Sailing
TEESDALE Sailing and Watersports Club has been chosen from all the Royal Yachting Association (RYA) clubs in the north east and Yorkshire as the region’s finalist in the Club of the Year Awards for 2022.
Despite being one of the smallest clubs in the area Teesdale SWC impressed in a number of areas including supporting the local community and increasing membership numbers.
Club commodore, Anthony Tubbs, said: “This is a great honour for the club, and a just reward for all the hard work put in by members over the last 12 months.”
MP Dehenna Davison, who enjoyed a sail with club members earlier in the year, is getting behind the club and described the club’s nomination as “fantastic” .
Covid-19, combined with low water levels in 2020 at Grassholme Reservoir, presented the club with great challenges, but also some opportunities. Northumbrian Water through its shoreline redevelopment plan provided a new boat park and slipway.
A new boat store was completed and members built a safety office by the water to supervise activities.
A grant for six new junior boats was obtained thanks to Teesdale Action Partnership.
The club increased its junior training scheme to allow free learn to sail courses for 36 children rather than the 12 offered pre-Covid.
Adults were catered for as well, with four weekend sailing courses being successfully completed.
Teesdale hosted a round of the NE Youth Travellers Trophy and had a busy series of club races which included 25 boats competing in the Grassholme Cup.
Off the water, now that Covid restrictions have been relaxed, social events are getting going again.
The first of a number of tent pitches have been created in the club grounds to allow overnight stays.
During the winter club members met up online for a weekly e-sailing event which led to one junior member reaching the national final.
More mundane but equally important was the setting up of a new website and adoption of a web-based management system for the club.
As a result of all of these initiatives the club has tripled its membership numbers, and greatly increased participation.
Teesdale SWC now goes forward to the national final where it will be pitted against another nine clubs from around the country.
The winner will be chosen through the votes of RYA members, readers of Yachts & Yachting magazine and a panel.
The result will be announced at the Dinghy and Watersports Show at Farnborough in February.
To support Teesdale SWC in the national final vote at https://awards.yachtsand yachting.co.uk/rya.
