Newsletter 28 01 26
Published 16:00 on 28 Jan 2026
Welcome to WKSC Newsletter
A round up of Club news this week... including sailing, training and upcoming social events. Also included are links to current boats for sale.
..
A View from the Bridge
A great speech was made last Thursday night on the Clipper Race. Absolutely thrilling descriptions of racing on the high seas. I think many people left the room wondering if they could do it....
I'm please to announce that the Sailing Programme is up on the website for you all to peruse.
Once again the AGM is upon us! This year we will have a vote to fill spaces from those departing from General Committee, so all are requested to attend to have their vote.
Chris
Sailing and Club Calendar - What's on this week
January 2026
Radio Sailing Thursday 29 January, 14:0
AGM Thursday 29 January, 19:00 - 22:00
Illusion Friday 30 January, 14:00
Training Saturday 31 January, 10:00 - 13:00
Gentlemen's Lunch Wednesday 28 January, 12:00 - 14:30
News & Notices
AGM - Thursday 29th January 20:00
All welcome.
2026 Sailing Calendar
The 2026 Sailing Calendar is now available in pdf on the website. You will need to be logged in to view it. Any problems with login contact house@wksc.org.uk or office@wksc.org.uk
The handbooks will be circulated in early March.
Thursday Talks and Tunes - Thursday 5th February 19:30 - Mysteries of the Multiverse
Steve Longmore, our very own Astrophysicist, is back by popular demand. This time he will be talking about the mysteries of the multiverse. All welcome. Please come along, grab a drink and a seat, and enjoy the evening.
Safeguarding
The Safeguarding Team will be providing regular updates over the coming weeks.
Safeguarding is everyone's responsibility ensuring we create a welcoming, safe environment for everyone in our community.
The Galley
Seafood Shack is providing a delicious menu this week - Click here for the menu
Sailing Matters
SAVE THE DATE REMINDER:
FRI 17/7/26 ROUND HILBRE RACE
SAT 18/7/26 DEE SC REGATTA
SUN 19/7/26 WEST KIRBY SC REGATTA
MON 10/8/26 - FRI 14/8/26 WKSC SAILING EXTRAVAGANZA WEEK
Please note:
The 2026 Sailing Programme is available as a PDF on the website under Sailing. You need to Login to get it.
COMING UP:
Thursday 29/1/26 AGM
Friday evening 17:30 - 19:00 Mirror Group Working
(This is not a mistake..Friday evening because the AGM is on Thursday)
Sunday 25/1/26 Arctic Series Races 9 & 10 Start 11:00 All Dinghy Classes (One Start under code flag W)
——————————————————
Planning Your Season - The Golden Series
Its that time of the year when you might be planning your seasons sailing/racing. In the following weeks there will be a description of certain popular races that are spread out through the season which comprise The Golden Series. They are the:
Presidents Race Sat 18/4/26
Jubilee Pursuit Race Sat 2/5/26
Mostyn Race Sat 16/5/26
Long Distance Race Sat 13/6/26
Round Hilbre Race Fri 17/7/26
Its quite normal for some of these races to be lost to bad weather. In 2025 the Mostyn Race happened on the third attempt. There are no discards. The races are all very different. Theres a high probability that if you race and finish in all of them you stand a good chance of winning the Golden Series ! Two lovely trophies to win: one for the tidal classes and one for the dinghies. Go on … stick these dates in your diary.
Is there a Golden Series for the Juniors I hear you ask.? No but there will be …. its not in the programme but its in development.
The Arctic Series racing last Sunday attracted 13 x boats. 20 x boats so far have competed. The winners last Sunday were Steve Shallcroft (Laser Radial and Harrison Pye (Aero7). Tony Clark (Laser radial) leads the series after grabbing the first two races all to himself in challenging conditions when he was the only finisher! Conditions last Sunday were tricky with ESE wind up and down and all over the place.
ESE wind for the Arctic Series Racing last Sunday
BBC Countryfile - The Menai Strait
BBC Countryfile featured the Menai Strait last Sunday. If you missed it, its available on iPlayer and well worth a watch. There was a section on the Menai Straits One Design Class. Some of the thinking going into this class has caught on with our WKSC Star Class. More on this in a future newsletter or on the website.
Menai Straits One Design
(From book Racing Yachts and Dinghies
by James Bartlett 1960)
Featured on BBC Countryfile Sunday 250126
The Annual General Meeting (AGM) takes place this Thursday evening. This volunteer club has a well developed organisation which has to work in order that the club keeps going and is successful. This deserves the attention of all members. Please come along if you can and show your support.
Tony Marston
Sailing Secretary.
Training
Click here to book your Training Courses
Events
Thursday Talks and Tunes - 5th February - Mysteries of the Multiverse
Everyone is welcome. Just turn up on the night, grab a drink, take a seat and enjoy the evening. The talk starts at 7.30pm.
Hilbre Annual Dinner - 28th February
Everyone welcome.
Helen's Sunday Roast
WLYC 24 Hour Race 2026
What is the 24hr race The Southport 24 Hour Race, hosted by West Lancashire Yacht Club (WLYC), is a prestigious, annual dinghy sailing endurance event on Southport's Marine Lake, combining intense team racing with a massive community festival, attracting clubs from across the UK for a non-stop test of skill, strategy, and stamina, featuring boat classes like Enterprise, GP14, and Firefly. Last won by WKSC in 1968
Race Format Duration: The race starts at 12 noon on Saturday and finishes at 12 noon on Sunday, running continuously through the night. Location: The race takes place on the enclosed waters of the Southport Marine Lake, which contains two islands. Teams: It is a team event, with most entries consisting of around 18 sailors per boat. The race is a test of teamwork and endurance. Also needed is good shore-based team to support and encourage the sailors. Crew Changes: Teams operate in shifts (typically one to two hours) and can only change crew in a specially dedicated docking area. Competitors are not permitted to sail for more than one team during the event. Scoring: The winner is the boat that covers the greatest distance (most laps) in the 24 hours. Lap times are tracked, and the relative performance of each lap is calculated based on the average duration of all laps completed within specific time intervals. Boats: The race is sailed in classic dinghies, with recent events including the Enterprise, GP14, and Firefly classes. Categories: Various categories exist, including 'Unrestricted', 'Masters', 'Ladies', and 'University' teams, which compete for special prizes. The event, hosted by West Lancashire Yacht Club (WLYC), is a major social gathering in the UK dinghy sailing calendar, with loud music and large number of spectators. The event is set up on the Friday afternoon and normally kicks off with a party in the evening.
Check out the link to last years videos of the event.
Please join the WhatsApp group to express your interest. Our ultimate goal would be to have two teams, one for taking it seriously for which helms and crews are needed, the other one would be a more relaxed team to get as many people out to experience at least one lap of the lake and to feel the buzz of the event with no pressure.
We need you
Helms
Crews
Shore Team
Help fundraising
Sponsors
No age limitations Juniors welcome (especially for light winds!!)
Snooker
Fixtures
25 Feb Wallasey YC - Away
04 Mar Dee SC - Home
18 Mar Hoylake SC - Home (Billiards)
Wednesday Winter Quiz - Every Wednesday 8pm
Absolutely everyone is welcome. Get a new team together or turn up and join one. The quiz is a great way to stay social over the winter months.
Other Information
| Boats for Sale |
Boats for sale - Click here to view all Boats for Sale on the website. |
| If you would like something added to the newsletter please contact newsletter@wksc.org.uk |
Last updated 17:29 on 28 January 2026