All About Pennine

What do we do ?

At Pennine Sailing Club, our main aim is to enjoy and promote dinghy sailing and racing. We offer a year-round programme of social events, including barbecues, bonfires, and trips to external sailing events. However, the heart of the club is sailing. We hold races on Sundays and Thursday evenings, and provide training for members on weekday evenings. We also run a fantastic Kids Club on Fridays, culminating in a week of fun activities in August.
As an RYA-approved Training Centre, we offer our members courses in sailing, racing, first aid, and powerboating. These affordable courses are certificated and recognised worldwide.
Additionally, we host both Sheffield Universities and Huddersfield Sea Cadets.

The sailing

Most of our members own their own boats, representing a wide range of classes, mostly single-handers. The dominant two-person class is the Scorpion. However, the club maintains a varied fleet of boats available for training, which members can hire for casual sailing or racing.

Our annual sailing activities include:
 Sundays (Early April until late November): Club racing and open events starting at 11.00am, with five races—three in the morning and two in the afternoon.
 Sundays (December until March): Short informal races and casual sailing, though it’s cold during this period.
 Sundays (All year round): Radio Controlled Boat Racing from 10.00am.
 Wednesdays (May until August): RYA Level 1 and Level 2 Sailing Courses.
 Thursdays (All year round): Radio Controlled Boat Racing from 12.00pm.

 Thursdays (April until early September): Club racing starting at 7.00pm, featuring
one or two races, along with RYA Level 3 training.

 Fridays (April until August): Kids Club—learn to sail and training sessions starting at 6.00pm.
 Saturdays (April until late September): Afternoon training, cruising, and free sailing.
 KidsWeek (One week in August): A full week of fun activities for Kids@Pen9.
Some of our more competitive sailors participate in National Championships and open meetings at other clubs.

Facilities

Our modern clubhouse offers changing facilities, showers, hot and cold food, and a bar. It’s
the perfect place for you and your family to spend a sunny weekend or relax after work or
school.

Getting involved

Members are encouraged to assist in the running of the club, typically by undertaking
volunteering three or four days per year. These volunteer days may include acting as a race
officer or assistant – managing race start and finish times – joining a safety boat team, or
helping out in the galley.

Training

We offer training programmes for club members, covering basic sailing skills, racing
techniques, first aid, and powerboat handling. These sessions are held on weekday evenings
or weekends.

Getting Started

We have a selection of spare sailing clothing available. However, as you progress, you’ll likely want to purchase your own buoyancy aid and wetsuit. Local shops like Boats Bits, Robin Hood, and Decathlon offer buoyancy aids priced between £15 and £35, and wetsuits ranging from £50 to £100. eBay also has a variety of sailing gear, both new and used.

Boat hire

We maintain a number of club boats suitable for all ages and abilities, available for hire by members on a daily or hourly basis. This is ideal for practising techniques or participating in club racing.
Most new members consider purchasing their own boat after a year of sailing. Prices range from about £500 to £5,000 for a good boat, but they tend to retain their value and can usually be resold or upgraded at a similar price.