Welcome to Frensham Pond Sailing Club. Thank you for taking time to visit us. We are a club of about 350 dinghies with the common interest of sailing in the lovely setting of Frensham Pond. Organised racing takes place every weekend throughout the year as well as on Wednesday evenings in the summer. Don't worry if racing does not appeal as the lake is also open for cruising every day during daylight hours, but best to avoid times when we are actually racing..

What sort of boat can I sail?

Most member choose to sail one of the established club classes. These include the Solo and Laser single-handed boats, the Enterprise, GP14, RS200 and Lark two-handed boats and the two-handed Cadet for juniors. However, if you wish, you can sail boats of other classes and race in the handicap series, but please note that there are restrictions, so please talk to us. If you are unsure of how to start or which boat might best suit you, talk to one of the club officers or choose one of the class web pages from the Classes menu on the left where you can find out more about each of the boats.

Is it expensive?

Contrary to what many people assume, dinghy sailing is relatively cheap. Full membership costs around £200 per year including boat storage. Second-hand boats, well equipped for racing, cost about £650 for a single-handed boat and £800 for a two-handed boat. Suitable clothing and buoyancy aid cost from around £130. You would also need to spend between £60 and £100 per year to cover insurance and wear and tear. For this sort of outlay, you could sail 365 days a year, racing on 120 of those day - if you've got the energy!

If you don't want to risk spending money on a boat before you have a chance to find out if you like the sport, talk to one of the club officers. We should be able to arrange for you to borrow a boat or to crew for a club member.

When do we race?

There is 'class' racing through the year on Sundays - alternate mornings and afternoons - and these are our most important regular races.. There is also handicap racing on Saturday afternoons, Wednesday evenings in the summer and midday Sundays in the winter..

A few days each year are set aside for Open Meetings, where sailors from other clubs are invited to compete. Over the years, Frensham members have achieved success at all levels of sailing and our Honour-roll boasts World and National Champions. However, everyone has to start somewhere so do not be put off if you don't want to race or don't feel that you have enough skill.

What social activities are there?

For many, the social life is a vital ingredient of club membership. Our social committee organises a variety of events throughout the year. Typically we run supper evenings, a large family BBQ in the summer, a 10-hour race for charity, talks evenings, quiz nights and some events away from the club such as skittles evenings.

How can I contribute to the running of the club?

To keep running costs down, 'Full' members share the duties of running the kitchen on Sundays and organising the racing on Saturday afternoons, Sundays and Bank Holidays. We organise this on a rota basis. Typically we would expect you to help with a kitchen duty once a year and racing duty five times a year. Each duty lasts half a day. Most people enjoy these duties as it's a great way to meet other members.

Can I get sail training?

The club lays great emphasis on encouraging everyone to improve their skills. The club provides ongoing training for members and formal training courses for members and non-members. The training is provided by both 'elite' sailors and RYA qualified instructors who follow an RYA recognised syllabus.

In addition, we run Taster sessions on Saturday mornings during the summer for both children and adults who want an introduction to dinghy sailing.

What is there for youngsters?

Training of young sailors, up to 18, takes place on Saturday mornings. This is based mainly on the single-handed Laser Radial and the two-handed Cadet. Help is always available from experienced sailors both on and off the water. Guest trainers and speakers ensure our youngsters get the best possible coaching and many of our junior sailors have achieved success at National and International level.

What types of membership are there?

Most people join as Full members. This allows you to sail and race at any time and to take part in all the Club activities. Midweek membership enables you to use the lake during weekdays (excluding Bank Holidays). Although the main clubhouse is not open during weekdays, the Club provides a weekday changing room and toilet. Winter membership for the period November 1 to March 31 is available at reduced cost. Current membership rates are available here.

How do I join?

Firstly you should talk a Club Officer about what type of boat you would like to sail and whether you need space to keep the boat at the Club. You then need to fill in a membership application form. To request a membership form please e-mail the This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

An information sheet about blue-green algae can be viewed here for anyone who is concerned about inland sailing.