Ullswater Yacht Club invite you to give sailing a go!
Ullswater is a peaceful and extraordinarily beautiful lake in the National Park - and it looks even more breathtaking from the water.
Members of Ullswater Yacht Club get their unforgettable view of the lake every time they sail away from the shore. The club is at the Northern end of the Lake DistrictNational Park and is based on the North-east edge of Ullswater about two miles from PooleyBridge on the Howtown Road. The club is unrivalled in its facilities both on and off the water. Founded in 1958, the club has a lake frontage of 200m, with easy access for dinghies and keelboats and a sailing area which is both sheltered and challenging, covering seven miles by one mile at its widest point.
Friendly and family-orientated, the aim of the club is to “promote and facilitate the sport of sailing, both racing and cruising, on Ullswater, compatible with the preservation of the natural beauty and serenity of the area.”
The clubhouse enjoys spectacular views across the lake and offers modern changing and shower facilities, toilets with disabled access, a main club and lecture room and licensed bar. Full professional catering facilities are available each weekend and also during events and holidays. The club season is from mid March until the end of October and an extensive racing programme is available to all members throughout the season. Every weekend class and handicap racing is organised with a junior series for the younger members. There is also a regular Friday series of relaxed cruiser racing for members who prefer a more informal approach to their sailing. Many open events are hosted including the prestigious Lord Birkett Memorial Trophy which attracts around 200 boats from all over the country every year.
The types of boats sailed at the club range from modern fast sailing dinghies, including the International Canoe, RS200/400 and 29er to the International Tempest racing keelboat and racing cruisers (up to 25ft overall) and slower family dinghies and cruisers as well as Toppers for juniors. Off the water numerous social events take place during the season, from barbecues, discos and family entertainment, to training and lectures.
The clubs membership comes from a wide area. There are the locals who live in Cumbria within easy reach of the club, and others from farther a field who stay in the area for weekends and holidays. One of the local members is club commodore John Robson, who lives near Cliburn. He explained the special attraction of Ullswater Yacht Club: “There is nowhere else like it - beautiful scenery, excellent facilities and a friendly well-run club. It’s the sort of place that gets people hooked and they keep on coming back”. He reckons Ullswater is one of the best places in the world to sail – and he should know. Over the winter the Robson family travelled to Australia where John and his 19-year-old daughter Felicity took part in the International Canoe world championships. They returned with two world trophies – John for the asymmetric category and Felicity became women’s champion.
But the sailing at Ullswater isn’t just for the experts like the Robsons, it’s for all ages and levels of ability. “We are very keen to welcome newcomers to the club and to introduce them to sailing,” said John. Several members are qualified sailing instructors and coaches and the club is a recognised RYA training centre.
The young members of the thriving Topper fleet benefit from regular training and during the school summer holidays there is a five day sail camp for juniors.
The club is so keen to welcome newcomers that it even has a membership secretary dedicated to new members, Mrs Bernie McDermott. If you are interested, just ring her on 01744 752925, contact the club on 01768 486333 or visit the club website at www.ullswateryachtclub.org and click on ‘About’ then ‘Join UYC’. And we’ll see you on the water!