Boating Open Day in Burnham on Crouch

by Mel Lewis on 30 Apr 2013 The second Boating Open Day offered by the four Burnham clubs is to be held on 11th May. The clubs will be open to all from 10am to 4pm. All you have to do is visit one or all of them, suitably dressed for some time on the water. This dress would include flat shoes and warm clothing (it’s always colder on the water). You can email info(@)burnhamweek.org.uk for further information.

There are four clubs in Burnham spread out along the length of picturesque quay and all are waiting to welcome non-members on that day. Families and individuals who visited last year reported having a great day out, some experiencing the pleasures of time afloat for the first time.

The western most club is the Burnham Sailing Club, situated closest to the marina, which was specifically set up for locals to race on Wednesday evenings – an event still going strong today. It has a vibrant youth section sailing on Friday and Wednesday evenings with Friday set as the training evening when all youngsters can have a go on the water under strict supervision. Optimisits, RS Teras and Fevas will be available on 11th May to try on the water. There will also be opportunities for ‘non sailing’ children to get out on the water and try the sport under strict supervision plus there will be Sail Rigging demonstrations in the morning when members will be available to answer questions about the Club. Their delightful Clubhouse will be open for light refreshments throughout the day and their Commodore John Paul looks forward to welcoming you.

Next door is the Crouch Yacht Club which specialises in big boat sailing. So if you are looking for the experience of being on a large racing yacht with highly competent and competitive people then this is the adventure for you. Their welcoming Clubhouse will be open throughout the day and with lovely river views this could be the place for a welcome glass of beer or cup of coffee. Commodore Duncan Haley and Vice Commodore Phillip Harbott will be on hand to greet you. Ashore will be a variety of demonstrations and activities for visitors to become more au fait with cruiser sailing and racing in the river and offshore. Visitors will also be able to go out on a cruising boat from the pontoon, experiencing the types of boats we use at our club for racing’.

Walking a little further easterly along the quay is the Royal Burnham Yacht Club. This historic clubhouse is certainly a lovely place to anticipate the next experience. Commodore Adrian Lower will be around during the day and Neil will be there to offer a warm welcome and take your orders. Here the Club also supports big boat racing – but they are home to a fleet of RBOD (Royal Burnham One Design) keel boats. The Club also provides RYA sailing and powerboat courses, both on and off the water, for beginners and those wishing to hone their skills. For an on water experience at the RBYC both an RBOD and the Club RIB will be available to take out any potential sailors.

Just a little further eastwards is the Royal Corinthian Yacht Club which is housed in the stunning award winning white building at the end of the quay. The balcony affords amazing views of the river. At this club there is more junior sailing available with the Corinthian Otter fleet and there will be an opportunity for non-sailing children to get out onto the water for a short while under close supervision. Other fleets sailing out of the RCYC are the Dragons, Squibs, 707s and the classic thirties’ designed RCODs (Royal Corinthian One Designs, perfect for beginners). The Clubhouse is open and friendly and Commodore Robert Coyle will be there during the day. However if you just want watch what is happening on the river Tony will be glad to serve you and you can take the opportunity to sit out on their wonderful balcony and enjoy the views.