Newsletter 24 06 26

Published 17:00 on 24 Jun 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.                                                                                 

   

Sailing and Club Calendar - What's on this week

Radio Sailing Thursday 25 June, 14:00

Calday CCF 2026 Thursday 25 June, 16:00-18:00

Evening 2 St/Hi/Fa Thursday 25 June, 19:00

Y3 & Y4 GP14 Thursday 25 June, 19:00

Y3 & Y4 Lightning Thursday 25 June, 19:03

Illusion Friday 26 June, 14:00

Let's Launch 2026 Friday 26 June, 16:00-18:00

Y3 & Y4 Optimist & Junior Handicap Friday 26 June, 18:00

Y3 & Y4 Mirror Friday 26 June, 18:03

Saturday Morning Juniors (Second Course) 2026 Saturday 27 June, 09:20-12:00

Hilbre Cocktail Party Saturday 27 June, 19:00-23:00

Summer 3 St/Hi/Fa Sunday 28 June, 09:00

Summer Tide 3 Fast Handicap (T) Sunday 28 June, 09:15

Summer Tide 3 Slow Handicap (T) Sunday 28 June, 09:18

WKLB 60th Anniversary & RNLI Tug of War Sunday 28 June, 11:00-16:00

Monday Nights Adults First Course 2026 Monday 29 June, 18:30-20:30

Calday Grammar School Tuesday 30 June, 16:00-18:00

Y5 & Y6 Solo Tuesday 30 June, 19:00

Y5 & Y6 Laser Tuesday 30 June, 19:03

Y5 & Y6 Illusion Tuesday 30 June, 19:06

Gentlemen's Lunch Wednesday, 12:00 - 14:30

Y5 & Y6 Fast Handicap Wednesday 1 July, 19:00

Y5 & Y6 Novice Handicap Wednesday 1 July, 19:03

Y5 & Y6 Slow Handicap Wednesday 1 July, 19:06

News & Notices

 

WKSC 125th Anniversary Merchandise - Available Click Here. Order by 29th June.

Click here to see all WKSC Merchandise available to buy online

An order for 125th items has already been sent to our supplier, another will be done on the 29th June for anyone who has missed out.

Wristbands and key fobs - Order yours now - Click here for fobs & wristbands

Hilbre Summer Cocktail Party - 27th June - This Saturday

WKLB 60th Anniversary - This Sunday

Featuring the WKSC v WKLB Tug of War

Come down, join in, and support whichever team you want! 

BBQ will be available from 1pm, Tug of War at 2pm and our very own WKSC sailor and WKLB crew Emlyn will be playing with his band from 2- 4 pm. Everyone welcome.

The Galley

Seafood Shack is serving a delicious menu this week - Click here for the menu

Sailing Matters

Coming up (Sailing very soon):

FRI 3/7/26 Star Classic Boat Challenge 

(this was the reserve date but now the second attempt)

SUN 5/7/26 Lightning Open Event

Coming up (soon - just upwind on the next leg):

FRI 17/7/26 ROUND HILBRE RACE

SAT 18/7/26 DEE SC REGATTA

SUN 19/7/26 WEST KIRBY SC REGATTA

SAT 25/7/26 Grand Mirror Day #4

All lake races as per Sailing Programme in handbook

AWAY EVENTS:

4-5 /7/26 Lord Birkett Trophy Ullswater YC 3 x ICs from WKSC competing.

SAVE THE DATE REMINDER: 

MON 10/8/26 - FRI 14/8/26 WKSC SAILING EXTRAVAGANZA WEEK

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The weather? Not the weather again! I will resist the temptation to go on about the weather. It will be what it will be. Weve just got to get on with it BUT there are opportunities to go sailing which we can take if we choose so to do. Some of those opportunities will be significant challenges if our skill level is not there yet, for example sailing in strong winds.

It also requires a change in habit. More on that later.

One impact of the recent weather has been to put a lot of folk off sailing. Not surprising either. But when the sun comes out and the wind eases up a bit its very natural to want to get out on the water again. One such day was last Saturday for the GRAND MIRROR DAY 3. More on that later!

A beautifully renovated 1950s Finn gracing the Summer Pavilion with only the emergency exit door cleared for an escape to the water nearby.

Here goes then, for the week in review:  

Tuesday 16/6/26 SOLO, ILCA and ILLUSION

I missed this in last weeks report because of time issues and I didn't get down to watch. This was the start of the Y Series. The results show that the wind was an unstable SW 6 to 16 kts. That's wind coming straight across the lake from Wales…. in lumps !  

SOLO

Just two SOLOs ventured out (quite a few Solo sailors away that week). John Dixon had two wins and Bob Mosedale two 2nds.

