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  • 13/05/2021 10:35 | BSC Commodore (Administrator)

    Blackwater Sailing Club welcomed the BBC Look East team to our 7 acre sail training lake on Tuesday 11th May. We were delighted to be able to support Mental Health Awareness Week 2021 and facilitate the BBC to go sailing with Chelmsford Radio Yacht Club (CRYC) as a backdrop to talk about SAILING WELLNESS and the positive benefits of getting afloat and 'blue health'. 

    This is the first time the BBC have featured Radio Controlled Model Yacht Racing on the TV. The class CRYC race the IOM Class (International One Metre) and a number of club members are also members of the CRYC and take part in the competitive racing held at our training lake most Tuesday and Sunday mornings. 

    You can view an article about the filming here

    You can watch the action on YouTube here

    For more information about how you can take part in this exciting racing please visit the CRYC website

    Photo and film courtesy of the BBC


  • 04/05/2021 17:42 | BSC Commodore (Administrator)

    Osea Challenge Cup

    A cold, blustery NNE wind greeted the 26 boats entered for the Osea Challenge Cup on Sunday 25 April. Some decided to stay dry and warm, but the 14 who did start the main race, the long course, enjoyed a challenging and eventful race, with capsizes, breakages and a collision between a Sprite boom and the crew's head forcing half the starters to retire. Perfect conditions for the Fireballs, taking 5 of the top 6 places. Congratulations to Dave Hall and Paul Constable, worthy winners of the Osea Challenge Cup.  There were no starters for the short course, this was carried over to Race 1 of the Britannia Series.


    Britannia Series

    A fantastic weekend of racing over the early May Bank Holiday weekend, with 14 boats racing for the Long course Trophy, and a whopping 24 boats racing for the Short course. Despite the forecast for light winds, Saturday delivered a cold, gusty Northerly. The long course was set to make the most of the new race marks, with long beats, runs and reaches between West Point, Mundon, Beacons and Midway. The majority opted for the shorter course, staying in the more sheltered waters around Osea Road and Clarkes. Both fleets enjoyed close racing, with Gareth Davies (Foiling Moth) leading the long fleet overnight, and Jess Haigh / Lucy Shelter (RS Feva) leading the short fleet.

    Lighter winds for day two, with a late afternoon start both fleets opted for shorter races, with very close racing throughout the fleet. Two different race winners for the long course, Dave Hall (Fireball) and Julian Berney (N18), and in the short course Howard Knott (Mirror) taking two wins. 

    Congratulations to the overall winners, Dave Hall / Paul Constable (Fireball), Long Course, and Jess Haigh / Lucy Shelter (RS Feva XL), Short Course. Jess and Lucy also win the Short Course Osea Challenge Cup.

    Full results can be seen on the results page of our website

    Photos © Tracy Haigh and Ian Johnson



  • 05/04/2021 08:48 | BSC Commodore (Administrator)

    Following our reopening on 29 March, BSC returned to racing in style over the Easter weekend on 2-3 April. Despite the cold, grey weather, with a biting NNE wind, there were lots of keen, happy racers out. During the two days we had 11 boats in Fast Handicap, 22 in Medium Handicap, and 8 in the Short Course fleet – 41 boats for the first event of the season! To comply with our Covid-19 protocols, all participants had to register to race via the website or member App. A ramp marshal controlled access to the ramp to ensure social distancing was maintained and the spacing between starts was increased to avoid any crowding ashore. The changing rooms had to remain closed so participants were encouraged to come changed or had a chilly change in the car park. 

    All fleets were racing around the new 2021 courses, using some of the new race marks – everyone had to think hard to work out where to go, and there were a few cases of boats rounding the wrong marks, and at least one occasion of a whole fleet heading for the wrong windward mark!

    There was close racing throughout, with multiple race winners. The Fast fleet was won with a race to spare by Maria Richards and Graham Hoy in their Fireball, the Medium Fleet was won by Jess Haigh and Lucy Shelter in their RS Feva XL.

    Closest finish was in the Short Course fleet, ending with three Jessica’s on equal points, Jessica Taylor and Jessica Garlick in their Toppers, and Jessica Welch in her Optimist. Jessica Taylor was the overall winner with the best individual race score enough to split the three of them!

    The Novice Optimist Winter Cup was won by Callum Marshall, always smiling his way around the course and finding time for a friendly wave to his friends as he passed them on the river. For the full results please visit the results page

    Thanks to all the volunteers, including Race Offices Sheena Berney and Barry Foulds, and the RIB crews who endured the cold to keep everyone safe.

    Steve Perkins, Hon Sailing Secretary


    Photos © Nigel Butler and Belinda Sturge

  • 05/03/2021 08:44 | BSC Commodore (Administrator)

    As the daffodils burst into flower to announce the arrival of Spring, I am delighted to announce that we can reopen the club on Monday 29 March for general sailing, boat maintenance and cruiser launching. Now we have a roadmap out of lockdown we have a better idea of the route to normality. The Covid-19 team and the management committee will discuss our stepped plans for reopening in detail and I will send members a more detailed update before we reopen. We will continue to follow a considerate and conservative approach, but I hope that we will be able to start racing on Good Friday 02 April using the Covid-19 protocols we established in 2020.

