At Leigh & Lowton we pride ourselves in the strength and depth of sailing experience that we provide to our members and visiting sailors.
From time to time we have a “Flash Closure” when sailing access is restricted to competitors in large races. Please check the Events calendar for details.
Sundays
Our main sailing day is Sunday where we hold 3 races per day during the summer months and 2 races per day during the winter months. Winter sailing (The Revett and Tipsy Icicle Series) is open to visitors from other clubs and this often brings in quite large fleets of strongly competitive helms. The Galley is open for breakfast & lunches and the bar is open after racing to allow for post-race discussions. The 1st race is held at 12:00 noon.
In addition to the various Sunday series throughout the year, there are also several Trophy Days at the end of a series to remember influential past members of the club- the Taylor Trophy (end of Spring Series), the Henderson Trophy (end of the Early Summer Series), the Presidents Rose Bowl (late Summer), and the Harry Budd Memorial Trophy (Autumn Series).
Saturdays
On Saturdays during the summer months there are 2 races held per day with the first starting at 14:00. There are no galley or bar service for normal Saturday racing.
Wednesday Nights
From April to the end of August the club holds two series of races with a race each Wednesday evening, normally with a 19:15 start time. Between each series we hold the Eamon Cuthbert Le Mans Pursuit Trophy (between Wednesday A and Wednesday B series). Throughout the summer the Galley is open for a meal after racing and the bar is open for the usual post race informal discussion.
Friday Nights
Friday Nights during the summer months are another busy time at the club. The club is opened up for regular Junior Training sailing with courses for sailors with a wide range of experience from early learning to advanced racing, there is a focus of fun on the water. There is an opportunity for parental socialisation whilst the kids enjoy the sailing & barbecues are often lit for after sailing meals.
Sailing at Other Times
The facilities of the club are open to all members on every day of the year, it is up to the individual sailor to decide if the conditions are safe for them to sail at times when organised safety cover is not available.
For safety reasons, access for sailing activities is closed while our associates from Swim Pennington are running organised activities. This normally runs from March until October on Tuesday evenings (15:30 to 19:30), Thursday evenings (17:30 to 19:30) and Saturday mornings (07:30 to 09:30). A limited number of activities take place during the Winter in those time slots – please see the Events Calendar for up to date details.
Open Meetings
Additionally, Open Meetings and Class/Area Championships are sometimes held at the club, details of which are shown in the Club’s Calendar. These include the popular Guy Fawkes pursuit race which is held in November & precedes the commencement of the Winter programme of Open racing, inlcuding our Tipsy Icicle Winter Series, the ever popular New Years Day pursuit which blows away the cobwebs of the festive period and the Hadyn Griffiths RNLI Trophy, which marks the end of the winter series.
The clubhouse & water are used as coaching facilities from time to time including use by a variety of RYA squads and class associations.
As mentioned above, there are very infrequent Flash Closure days. These are kept to a minimum and enable larger open events to take place safely and undisturbed. There are no organised club races on these days and Members are not allowed to sail whilst these events are taking place. Members are encouraged to take part in the event, as competitors or as volunteers, onshore or afloat, to help the events run smoothly and to safeguard the club’s reputation for well organised and friendly events. To volunteer, please contact the Sailing Manager via email.
To host your open meeting at the club contact the Sailing Manager via email.
Regatta Weekend
The summer Regatta weekend is enjoyed by all members, not just for the sailing. Lots of fun and games also take place including the standard Bottle Boat race and an evening social including late bar and music.