater for fleets of over one hundred boats and we have in the past been called upon to host many large events. Five separate slipways enable easy launching. Off the water, the clubhouse facilities include large changing rooms, hot showers, galley run by professional caterer (serving hot and cold lunches, light refreshments and drinks) at the weekends, a fully licensed bar and terrace overlooking the lake.

We also cater for disabled people with facilities on both floors and a lift.

The Club is open for sailing on Wednesday, Thursday and every weekend with racing held on Wednesday evenings and Sundays. Various sailing courses are held at the club including RYA training, various youth training, powerboat training, race officer training as well as more informal training run within each fleet. A selection of dinghies is also available for members to try.

If you are interested in joining the club then why not come donw on a Saturday or Sunday, have a chat with one of our friendly members and have a look at what we have to offer. The good news is that you may not have to wait too long to join as sometimes we have vacancies throughout the year.