Worthing Making Most Of New Clubhouse 

West Sussex club enjoying buzz after new facilities

It's new clubhouse enjoyed a high profile opening in July, with the promise that the new facility would give even more people new and improved opportunities to sail more often at Worthing SC.

And the club has been living up to that promise with a number of things to shout about once again putting Worthing SC in the headlines.

Club member Abbey Jupp finished a close second at the competitive Dart 18 European Championships held in Wales from 18-22 August.

Crewing for French helm Hervé Le Maux, in their first championship together, the pair were leading the regatta after nine races in the 10 race series, level on points with the reigning World Champion pairing of Dan Norman and Jenni Donovan.

With all to sail for in the final race, the lead changed hand several times but in the end it was Dan and Jenni who came out on top with Abbey and Hervé finishing second by only one point – the closest finish in the event's history. 

The event featured 76 boats from across Europe including the UK, France, Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and Italy. Worthing SC was well represented with Nia Crockford and Caleb Cooper, Mark Thomas and Matthew Cooper and Nigel and Mel Jupp competing.

Back at the club, some 30 youngsters were enjoying Worthing SC's fully-booked Bug Week, the club’s annual training camp for junior sailors. 

From the basics of rigging the boat to racing and recovering a capsize, the training is varied and comprehensive. 

But fun is also paramount, and like every year, the week included a Pirate Day when the Jolly Roger is hoisted and all the sailors come in fancy dress, there are also competitions like sailing around trying to collect a flock of floating rubber ducks, with a junior social and prize giving to round off the week.

"We’ve been running Bug Club for five years now and each year it becomes more popular,” says Chris Halfknight, one of the club’s RYA accredited instructors who was presented with an RYA Lifetime Commitment Award by HRH The Princess Royal in 2013. 

"All the available spaces and we were fully booked in a matter of days.”

The kids have the opportunity to continue sailing throughout the year with regular free training sessions on Saturdays and Sundays.

Meanwhile Worthing SC certainly made sure they caught the eye after winning the best float prize at the Worthing Carnival!

With the club's Pirate Boat entry, 'crewed' by an amazing turnout of kids and adults plus a couple of sea dogs, the carnival lookalike 'Captain Jack Sparrow' even hitched a ride along the way!

But the club isn't resting on its laurels. Planning is already underway for 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 more information on Worthing SC visit  www.worthingyachtclub.co.uk