What We Do
Founded in the 1970's, Wanlip Sailing Club is set in farmland on an 11 acre lake, a safe place for family boating and for learning how to sail, since you are never far from land.
There is a clubhouse with a large room, kitchen bar, and male and female changing rooms. Access to the water is by 3 slipways, and there are two secure compounds for boats.
The sailing season starts in March, and continues through the summer and autumn, with some hardy souls still sailing in early December.
During the summer trips are organised to other venues such as Melton Sailing Club and Ferry Meadows, and holidays are often arranged taking our boats as far afield as Caldey Island in Wales and Levington, near Ipswich.
Children are welcome to take part in all club activities, and they also have their own section - Wanlip Wet & Wild - which meets regularly through the summer.
The club is not exclusively for the sailing members of the family: non-sailors are involved in running social evenings, and help with duties on race days.
There is usually a good audience watching the racing, (especially on windy days), or enjoying a chat and cup of tea in the clubhouse.
Club fees are kept as low as possible to allow families to enjoy their membership. To this end, members undertake the maintenance of the premises themselves, chiefly during winter work-parties, and deal with running the racing, and manning the rescue boat and tea bar on a rota basis which the committee organise and support.
Members are able to sail at any time, but social sailing and informal training usually takes place on Saturdays. Sunday afternoons are usually devoted to organised racing, including some Novice races for newcomers to the sport.
Social events start with a Commodore's evening to launch the season, and this is followed by quizzes, games evenings, treasure hunts, and various bike rides, walks, and barbeques. Christmas and New Year festivities include a cakes and carols evening, punch and pies on the last sailing day, and a multi-course New Year's Eve dinner.