We are a small, friendly Club run by the members with something for everyone, no matter what ability or age.
We pride ourselves on being a family Club with parents, carers, children and siblings sailing together or racing against each other. The lake is open for Dinghy Sailing and Windsurfing throughout the year with safety boat cover during the busier months and we have a busy calendar of events from off the water social activities to on the water activities for all of our members. As a Club run for the members by the members we are very flexible and if there is something that is wanted that isn’t on the calendar, it can be arranged.
We have a busy racing calendar with one day events and the Sunday morning Series, the latter providing racing from February through to early December and a more laid back approach with the Lazy Sunday Afternoon racing series for beginners, those new to racing or those who prefer a weekly lie-in.
As a RYA training centre we run a wide range of training sessions. The youth section has Pirates and Buccaneers training sessions for the younger sailors and teenagers and an annual week long course in the summer. The training programme also has weekend dinghy sailing courses for adults and windsurfing courses for everyone. We also run coaching sessions and more advanced formal training sessions for those members who want to develop their skills further. In addition we offer day ticket sailing for visitors with their own dinghy to come and enjoy the lake.
The lake is a former gravel pit with a small island in the middle set in the 68 acre Priory Country Park and nature reserve. This is a fantastic location, especially on a cool summer’s evening sat on the balcony after sailing with the sun slowly going down. Although close to the town centre, it could be miles in the country and provides both safe sailing for beginners and challenging wind changes for the more experienced.
The Club is open to anyone who has an interest in sailing – there are no barriers or membership criteria. We also believe our membership price offers great value for money as it not only provides access to the lake all year round (weekends during the winter and seven days a week April to November), but it includes a dinghy/windsurfing storage space; use of the large fleet of club boats and windsurf equipment at no extra cost; access to the free members only training sessions/courses; support of a mentor if wanted; organised club lunches; and the DIY tea/coffee/squash at any time in the clubhouse kitchen.
We hope that you will find the information that you need on these pages and we look forward to seeing you at the Club. If you like what you have read and want to join or would like further details or wish to ask any questions about the Club and how to start sailing at Priory, please let us know. Contact us by email, by phone or come along to the clubhouse.