Racing
Pottering
Cruising
Junior Sailing
HCSC Annual Regatta
HCSC Annual Regatta
Club Racing Calendar
These are used for the Racing series and the Annual Regatta
Racing
When
Racing takes place on selected Saturdays and Wednesdays, and occasionally other days of the week, from May until the end of October. All races are run by volunteer members. If you become a regular racer, you will be expected to volunteer for a duty under the guidance of an experienced Race Officer. The race start time and format for the day will be shown in the club calendar and also by the Sailing & Social Events Programme. There is always a briefing before the race approximately one hour, or less, before the start.
Open to All
Our racing events are open to all dinghies from Hurst Castle Sailing Club and Keyhaven Yacht Club. Junior Sailors & beginners welcome. The Portsmouth Yardstick system, refined by the Sailing Committee, is used to ensure fair and competitive racing between different types of sailing boats. Races will be held in the Keyhaven creeks or just outside the river entrance. We usually run two handicap races of 30 mins each, or a pursuit race of about an hour. Safety boat cover is always provided.
After Racing
Bring some food, make a drink and stop for a chat - usually about what went well, or not so well.
WhatsApp Groups
To join the HCSC Racing WhatsApp group for up-to-date information or racing, contact sailing@hcsc.org.uk
Racing Rules
As a beginner, your not expected to know every racing rule. The most important are:
- Boats on a Port tack give way to boats on a Starboard tack – if you’re on the right, you’re in the right;
- Windward boats give way to Leeward boats – ie windward boat keep clear;
If you’re not sure who has right of way when rounding a mark, it may be better at first to give other boats plenty of room to allow them to go round the marks more closely,
Why Race
Next Steps?
If you want to know more about racing at HCSC, or you are looking for a boat, helm or crew, please contact Rear Commodore Sailing or come along to the club. At HCSC we enjoy our racing and we do boast some very talented racers, some even at National championships level. Although the racing is competitive, our sailors are really keen to share knowledge and experience and are a friendly bunch, so you will be made to feel welcome.
For more information about the individual races, please click the buttons below.
Pursuit Trophy Races
Saturday Racing Series
Special Race Events
Racing Results Archive
Race Results Buttons:
Wednesday Racing Series
Race Details Buttons:
Other Races
Once you’ve learnt the basics of sailing, racing is a great way to improve your skills. Sailing round a course that someone has laid out makes you practice your skills on all points of sailing, rather than just settling for an easy option. Seeing what the more experienced helms are doing while sailing the same course gives you a great opportunity to learn from them. You may also receive helpful tips on the water from other sailors during the race, such as: “Pull in the mainsail”
The Pottering Calendar
APPLICABILITY
1.1 These instructions apply to Club organised on-the-water events for small craft including sailing dinghies, rowing or paddling craft.
1.2 These instructions do not apply to HCSC events organised by the Cruising Section, or to racing or training events.
1.3 For some events additional instructions may be issued.
2. SAFETY
2.1 The craft user is entirely responsible for their own safety, whether afloat or ashore, and nothing the organisers do can reduce this responsibility. By launching and taking part, the craft user confirms that the craft and crew are adequate for the event.
2.2 HCSC organised events are led by an appointed officer of the day (OOD) who may be assisted by support boats and crew.
3. EXPECTATIONS
3.1 Of the OOD:
3.1.1 to research the destination or sailing area.
3.1.2 to obtain the latest weather forecast and tidal flow information.
3.1.3 to prepare a passage plan, including escape routes, and event details.
3.1.4 to brief the event group of the plan and make available a sign-on sheet.
3.1.5 to cancel or amend the event if any risk is deemed unacceptable prior to the start.
3.2 Of members taking part:
3.2.1 to attend the event briefing.
3.2.2 to carry out an assessment of risk for themselves and any crew, to ensure as far as reasonably possible, they are able to undertake the event without requiring assistance.
3.2.3 to complete the sign on sheet to state that they accept the risks.
