Welcome to

Grafham Water

Sailing Club

Sailing is currently restricted to the area bounded by buoys C X

Meaning of Safety Flags
Club Information
In March 2022 I decided to semi-retire and revive my interest in sailing, something I had not done for 30 years. I purchased a very cheap, old Topper, as it would fit on the car roof, and then thought, I need to test sail this somewhere and a quick internet search threw up GWSC as an option. It is open every day and visitors can just book, turn up and sail. On arrival I was greeted by the office staff who made me feel really welcome and so I launched my boat. Luckily it floated with no leaks and I slowly remembered the basics of sailing. Coming ashore for lunch I met Hilary, the rear Commodore at the time, who was so friendly and welcoming and I appreciated that she very politely glossed over the fact that the Topper was too small for me, it wasn’t rigged properly and my sailing was a bit dodgy.

She talked about the club and what it offered and in particular the Tuesday group, a friendly social sailing group run by an experienced club member who would help you improve your sailing. By then I was struck by the beauty of the area, the amazing stretch of water, the safety of being watched by the coxswain and the opportunities offered by the club so I joined – one of the best decisions I made last year.

Nine months on I have done things I would never have dreamed possible. With guidance from club members I upgraded to a Laser and with fantastic free coaching from Peter, Karyna, Ian and Richard I now don’t do anywhere near as much swimming and am gaining confidence in stronger winds. I’ve sailed in the Laser Regatta, made many new friends and enjoy the banter on the Whatsapp groups which keeps you informed of activities. GWSC hosts many national sailing events and I volunteered to help at the National Schools Sailing Association Regatta and spent time officiating on a committee boat. It was so rewarding to see so many youngsters sailing so well with some setting their sights on the Olympics.

Really looking forward to 2023 and getting to grips with the racing schedule in addition to the social sailing.

Chris (New Member)