Historic Wraysbury Lake SC Closes 

A final meeting of historic Wraysbury Lake SC was held on 17 April 2014.

The RYA affiliated club was formed in December 1956 at a meeting in the News Chronicle offices in London attended by people interested in forming a sailing club with the News Chronicle Enterprise Dinghy as a class fleet. Jack Holt, the designer of the popular Enterprise and Solo dinghies, was elected as the first Commodore.   

Jack was introduced by a club member to the Allen brothers and together they formed the well know Holt Allen company which designed and manufactured marine hardware.   

RYA Regional Chairman Alan Woolford said: “An announcement was made on April 17th that the residue of club funds, after tax, would be shared between the club’s membership, Silver Wing SC, Littleton SC and Queen Mary Sailability (QMS), clubs where many former Wraysbury members will continue to sail.”   

“QMS will put the money towards purchasing a Hansa 303, a boat for sailors with disabilities, and will name it appropriately, possibly the Wraysbury Flyer or Wraysbury Enterprise. “  

Former WLSC Commodore Johnny Johnston said: “In 1958 WLSC membership reached capacity, and in 1963 the club had to apply to extend its dinghy park, with 76 Enterprise and 35 Solo dinghies in very active racing fleets.   

“Through to the early 1990s the club’s Enterprise Fleet was the largest in the country, but with the opening of the large reservoir clubs nearby it was proving difficult to attract new members, especially the younger sailors.”   

WLSC always prided itself on the combination of good competitive sailing and a friendly family atmosphere, and in July 2006 the club celebrated its 50th anniversary.   

The club earned RYA Champion Club status, a scheme which helps clubs establish or enhance junior race training programmes in order to encourage more young people to start sailing and then progress their racing careers. 

In recent years the club has produced both a European and a World Champion in the shape of Ollie Cooper and Chris Taylor sailing in the RS Fevas, Ollie as helm in 2009, and Chris as crew in 2008.  

Alan Woolford said: “WLSC was always a leading dinghy club in the Thames Valley before the opening of the reservoir clubs that are on either side. The membership has successfully kept the club active with training schemes and support for regional activities, and we are sad to lose the club.”   

Though very attractive to family members, the club's sailing waters were taken over by a new landlord earlier this year with plans to transform it into a dedicated fishing lake. The last sailing day at Wraysbury was in late November.   

Wraybury’s last Commodore Chris Whitfield said: "While we are all very sad to see the club close, we are very pleased that all our members have been made to feel very welcome at our neighbouring clubs. We are also very pleased to be able to donate our rescue boats, club dinghies and a variety of other sailing club kit to other clubs so that they can continue to be put to good use."