SailTime comes to Gosport

All aboard for SailTime launch!

A brand new Bénéteau Océanis 323 will be awaiting visitors invited to the launch of the new SailTime Gosport base, located at Gosport Marina. To celebrate the launch there will be an open weekend in the marina on July 14 and 15, where joint base owners Richard Lago and Andy Rees will be on hand to welcome sailing enthusiasts and share information on all the benefits of becoming a SailTime member.

Located on the East Solent, SailTime Gosport provides 24-hour access to the world famous Solent sailing ground. This historic base is perfect for all levels of ability with easy access to places to visit on day sails or for the more adventurous, France is a short hop across the Channel.

SailTime offers a sailing membership akin to a club membership. Members pay a monthly fee to enjoy the use of their boats, and SailTime takes care of everything else. The monthly membership fee is usually less than the marina fees alone, with the added advantage that once a member has finished their day out on the water, they simply check off the boat and walk away without the constraints or worries of depreciation, maintenance, or servicing. Each boat is shared by a maximum of seven members and one owner-member.

SailTime Gosport will be run by Richard Lago and Andy Rees both keen amateur sailors, passionate about helping other sailors to enjoy their hobby. Richard Lago explains, “I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my sailing with SailTime and wanted to extend the opportunity for more new members to experience the delight of sailing a brand new boat at the fraction of the cost of ownership.”

Formally known as SailTime East Solent, the base has recently relocated, improving entry and access to and from the marina. From London you can be on the water in less than 90 minutes, making SailTime Gosport perfect for the cash rich, time poor sailing enthusiast, living in the city, but wanting the best of both worlds.

The base welcomes a brand new Bénéteau Océanis 323 in time for the official opening, which seven members will share, each having the opportunity to sail at least seven times a month. Richard adds, “Our aim is to open up sailing to the people living in and around the city. Our new location greatly improves access, while the SailTime concept makes sailing fun, affordable and hassle free.”

The new yacht will increase the SailTime fleet to four. There are already two 343 Bénéteau and a Bavaria 27 powerboat. With the 323 Bénéteau arriving shortly, and plan for two more vessels joining the fleet by the end of the year, the base is already proving a huge success. Richard added, “The fractional sailing formula is proving so successful, that we are to open two more bases – Brighton next month (August) and Chichester in March 2008. Collectively the three bases are to be named SailTime East Solent.”

Each member has the opportunity to sail at least seven times a month. Sailing days can be booked in advance using a state of the art scheduler and can be carried over from one month to the next. And at the end of a day’s sailing, all that needs to be done is to ensure the boat is left clean – any maintenance and servicing is carried out by SailTime.

Monthly membership starts at £399 (plus VAT) for the new 323 per month.

For more information about SailTime Gosport please visit www.sailtime.co.uk/gosport