New Boats Making Big Waves At Rugby & Daventry Sc 

Places still available for June RYA Start Sailing course as Hartleys make impact

Rugby and Daventry Sailing Club is one local sports club proving that when it comes to encouraging people – both newcomers and people re-discovering the sport – to go sailing more often, having top of the range new kit that ticks many boxes goes a very long way.

Funding awards for grassroots sports clubs may make a few headlines when the cheques are presented, but it is what happens when that money is spent that makes the real difference within local communities.

Rugby and Daventry SC, based on Drayton Reservoir in Daventry, received a £10,000 Sport England Small Grants award in March, and invested it in four Hartley 12 dinghies, as part of its RYA-endorsed ‘Get Into Sailing At RDSC’ activities programme.

The dinghies made their public debut at the club’s Push the Boat Out Open Day last month, with their distinctive red and white striped sails really capturing the imagination of visitors.  

Now, with Rugby and Daventry’s next adult and junior RYA Start Sailing courses taking place on 14 and 21 June, the boats are about to start fulfilling their primary task – to get more people in Rugby and Daventry and the surrounding area sailing more often.

A few places are still available for the June course, and as Sylvia Dawson, club commodore, explains, Rugby and Daventry SC is doing everything it can to make sure those people who get a taste for sailing at the club can keep sailing cheaply, easily and frequently.

She said: “After the course we want to encourage participants to get out on the water as much as possible so we are throwing in five days of free boat hire and free temporary membership valid till the end of July 2014. For our course participants we are also knocking 50 per cent off our membership fees for the remainder of our 2014 season.

“There is still a stereotype that sailing is an expensive sport to get into, but an adult taking a course with us now will pay less than £9 a month  to be a club member until the end of the year, and for juniors that goes down to £3.50.

“For that, people have access to our clubs boats, all our facilities and they can really enjoy the social side of a sport where everyday life really does get left on the shore.”  

Sylvia continued: “The new Hartleys have created a real buzz around the place. As one person, or single-handed, boats, they provide the next step for people who initially learn to sail with us in two-person boats.

“This means improvers can sail single-handed, with an instructor on hand, to build confidence in their skills, making it more likely they will continue sailing. Boat ownership isn’t essential to get into sailing, just a sense of adventure and enthusiasm.”

Rugby and Daventry SC is a recognised RYA Training Centre, meaning it conforms to the highest standards of quality and safety.

RYA Start Sailing introduces people to the basics and gives them the best first experience in the sport, while also providing opportunities for them to then stay involved and keep improving their skills at welcoming, inclusive sailing clubs.

Rugby and Daventry’s next RYA Start Sailing course is on Saturday 20 and Saturday 27 September. The club offers RYA Level 1, 2 and 3 for adults and Stages 1-4 for juniors.

For full details of everything going on at Rugby and Daventry SC this year, and how you can get involved, visit www.rdsc.org.uk