3.2.4 to ensure that their craft is seaworthy; and sufficiently equipped for the event .
3.2.5 to wear personal buoyancy of at least 50N or a life jacket.
3.2.6 to heed warnings and reasonable instructions of the OOD or Support crew.
3.3 Of Junior members
3.3.1 It is a pre-requisite for Junior members who take charge of a craft that a Parental Consent Form is completed by a responsible adult. Such forms are valid only for the year in which they are completed.
4. INSURANCE
4.1 Members should maintain adequate insurance for their craft including third party cover of at least £2 million per incident. * Members are encouraged to talk to the OOD, prior to setting out, if they are concerned about any aspect of the event.
Equipment advice and guidance can be found on the HCSC website.
On The Water Instructions
Pottering is a dinghy sailing programme that runs from April to October. The pottering activities aim to enable members to enjoy sailing in company especially those not confident to venture alone around the Solent. The programme is organised jointly with Keyhaven Yacht Club. The activities range from creek crawling in the Keyhaven River to sailing further afield to Newtown, Yarmouth and Alum Bay on the Isle of Wight and Lymington and Milford on the mainland. A “Leader of the Day” is appointed for each of the events and a Support Boat is always in attendance.
Pottering is open to all dinghies with the emphasis on sailing dinghies of 12ft length or under.
The Pottering Programme
Pottering
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The Cruising Calendar 2025
Cruises are organised throughout the sailing season with destinations ranging from Newtown Harbour, Beaulieu, Portsmouth and the River Hamble in the East, to Poole Harbour in the West. The Cruising Group organise social get togethers at the various destinations and where possible non-cruising members are invited to join these events by road or ferry.
Cruising Instructions
Cruising
Tuesday 5th May – Wednesday 6th May
Cruise to Yarmouth.
Organisers – Mark and Amanda Ford
HW Portsmouth. Tuesday 5th May – 14:21
Wednesday 27th May – Friday 29th May
Cruise to Ocean Village, Southampton.
Organisers – Jim and Sue Page
HW Portsmouth. Wednesday 27th May – 22:06
HW Portsmouth. Friday 29th May – 11:08
Tuesday 14th July – Thursday 16th July
Cruise to Bembridge.
Organisers – TBA
HW Portsmouth. Tuesday 14th July – 12:07
HW Portsmouth. Thursday 16th July – 13:38
Wednesday 19th August – Thursday 20th August
Cruise to Bucklers Hard Marina.
Organisers – Robin and Roxanna Ford
HW Portsmouth. Wednesday 19th August – 17:03
Saturday 26th September – Sunday 27th September
Cruise to River Medina.
Organisers – TBA
HW Portsmouth. Saturday 26th September – 11:54
Saturday 10th October – Sunday 11th October
Cruise to River Hamble
Organisers – TBA
HW Portsmouth. Saturday 10th October 11:49
Cruising Co-ordinator - Paul Jepson. Email via – sailing@hcsc.org.uk
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Club Support Boats will be in attendance at all on-the- water Junior Sailing activities.
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The Support Boats will be operated by a skipper who is on the ‘Approved Skipper’ list maintained and managed by the Club Sailing Committee.
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Parents of children taking part in Junior Sailing sessions are strongly encouraged to take part in Support Boat Training which is run by the Club in April each year. The training course is practically based. It is supported by a comprehensive ‘Support Boat Manual’ which provides guidance on how to handle most of the situations which are likely to arise when out on the water.
Support Boats for Junior Sailing
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The Club fleet of boats which will be used for Junior Sailing is as follows:
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One Optimist dinghy.
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Children taking part in Junior Sailing with suitable dinghies of their own can bring them along to use alongside the Club boats.
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Junior Sailing sessions and Junior Sailing Week are normally run in the Pool, just inside Keyhaven River entrance. If the wind is favourable on the day, children who are able will be encouraged to sail down the river to the Pool and to land on Hurst Beach nearby. Any remaining boats and crew will be towed to the area by the Club Support Boats. At the end of the day, participating children will be encouraged to sail back to the Keyhaven slipway.
