Free Sailing For All As MP To Open New Worthing SC Clubhouse 

Sir Peter Bottomley MP cuts ribbon ahead of club Open Day

Worthing Sailing Club invites you and your family to try sailing for FREE as the club celebrates the opening of its brand new clubhouse on Saturday 12 July.

Sir Peter Bottomley, Worthing West MP, will cut the ribbon on the new clubhouse at 1 Sea Place, which will significantly increase the numbers, and improve the experience, of anyone who wants to sail at Worthing, members or newcomers alike.

To celebrate the grand opening Worthing SC is opening its doors to all-comers from 12.30pm, with people invited to have a ride on a nippy catamaran or enjoy a taster session in a single-handed – or one-person - dinghy in the shallower waters. 

Ashore people will be able to experience what it is like to go out on a ‘trapeze’ wire on the side of a boat or hoist a spinnaker sail, as well as enjoy tours of the new clubhouse facilities. Refreshments will be available between 11am-5pm from The Piggery, the galley caterers, while an evening-long party with band kicks off at 7pm.

Following the purchase of land for apartments on Worthing SC’s existing site, the club negotiated the build of the new clubhouse with Worthing Council and the developers, Kier. 

Additional funding came from club resources.The new building gives Worthing SC a 40% increase in capacity on its previous site, and sailors will no longer need to walk 200m to the boat park. There is power in the boat park for boat repairs and a huge concrete wash down area. 

The ramp up to the shingle bank is an easy concrete gradient rather than a shingly heave. Increased capacity in the RIB garage means Worthing SC will also be able to run even more activities at the same time as the club has increased safety cover.

Joining Sir Peter at the official opening will be Cllr Michael Donin, Deputy Mayor of the Borough of Worthing, and his consort, plus Andy Hooper, RYA Regional Development Officer for the South East.

John Cooper, Worthing SC Commodore, admits there is a real buzz around the club. 

He said: “An unbelievable amount of planning, negotiating and hard graft has gone into seeing this project come to fruition, done primarily by volunteers who just want to see people be able to enjoy the best sailing experiences possible in Worthing.

“We have always been proud of our sailing club but we can’t wait to show people what else we can offer them on and off the water now, and are looking forward to welcoming anyone to come and enjoy a free sail with us on our family Open Day.

“We hope people will discover a warm, friendly club that really does offer something for everyone, and that we will be able to help them take the first footsteps towards a lifetime’s enjoyment in the sport, regardless of their age, gender or background.”

The new clubhouse has already given Worthing SC a platform to start planning for 2015. The club is exploring becoming a recognised RYA Training Centre, while a new midweek day group for retired or flex workers is also on the horizon, as is purchasing some new junior pathway class dinghies to aid their youngsters’ racing aspirations. 

For full details of everything going on at Worthing SC this year, and how you can get involved, visit www.worthingsailingclub.co.uk or follow the club on Twitter at @WSailingClub