    Flooding following record winter rainfall turned into freezing during February as the ‘beast from the east’ hit with the club blanketed in snow. The swans were seen skating on the pond and Zoe flew her drone to capture some great aerial shots of the snow. As the snow melted a rapid rise in temperature make it feel like Spring and the waterlogged grounds started drying out at last. The staff are working hard getting many jobs done and we hope everything will be looking good and ready for our reopening.

    Photos (c) Zoe and Julie Nelson


  • 23/02/2021 17:52 | BSC Commodore (Administrator)

    Many thanks to our Sailing Secretary Steve Perkins, Ewan Harris and their team from the Sailing Committee who since 2019 have been working on improving our existing courses and adding some new race marks. The new race courses have now been published and the five new marks have been purchased. The new marks are Sandy Bight, Muddy Cove, Beacons, Mundon and Kraken. We now have 96 courses with a something perfect for every wind direction and distance. You can view and download the new courses and race marks map from the Racing at BSC page. To learn more about how the new courses developed please read New Courses Development 


  • 22/02/2021 17:14 | BSC Commodore (Administrator)

    The biggest and best dinghy show in the world was due to be held at a new venue in Farnborough this year. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic the show will now be held 'virtually' on Saturday 27th and Sunday 28th February but will still have many great talks, presentations and exhibitors. 

    For more information visit the Dinghy Show Website

    Registration is free so don't forget to register and then you can join any of the many sessions and visit the virtual booths of the many exhibitors. Register for free here

    As another first for Blackwater Sailing Club we have a 'virtual booth' at the show. Please come along and visit us and have a chat. Click our link on the show exhibitors page

    We look forward to 'seeing' you at what promises to be another great show. 


  • 07/01/2021 15:20 | Hon Secretary (Administrator)

    This dinghy/tender has been found drifting in the river and is now ashore. Please contact the Honorary Secretary   if you need more photos


  • 30/11/2020 17:24 | BSC Commodore (Administrator)

    Blackwater Sailing Club is proud to announce that they have now been awarded the coveted status of RYA British Youth Sailing Recognised Club.

    Please see the announcement in Yachts and Yachting BSC RYA Award

    To see what being an RYA British Youth Recognised Club means click the following link British Youth Sailing Recognised Club


  • 22/10/2020 10:20 | Vice Commodore (Administrator)

    On 24th March, the Covid-19 lockdown meant that we had to close the Club for the first time in its 121-year history. The Flag Officers formed the Covid-19 team and met weekly during lockdown via Zoom, at all times following a considerate and conservative approach. Regular meetings were also held with the management committee who agreed phase 1 re-opening on 13th May with access to the grounds and boats moving to phase 2 on 16th May with the reintroduction of social sailing and cruiser launching. At all stages we have followed the RYA and gov.uk regulations and guidelines to keep our members safe while allowing them to do what was permitted. An enormous amount of effort has been put in by our staff and large band of volunteers to ensure that our activities and premises are Covid secure. Our sailing committee in particular worked tirelessly to enable racing to restart on 18th July with online registration and completely rewritten procedures to ensure social distancing and no groups of more than six on our launching ramp. The changing rooms have remained closed throughout and all our planned social events have been cancelled.

    It is easy in this crisis to focus on what you haven’t been able to do but here at Blackwater Sailing Club we would like to look back and celebrate a little of what we have been able to do this year:

    ·        Social sailing only restricted for 7 weeks

    ·        Virtual Spring Regatta during May

    ·        Launched over 100 cruisers

    ·        35 club meetings held via Zoom

    ·        Virtual AGM and EGM

    ·        Became skilled at changing in the car park

    ·        Virtual quizzes and social evenings via Zoom

    ·        Many members enjoyed social sailing, cruising, canoeing, rowing, kayaking, stand up paddle boarding and model yacht racing

    ·        Completed the rebuilding of the centre and southern sections of our        Clubhouse in June

    ·        Re-opened the bar in July

    ·        Members fit out of the new Clubhouse completed during July-August

    ·        Introduced online registration for racing

    ·        Club racing restarted 18 July

    ·        Cadet Reid Scott 5-day race series for 70 cadets run during August in place of cadet week

    ·        Most of our major cup races were run during August-October including the Dyer Cup, Round the Islands Races and Bart’s Bash.

    ·        6-day race series with 69 boats run during August in place of Club week

    ·        Online virtual RYA first aid training courses

    ·        Welcomed the Chelmsford Fire Service to do their Swiftwater and mud rescue training at the Club

    ·        Optimist training for beginners on our freshwater lake

    We are planning a full sailing and social programme in 2021 in the hope that the Covid-19 restrictions will be eased, but if not, we can still enjoy sailing on the beautiful Blackwater Estuary and our 7-acre training lake. We hope to be able to officially open our fantastic new Clubhouse and run an Open Day so that we can invite our friends and potential new members to come and see our great new facility.

    Photos © Ian Johnson

  • 14/07/2020 18:37 | Vice Commodore (Administrator)

    Blackwater Sailing Club is very proud to announce that the rebuild of the central and southern section of our Clubhouse  has now been completed and we are putting the finishing touches to the Club fit out. We can't wait for the Covid-19 restrictions to ease so that we can open the new building to our members and show our friends and welcome potential new members to this fantastic building that will serve current and future generations for years to come. 

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