Club Boats and Training Area
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Hurst Castle Sailing Club and the team of volunteers that support the Junior Sailing Sessions and Junior Sailing Week will not be ‘in loco parentis’ for the children taking part.
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It will be a condition for each of the children taking part, that one adult family member (or a parent from another family with whom prior arrangement for taking responsibility has been made) is present and helps with the organisation and operation of the event on the day. The jobs that will need to be done include:
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Marshalling boats and trolleys on the slipway at Keyhaven.
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Launching and recovering boats from the beach at Keyhaven.
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Ensuring children are correctly dressed and wearing the correct buoyancy aid.
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Accompanying children to the sailing area. Parents will be ferried to and from the area in the Club Support Boats.
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Skippering and operating the Support Boats
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An adult family member of each child taking part in a Junior Sailing session or Junior Sailing Week, must familiarise themselves with HCSC’s Policy and Guidelines for Safeguarding Children.
Parental Involvement
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Junior Sailing Week is a 6-day event at the start of the school summer holidays.
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Hurst Castle Sailing Club will bring in a RYA qualified Training Instructor for this event.
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The Week will provide a series of activities aimed at developing the sailing skills of all participants, whatever their initial level of ability. Weather permitting, a sailing expedition to the Isle of Wight (Totland Bay or Colwell Bay) will be included.
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The Week involves daytime sailing activities only.
Junior Sailing Week
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A start time will be given for each Junior Sailing session. This is the time when on-the-water activities begin. Participants should therefore arrive at the Clubhouse 1 hour before this start time so that they can get changed, prepare boats for launching and be briefed on the day’s activities.
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To take part in a Junior Sailing session, children MUST have their own buoyancy aid capable of providing at least 50 Newtons of buoyancy. Children will not be allowed to take part if they do not have a correct buoyancy aid.
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Children taking part in a Junior Sailing session must have suitable clothing to keep them warm even when wet. A wet-suit with a wind proof layer to go over the top is ideal. The wind proof covering can be a spray-top or other light-weight waterproof. This can be complemented by polypropylene/polyamide fleeces to provide additional warmth along with leggings.
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Footwear should provide suitable all-round protection – open toed sandals are not suitable. Wet-suit boots are ideal as they provide protection and warmth.
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In the early part of the sailing season, a woolly hat is also important for keeping warm.
Session Timings, Buoyancy Aid and Clothing Requirements
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A leadership team of parents/grandparents will be selected from those individuals who join the ‘Junior Sailing’ WhatsApp Group.
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The HCSC Sailing Committee will make this selection.
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A Junior Sailing session will only go ahead if at least one member of the approved leadership team is present and involved.
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For Junior Sailing Week, the Club will engage an RYA qualified Training Instructor to lead the event.
Session Leadership
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Communication about Junior Sailing Programme events and sessions will be by WhatsApp. Parents and Grandparents who are Members and want their children/grandchildren to take part will need to join the ‘Junior Sailing’ Group Chat. If you would like more information about this WhatsApp Group and how to join, please contact sailing@hcsc.org.uk
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Activity in any particular Programme session will be organised by the parents/grandparents attending the session. Communication about a session will be done on the WhatsApp smartphone app. If there is no communication about the session, there will be no session. The WhatsApp communication information will include an indication of the sailing ability of the children taking part so that parents/grandparents can organise themselves to provide the appropriate level of help and guidance.
Organisation & Communication
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The minimum age for
participation in the HCSC
Junior Sailing Programme is 6 years. -
Children who take part must be able to sustain an activity for at least one hour and be comfortable in the water.
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Children who take part must be able to swim 25 metres unassisted. Parents will be asked to certify that this is the case.
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Children who take part must either have a parent or grandparent who is a Member of the Club or they must be a Junior Member in their own right.
