About the Club
Eling Sailing Club is
situated at the head of Eling creek off the Test estuary at the head of
Southampton Water. The Club House occupies half of the
historic Eling Tide Mill where it has established a friendly club
bar. The Club has moorings for sailing boats up to 30 ft in
length on the wall at Eling, on laid moorings on the mud flats in Eling
Creek and a limited number of deep water moorings situated
downstream. These are available to members at the discretion
of the elected Mooring Master. Dinghies may be kept in the
Club’s compound, and members are encouraged to use the Club’s fleet of
Picos.
Throughout the season, the
Club organises several series of cruiser and dinghy races, and for the
less energetic, weekend flotilla cruises to neighbouring harbours and
clubs. Once a year a small contingent of the Club’s more
adventurous souls go ‘foreign’ with a flotilla across the
Channel. For those who don’t yet have a suitable yacht for
these excursions there are nearly always ‘crew’ places
available. We also have a fairly full social calendar, some
of which you can see from exploring this web site.
The Club also offers a
range of training courses to promote safety at sea, the theory being
taught during the winter months in readiness for the next season, and
the practical sessions in the spring as soon as the weather allows.
The Membership of Eling
Sailing club covers all age groups from toddlers up to old salts, of
both sexes, in their early sixties (one or two of the Committee might
be even older, but will neither admit it, nor act it). The
ethos of the Club tends towards the scruffy, cheerful, friendly,
mickey-taking, helpful, and casual (we only get dressed up in bow ties
once a year). The more experienced sailors are ever ready to
help less experienced fellow members with advice on yachts, yacht
maintenance and seamanship, and with hands-on assistance when needed,
although this may cost you the odd pint or two. We can
usually find an expert on most things nautical somewhere in the Club,
frequently propped against the bar.
If this sounds like the
sort of club for you, then turn up on any Friday night and introduce
yourself. Somebody’s bound to sign you in, and will probably
force a pint into your hand before introducing you around. If
after seeing us in the “too, too solid flesh”, you still want to join,
download the form below.
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