Open Day Success for Upper Thames Sailing Club
by Debbie Kite 30 Apr 2014 14:55 BST
27 April 2014
Upper Thames Open Day © Debbie Kite
Upper Thames Sailing Club members were pleased to welcome well nearly a hundred and fifty visitors to the annual Open Day on Sunday. Instructors were kept busy all day giving budding sailors a taste of river sailing in the three club Wayfarers and two Thames A Raters.
The weather forecast wasn't promising but the rain mostly held off and the wind blew just the right amount to keep the trips upstream exciting but safe for the visitors of all ages and experience.
For those who were less adventurous or very small there were trips in the club's workboat, although all were impressed by one of our youngest visitors, Annabel, age 3, who calmly took the helm of Spindrift, the Queen's Cup winning A Rater.
The clubhouse was very busy all day and many visitors stayed for 'Tea by the Thames', with cakes galore, which raised a marvellous £356.97 for Sail4Cancer.
Commodore Alan Markham thanked all the club members who worked to make the event so successful, as a record eleven new memberships were taken out on the day, including nine families. In addition the club is trialing a temporary month's membership and seven families and individuals took up this offer. The next beginners' 'Start Sailing' course sold out and more dates are being planned.
All are looking forward to welcoming the new members to the next club events in May, including Pirate Day and BBQ on May Day Bank Holiday, followed by the Bourne End to Marlow race on the 11th, and the club's major event of the year, Bourne End Week, over the late May holiday weekend. For more information about the club, see www.utsc.org.uk, or email .