Participation Criteria
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The HCSC Junior Sailing Programme is a collaborative venture organised by parents and/or grandparents who are members of the Club and who want to give their children/grandchildren the opportunity to spend time on the water and to learn to sail in the company of others of a similar age.
Description & Programme
Junior Dinghy Sailing
Using Club Boats
Jean:
Two- seater, located in
rack R4
Wendy:
Single seater located in
rack - R15B
Smalley 2:
Single seater located in
rack - R13C
Smalley 1:
Single seater located in
rack - R13B
There are 6 Club kayaks (5 single & 1 double):
4 x RS Zest dinghies:
Specifications:
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Length: 11ft. 9ins. (3.59m)
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Beam: 4ft.10ins (1.47m)
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Sail Area Main: 59sq.ft. 5.7sq.m.
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Sail Area Jib: 12.5sq.ft. 1.2sq.m.
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Weight: 161lbs. (73kg.)
5 x Optimist dinghies called: "Opposition," "Hagrid," "Pigwidgeon," "Errol" & "Hermes"
Specifications:
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Length: 7ft 9ins (2.36m)
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Beam: 3ft 8ins (1.12m)
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Sail Area, Main: 35sq. ft. (3.3sq.m)
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Weight: 77lbs. (35kg)
4 x Hartley 12.2 dinghies
Specifications:
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Length: 12ft (3.7m)
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Beam: 5ft (1.55m)
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Sail Area, Main: 76.4sq. ft. (7.1sq.m)
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Sail Area, Jib: 21.5sq. ft. (2.0sq.m)
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Weight: 136lbs. (62kg.)
"Amy" & "Lily" - Lymington River Scows
Specifications:
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Length: 11ft 4ins (3.44m)
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Beam: 4ft 9ins (1.4m)
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Sail Area, Main: 68sq ft (6.3sq.m)
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Sail Area, Jib: 12sq. ft. (1.12sq.m)
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Weight: 220lbs (100kg.)
"Puffin" & "Curlew" - Keyhaven Scows
Specifications:
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Length: 11ft 4ins (3.44m)
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Beam: 4ft 9ins (1.4m)
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Sail Area Main: 68sq ft (6.3sq.m)
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Sail Area, Jib: 12sq. ft. (1.12sq.m)
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Weight: 220lbs (100kg.)
The Club have a number of dinghies stored at the Club that are available for hire by Club Members. They are as follows:
The Dinghy Fleet
Club Boats
The Kayak Fleet
Jami 1:
Single seater located in
rack - R35A
Jami 2:
Single seater located in
rack - R24A
Registration form for online booking of Club Boats
To Register for the Booking Service, please complete the form below:
In registering to join the On-Line Booking Service, for Club boats, you acknowledge that:
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You are responsible for your own safety and that of your crew when using Club boats.
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When using Club boats, you will have assessed and planned your activity and the expected conditions (weather wind, tide) are within your sailing/kayaking capability.
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You will check the club boat and its gear to ensure it is complete and in good working order before sailing.
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You and your crew will wear personal buoyancy specified to a minimum of EN 50N at all times whilst afloat.
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You will not engage in any reckless or wilful misconduct when sailing or kayaking as this may invalidate the Club’s insurance.
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You will clean and return the boat to its proper dinghy park space and check that no equipment is lost or damaged.
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You will report any damage to the Club boat or equipment or the loss of any equipment to sailing@hcsc.org.uk within 24hrs of your return. You will not attempt any repairs or supply any replacements yourself.
Conditions of Use
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Club Boats are for use only by full Members. Temporary members may not use Club Boats.
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To use a Club Boat, other than for a Club organised and programmed training event, members under the age of 16 years, must be accompanied by an adult full Member.
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When booking a Club Boat, the Member acknowledges that:
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They are responsible for their own safety and that of their crew.
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They have assessed and planned their activity and the expected conditions (weather, wind, and tide) are within their sailing/kayaking capability.