ILCA (Laser)

In the ILCA7s Lee Mathews had a 2nd and a win, Simon Johnson a win and a 5th and Tom Green two 3rds. Eight boats competing. Steve Jardine had a 2nd in the second race, lying 4th overall in the series.  

With a win and a 2nd each, in the ILCA6, were Jonathan Behan and Glyn Purnell with Steve Shallcroft taking two 3rds. 10 boats competing. A total of 18 x ILCAs.

ILLUSION

Just two Illusions too!  David Taylor won both races from Peter Williams who finished both races and therefore had two 2nds!

 

Wednesday 17/6/26 HANDICAP RACING (Fast and High PY)

Fast Handicap

LIz Potter (D-Zero) won both races from Glyn Purnell (ILCA6) and Stuart Dawson (ILCA7) both who had a second and a third on corrected time. Six boats competing.

High PY Handicap

The crazy winds which had been a feature of Wednesday evenings for something like 8 weeks eventually eased right back on this evening, to a gentle breeze enabling Sheena Daviess grand children to all go sailing without risk to life and limb. Oliver (8) my crew in the Mirror counted himself lucky to race with me. I lost my balance or timing stepping into my Mirror when tied up to the jetty, fell backwards capsizing the boat and in doing so slithered out of the boat into the water! Fortunately nobody caught this on camera. Unfortunately I sprained my knee in the process and it reduced me to hopping about for a day or two. 

Back to the racing …. Oliver and I finished the first race and started the second race. Sheena and Rory (6) Olivers younger brother and maybe Eleanor (5) Olivers younger sister at least got out for a sail with Sheena in her Mirror but only after the wind eased back - they didnt get to race this week.

I havent got very far in encouraging and increasing the High PY division of the Wednesday evenings handicap racing which includes the Mirrors but God loves a trier and Im very trying. I hope for increasing numbers now that the weather is improving.

Thursday 18/6/26 GP, LIGHTNING and FIREFLY

GP

Kieron Inman and Paul Jenkins won both races in a pleasant WNW 5-7 kts. Simon Harding/Paul Daniels and John & Mollie Elliott each had a 2nd and a 3rd. Just the three boats competing.

LIGHTNING

Two lightnings racing; Judith Carter won both races from Amy Watkins.

FIREFLY

This was the second evening with Fireflies returning to lake to race. Six boats! This is early days and very encouraging. We (sailing secretariat!) are working out a scoring system that reflects sailing activity, crews as well as helms and racing results - of course. Well done for being alive to the opportunity to race Fireflies both in class racing and with a serious aim of reviving team racing at WKSC. Those sailing over the two first evenings: David Bromilow, Phoebe Gatenby, Eve Bromilow, Olly Nixon, Edie Rogers, Amber Price , Tom Underwood, Ethan Austin, Sophie Gatenby, Amara Wich, Will Lycett, Harry Shepherd.

Fireflies racing on the second race night

Friday 19/6/26 OPTIMIST, JUNIOR HANDICAP, MIRROR

OPTIMIST 

Matt Geddes away so I'm just going from the results… I see that girl power ruled in the Optimists with Mollie Elliott having two wins on a pleasingly quieter Friday evening (wind wise), compared to some of recent Fridays. Sophie Butler has two 2nds and Daisy Mullan two 3rds. 

Optimists on Friday evening.

Theo Geddes travelled to the Northern Area youth and junior championships at Derwent Reservoir Sailing Club this weekend.
He placed 2nd in the Optimist regatta fleet despite a challenging breeze on day 1.

JUNIOR HANDICAP

Phoebe Gatenby and Beatrice Pharaoh had two wins sailing a Feva. Also in a Feva, Esther Hayrynen and Freya, two seconds and Harry Shepherd in a Pico - 3rd.

MIRROR

Just Matt and Margo Melling still upholding the honour of the Mirror class.

Saturday 20/6/26 JUNIOR TRAINING

A special mention goes to all those involved with Saturday morning Junior Training. This hasn't got a mention in the newsletter by me before but it coincided with the Mirrors (see below) which gave me cause to reflect on this continuing and excellent course for junior sailors. It is of course a perfect recruiting ground for future Optimist and Mirror sailors. 

Saturday 20/6/26 GRAND MIRROR DAY3

An excellent day! Blue skies, warm and a good breeze. Oh joy - here comes summer. 

Each of the GRAND MIRROR DAYS have been different. This one had two Mirrors being sailed purely by Junior sailors. Dee SC and Hoylake SC were both represented as well as WKSC of course. And we met up with Dev and Helen Mewar who have been members for many years and have a Mirror but are new to the new active Mirror team. Sylvia Murray was also new to the Mirror team. Thanks to Derek Lyne who had Sylvia sailing with him. Sylvias son Finn sails an Optimist. These connections are very important. 

