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 andLaser 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 £100 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.
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.