We're looking to purchase a set of training dinghies that allow us to comply with social distancing, and start teaching sailing again
Our next Goal - Now that we have the essential finances to purchase the basic boats, we would like to purchase spinnaker kits for each of the boats, so we can enable spinnaker training. We also need to overhaul the storage area for our dinghies, and purchase lifting equipment to allow us to move boats safely in the racking.
Covid-19 has completely stopped us from teaching sailing and introducing new people to the sport. This is because our training dinghies are meant to have the instructor and students in the same boat, where social distancing can’t be maintained. We have a large backlog of local people looking to learn to sail, and get out on the water, who we can’t currently help.
To solve this, we are looking to purchase a set of single person training dinghies, which would allow us to start teaching people how to sail again, and get them active and on the water. These boats allow us to comply with all government social distancing guidance, and are the future of sailing instruction. They increase the student to instructor ratio, getting more people through training, and speed up their learning process. We can teach young and old alike, whether solo, or in pairs, and they will give us the ability to teach advanced spinnaker skills. Their material moulding construction, makes them indestructible, so they will be of great use long after social distancing has been forgotten.
The boats will be an invaluable resource to the club, not just for our training and youth work, but to support our existing members in building their confidence and developing their sailing ability. The boats provide a perfect stepping stone for those used to training in pairs, and crewing to move up to racing our high performance, one-person Lasers. They're also the ideal boat for members who would prefer more gentle sailing
In normal times we have a program of putting on, and financing, sailing days for school children whose background or economic situation would hamper or preclude them trying sailing to see what the sport is about. This is one of the key goals of our charity. Covid has also put this on hold, but with these boats we would be able to get it going again.
In these difficult times, the opportunity to get out on the water has been a huge boost to our members’ wellbeing, helping them regain a sense of normality. With many of our members currently unemployed or furloughed, our mid-week sailing sessions have provided them with the escape they need. Unfortunately, at the moment only those lucky enough to share a household with another sailor, or experienced enough to sail a high performance Laser have been able to take part in our sailing sessions. This new fleet of single-handed training boats will enable us to expand this benefit to all club sailors.
We are looking to purchase six boats, at a cost of £3085 each. This enables the optimum instructor to student ratio, and gives us an effective ability to start to teach again.
Compared to almost all clubs, our dinghy sailing is very unique, in that our boats are mostly very close to the banks of the Thames, often drawing a crowd of hundreds along the walkway, who watch as we race and train. Sailing is not normally a spectator sport, and few outside of the sport have any insight into what it’s like to take part. The busy walkways of our section of the Thames enables large numbers to really see what sailing is like. Every year many people as diverse as London itself, walk into our club looking to try sailing after watching us on the river. Of these about 100 go on to get fully trained up with us. Currently we have no choice but to turn these people away, but we could help them if we had these new boats.
London Corinthian Sailing Club is now over 125 years old, having been established in 1894. We have had long associations with some of the designers and builders of a number of the most famous dinghy classes. As a club, we are unique in London, being able to train sailors from the very basics on the Thames, all the way up to ocean race sailing, and the highest levels of cruising skippering. We are normally very active, and have an open door policy to any new member looking to sail.
We have been hit very hard financially by the lockdown, with the high continued expense of maintaining a base in the heart of London, and no activity to help offset these costs.
We need external funding to afford the purchase of these training boats. We still have time this year to take delivery of these boats and train the people who have been looking to learn, and get them active on the water.
We would greatly appreciate if you could give generously to help us to get London sailing again. We have a wide selection of offerings for you to choose from, or you can simply make a donation. Any help will go a long way, and would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you for your time, and interest in our appeal.
Community involvement is a very important aspect of who we are, and not all have an interest in sailing. At our club house we support many other organisations, businesses, and events where we can, some of whom are listed here
Some of the above we give for free, some we charge for, which help us fund our activities.
London Corinthian would like to thank the following businesses for their support, and helping us in our campaign
This project offers rewards in return for your donation