ABOUT BASC
Beccles Amateur Sailing Club has the reputation for being the friendliest club on the broads and welcomes all those with an interest in sailing. We are located on the river Waveney, North Suffolk, approximately half a mile downstream from the market town of Beccles.
Our sailing season runs from Easter to Christmas, with details of the sailing and social events available on our events page.
Club History
The Beccles Amateur Sailing Club is built on a solid foundation of member participation.
Having been conceived at a meeting at the King's Head Hotel on 13th March 1907, the club's initial philosophy was to organise formal racing for sailing craft on the River Waveney on summer Saturday afternoons. In those days a strict policy of only admitting Beccles residents was in force along with a stipulation that amateurism would not be compromised. Even crews were not allowed if they were professionally engaged 'in or about boats'. With membership at five shillings per year, the action was predominantly amongst racing cruisers.
The club today is an enviable position of owning its own land with responsibilities for the upkeep of the adjacent quay heading. Its clubhouse is home to its family orientated membership of around 200.
Sailing activities will begin from April and will continue until the end of December. Formal racing is still the objective and is conducted every Saturday afternoon during the summer season and Sunday mornings after Daylight Saving (clocks change).
The emphasis has always been on attracting family membership, particularly for the sailing uninitiated who will receive a particularly warm welcome. Almost all the club's facilities are geared towards families and existing members like to be involved in encouraging young people. There are always RYA trained members on hand to advise and the club's location offers a particularly safe environment. As Vice President Janet Forster explains "Because our home stretch of the river is fairly narrow, beginners feel comfortable in that they are close to the bank if there should be a splash". There is certainly no need for parents to have any sailing experience as the club is structured so that teaching the whole family together is easily accommodated. The novice sailing club runs each Saturday morning and the club provides a fleet of six boats so that potential new members can try out the sport before investing in their own craft.
The clubhouse itself offers good basic amenities with tea, coffee, snacks available and a fully licensed bar. There are male and female changing rooms and outside there is naturally a slipway, Dinghy Park (all year round use) and a spacious car park.
Of course any new members are most welcome. Whatever trade or profession, or wherever they live. Indeed several of the club's members have their homes in London. In keeping with sailing fashion most of the craft are lightweight dinghies. It is from here that sailing prowess can be extended, as has been the case for one of the club's famous members. Daniel Cripps learnt his basic sailing techniques in Mirror dinghies at the club, before making a major impact on the worldwide sailing scene. Perhaps some of the success is due to the meticulous tacking required to carry out difficult manoeuvres on this narrow stretch of water amidst its sometimes-difficult winds.
Yet apart from its sailing activities the club has a very enterprising social calendar. A fitting-out supper starts the season that continues with cheese and wine evenings, buffets, barbecues and 'chip wreck' evenings throughout the season. A highlight for the year is naturally the Beccles Regatta with racing and prizes producing quite a spectacle in the first full week of August. There is a bonfire night finale at the end of the season and not forgetting the annual Boxing Day fun race that always attracts a large audience.
So if sailing may be in your blood then you are guaranteed to have fun and make new friends at the Beccles Amateur Sailing Club. If you would like further details you can either e-mail the Membership Secretary, Jim Winnett, or download and complete the attached application form, or just come down one Saturday during the season and meet some of our members.