Winter Sailing

The sailing season is over, the boats are hauled out and covered for the winter, the days are getting shorter and colder - you start to miss the sailing.

Not for these members of the Emsworth Slipper Sailing Club the clubhouse over looks the tidal mill pond, which offers ideal, sheltered sailing conditions for their fleet of radio controlled model yachts.




Slipper Radio Sailors meet to race 1 Metre class model yachts. A regular programme takes place throughout the year, but the major series is on Sunday mornings between October and Easter.

With thoughtful planning, the sessions are nicely timed to finish as the Bar opens! What better way to get some fresh air and winter sailing. Sunday's conditions were perfect, 25 knots out in the Solent, but warm sunshine and lighter winds across the sheltered mill pond making for some spirited racing.

The standard of racing is improving and some members go off to Open Meetings and Championships. The Racing Rules of Sailing are fully applied, although some members claim failing eyesight as an excuse for their infringements!

Currently around 30 members have 1 Metre yachts with numbers increasing all the time.