Social Calendar

Members join for the sailing and stay for the social scene

Club social events include quiz nights, weekday lunches, sailing suppers, summer barbecues as well as the annual dinner, Burns night and prizegiving evening.

Club night is Thursdays so, even if they are not racing, members come down to watch or have a game of snooker and enjoy a drink with fellow members at the reasonably priced bar.

The bar is also open on Saturday afternoons when toasties and excellent cakes are available from the galley.

Volunteering

You can volunteer to support the Club

Our Club is a members’ club run by its members for the members. An established volunteering ethos makes the Club work well and a fun place to be. There’s a strong sense of belonging to a friendly community. 

So why not get involved in helping to organize our sailing and social activities? Get out of the house and spend time with friends, on or off the water, helping to run the Club.

Members contribute some of their time, skills and professional experience. There’s always plenty to do, running the races, maintaining the facilities or helping out in the bar or galley. The idea is to have fun doing what we enjoy and working in a team.

Club Boats

Enjoy sailing as soon as you join by hiring the Club boats

WLYC is open to all and we want to make sailing more accessible for everyone.

Our growing fleet of Club Optimists, Toppers, Quests and Fevas is available to hire at nominal members rates for those who have completed their Level 2 training.

Fellow club members are willing to help rigging or putting the boat away so that it is ready for the next use. There is often an opportunity to crew for another member.

Radio Controlled Sailing

Experienced RC sailors are happy to show you the thrills and spills of RC racing

There’s a section of the Club dedicated to sailing Radio-Controlled (RC) boats on Tuesdays and Sundays.

No previous experience is necessary, although many former dinghy sailors enjoy practising their race tactics and skills through the radio controlled medium.

The Marine Lake is an ideal venue for radio controlled sailing and attracts visiting enthusiasts for national events.

Junior Training

Junior training is held on Saturday afternoons from April to October and is open to young members aged 8 and over

We have ample fleets of Club Optimists and Toppers; these are available during the classes and subsequently to hire at members’ rates. 

RYA instructors deliver training in a fun way. The children work through the RYA basic courses at their own pace and move on into competitive racing on Saturday afternoons and Thursday evenings when they are ready.

Free sessions are also offered to non-members who want to try sailing. We’re planning to run junior sailing on some Saturdays through the winter months.

Club Racing

Racing and race training for juniors and adults, novices, veterans and champions

WLYC has long been a nursery for talented sailors, many of whom have gone on to compete nationally and internationally. 

Club racing is every Thursday evening and Saturday afternoon from the end of March to the end of October. We have fleets of Enterprises, GP 14s and Streakers as well as the Handicap fleet for other dinghy classes. New members can hire a Club boat to race and novice racers are welcome. 

You don’t have to be a medal winner to take part, but you should not be surprised to find one next to you at the start.

Offshore Sailing

WLYC encourages club members who want to sail offshore, keeping the ‘Yacht’ in West Lancashire Yacht Club

We’ve organised offshore cruises in the UK, cross Channel as well as in the Mediterranean or even further afield such as the Caribbean or the Far East.

Experienced offshore skippers and crews pass on their skills to the less experienced people onboard. We can also put together shore based theory courses and advise where to consider for practical courses. 

Club members sailed together in the Solent, off the west coast of Scotland and in the Med last year.

Adult Training

There are experienced members to help you and Club boats to hire for a nominal charge

WLYC is an RYA Training Centre and adults learn to sail through the courses designed by the Royal Yachting Association (RYA).

Start Sailing and Basic Skills (RYA Levels 1 & 2) are designed to provide a basic understanding of how to rig a dinghy, launch, and use the wind to sail a triangle. Better Sailing (Level 3) will improve your skills and Seamanship Skills and Start Racing are also available as well as Powerboat and First Aid courses.

Once you have the basic skills, you can consolidate the learning by practising regularly, spending time on the water, sailing socially or racing.

Social Sailing

The Club is open to members 7 days a week

The Club supports social sailing and collaboration to develop sailing skills and knowledge. It is always safer to sail when there are other people around. 

New members without a boat will find someone happy to take them out for a recreational sail and those with an RYA Level 2 qualification can hire a Club boat. Its a chance to gain time on the water and practise skills, and there’s help with rigging and returning safely to shore.

On Wednesdays throughout the year we’ll make a day of it with picnic lunches and Saturday is family day.