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They will check the Club Boat and its gear to ensure that it is complete and in good working order before setting out.
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They and their crew will wear personal buoyancy specified to a minimum of EN 50N at all times whilst afloat.
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They will not engage in any reckless or wilful misconduct when sailing or kayaking as this may invalidate the Club’s insurance.
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They will clean and return the boat to its proper dinghy park space at the end of the hire day, and check that no equipment is missing or damaged.
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They will report any damage to the Club Boat or equipment or loss of any equipment to sailing@hcsc.org.uk within 24 hours of their return. They will not attempt any repairs or supply any replacements themselves.
Charges & Payments
The charges for use of Club Boats are as follows:
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Hartley, Scow and Zest Dinghies - £10 per day or part thereof.
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Optimist dinghies - £5 per day or part thereof.
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Kayaks - £5 per day or part thereof.
Payment is by BACS transfer only. Account details for payments are shown on the on-line booking form. See Booking Club Boats.
Payment must be made for each use at a time. Do not accumulate multiple bookings before paying.
Club Kayaks
Club Kayaks are all stored on the racking at the back of the Clubhouse. To help with the location, each of these spaces is marked by blue tape.
PLEASE RETURN THE KAYAK TO THE RIGHT SPACE WHEN YOU HAVE FINISHED WITH IT.
Paddles, trolleys, and seat/back rests are in the Gear Store.
Paddles are in a rack just inside the store on the left and are clearly marked
HCSC.
Seats/back rests are in two boxes at floor level half way down the store on
the left-hand side.
The seats/back rests are clearly marked with the name of the kayak they to be used with.
There are two kayak trolleys which are stored by the seats/back rests.
IF YOU USE A TROLLEY, PLEASE DO NOT LEAVE IT ON THE BEACH WHEN YOU LAUNCH.
PLEASE TAKE IT BACK TO THE CLUB GEAR STORE WHERE IT WILL BE SAFE UNTIL YOUR RETURN.
Reporting Problems with Club Boats
Please record any problems experienced and whether any part of the Club Boats equipment is missing, faulty or damaged in the Club Boat Fault Book. This is located in the Clubhouse.
Please also notify sailing@hcsc.org.uk of the problem within 24 hours of your return to shore.
When Booking Boats, Please Remember
Help look after the Club Boats. They are a Club resource maintained by Club Members.
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Take care of them and clean them after use. Leave them as you would like to find them.
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If you make a landing when using the sailing dinghies in the Club Boat fleet, please furl or lower the sails while you are on shore. If you pull the dinghies up a beach, please be aware that small stones can cause the centreboard to get stuck.
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When using the sailing dinghies in the Club Boat fleet, please make a note of how the cover is fitted so that you can replace it correctly after use.
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After using the kayaks in the Club Boat fleet, please return all paddles and seat backs to the correct location in the Club Gear Store.
Booking Club Boats On-Line
To access the Club Boat online booking facility please click on the appropriate button below:
There are a growing number of Club members with kayaks who regularly explore the sheltered waters of Keyhaven river and creeks. There are also two single and one double kayak in the Club Boat fleet. These are available for daily hire by members.
Kayaking
Support Boat Rota
Support Boat Manual
Support Boat Training
Support Boat 3: Jaffa 2
Specifications:
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Length - 3.6 metre Cathedral Hull dory
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Engine - 20hp outboar
Support Boat 2: Jaffa 1
Specifications:
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Length - 4 metre Cathedral Hull Dory
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Engine - 25hp Outboard
Support Boat 1: Saracen
Specifications:
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Length - 4.7 metre RIB
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Engine - 50hp outboard
Hurst Castle Sailing Club has three support boats:
The Support Boat Fleet
Support Boats
Racing Results Archive
2022 Results
Click on a Race or series to view the results
Pursuit Races
Series Racing
The Annual Regatta
2023 Results
Pursuit Races
Series Racing
The Annual Regatta
2024 Results
Pursuit Races
The Annual Regatta