We followed the format of the previous sessions - gathering on the lake apron late morning, rigging and chatting then on the lake for a sailabout before a race. Food afterwards.

Two laps of a windward leeward 9,10 line gave Mirror sailors a brisk romp up and down the lake. Invitees Jonny Gaskin and son Harry Gaskin jnr won from Eve Bromilow and Tom Underwood 2nd with Amber Price and Evie Gaskin 3rd.

Just reading through the results I note that eight of the twenty folk sailing in Mirrors were junior sailors. Not every boat raced nor was that the main purpose of the day, merely a focus point. Thanks to Dee and Hoylake sailors for joining in with us.

Thanks go to Helen and Paul Brown for providing sausage batches and/or lamb burgers - perfect food for the hungry sailors after sailing. Thanks also go to Neil Goodliffe for helping with the organisation. Commiserations to those who had a firm intention to be there but were prevented by unscheduled events (!). 

Mirrors gathering on the lake apron for GRAND MIRROR DAY3 last Saturday

Mirrors racing last Saturday

Some of the Mirror team assemble for food after sailing last Saturday

The next scheduled GRAND MIRROR DAY (number 4) is 25/7/26.

Saturday 20/6/26 ROYAL MERSEY YC REGATTA

Pinched from the Falcon Class News written by John Burthem.

Great day out. We had a fleet of 7 falcons turned out to enjoy the perfect conditions and the difficultys that the Mersey off Rockferry can throw at you. JD in Nighthawk once again ruled the roost. He nearly threw his lead away when due to his obsession  with loosing weight he jettisoned his jib crew. However, in a rethink he retreived them from the murky depths and despite following that with some bizarre navigation errors went on to win. Ashore, we were treated to a great BBQ on the club lawn and some well earned beers. Great day out. 35. 46. 60. 34. 61. 53. 56. Finishing order. 

Royal Mersey Regatta last Saturday from the deck of a Mylne

Royal Mersey YC Regatta. The BBQ after sailing and for some after drying out.

Sunday 21/6/27 Lake Handicap Racing at 11:00 & Late afternoon Tidal Class Racing

Morning:

The Summer Lake Fast Handicap races 1&2 enjoyed a NW F2. Race 1 went to Eve Bromilow and Tom Underwood (Firefly) with Stuart Dawson 2n and Liz Potter (D-Zero) 3rd. Race 2 was won by Liz, Tony Clark (ILCA7 ) 2nd and Stuart Dawson (ILCA7) 3rd. Nine boats racing.

Once again it was Peter Davenport (Feva) who was the only competitor in the High PY division.

Afternoon:

The wind picked up to 8 kts for the first race of the evening series.

STAR

Vi & John Dowler 1st, Richard & Clare Booth 2nd Nich Ledingham 3rd 

HILBRE

Bob Jarvis/Phil Oliver 1st, Chris Booth/Ian Clarke 2nd and David Moore 3rd

FALCON

Mal Jone, Jamie Uren and David Evans won from Karen Cummins 2nd and Lee Mathews 3rd

Apologies for the inaccuracies - I have no details other than the results.

Tuesday 23/6/26 SOLO, ILCA & ILLUSION - details next week but it looked like a big turn out.

Next week: News of the DSC & WKSC Regattas, our sailor in the 2.4 Dutch Championships (I think), and our Extravaganza week in August.

Keep cool - go sailing! Falling in is good but not necessarily in the Mersey!

Until next week then.

Tony Marston 

Sailing Secretary

Training

New Activity - Let's Launch

Click here to book your Training Courses  

Events

Grand Mirror Days Out

Lightning 368 Open Championship - 5th July

Menai Strait Regattas 27th July - 8th August 2026

WKSC 125th Anniversary Away Ball - Saturday 3rd October 2026 - BOOK NOW!

To book tickets click here or go to the website Book Online

You must be logged in to purchase tickets but you are welcome to book for non-members, the more merrier! 

Menu

Starter - Pork Terrine, with Pineapple Salsa, Slaw & Pork Scratching, Cajun Style Dressing. 

Main - Slow Cooked Featherblade of Beef, Celeriac Puree, Fondant Potato, Green Beans, Red Wine Jus. 

Dessert - Sticky Toffee Pudding, Butterscotch Sauce, Clotted Cream.

Vegetarian and other dietary requirements available.

Other Information

Boats for Sale

Boats for sale - Click here to view all Boats for Sale on the website.    NEW - Kayak - Knysna Genius CLK Surfski £600 NEW - Wayfarer

If you would like something added to the newsletter please contact newsletter@wksc.org.uk

Last updated 17:08 on 24 June 2026