How to Join Skerries Sailing Club
To encourage new members in this, its 75th Anniversary Year, Skerries Sailing Club has decided not to charge a joining fee. In addition it is offering a reduced rate of 50% of the base subscription for newcomers. (Please note that other charges may apply).
You will need proposers and seconders but, if you are new to us and have no existing contacts, just e-mail info@skerriessailingclub.com and we will arrange for you to meet people who can sponsor your application. Or drop into the bar after sailing and ask to be introduced to a committee member who will help you. Alternatively you can print and fill in an application form (click botton on left) and mail it or drop it into the bar for the attention of the Membership Secretary who will guide you through the rest of the process.
Please note that you do not need to be an expert sailor to join. Skerries warmly welcomes newcomers to sailing and, indeed, sailing schools strongly recommend that you join a club sooner rather than later so you can put into practice what you may learn in classes. Even if you do not own a boat you can still get sailing practice. New members are given the opportunity to try different types of boat.
Skerries also owns three sailing dinghies (one is pictured at left) which are available for the use of new members to improve their sailing skills. A series of coaching days for new members is held on Saturday afternoons throughout the season (see the Calendar). Occasionally, boat owners are looking for new crew members and often find them among new members.
The club also puts like-minded sailors in touch with each other to discuss the possibility of forming a syndicate to share the costs of boat ownership. Also, should you decide to buy a boat, we strongly advise that you discuss it with members who have expertise in this area (any member of the committee will put you in touch with one of our local experts). In the past we have been able to save members money by helping to negotiate keener prices for boats and, by spotting drawbacks, to steer them away from unsuitable craft.
Of course you not need to be a boat-owner or syndicate member to enjoy sailing and many members have sailed happily for years by crewing for others.
Free Sailing Talks in the Club
A short season of talks about sailing for newcomers will take place on Thursday nights in Skerries Sailing Club from March 6 to April 17 at 8.15 pm. There will, however, be no talk on March 13 owing to the club AGM.
The talks are ideal for people who have just taken up sailing, or hope to do so. They are free and are also open to non-members. People attending the majority of the talks will be invited to go afloat in May on practical sailing demonstrations where they can see what they have learned put into practice.
The first talk on March 6 will be on The Theory of Sailing and will include a short film on learning to sail.
Talks on other Thursday nights will deal with issues such as:
- Understanding the Tides and the Weather in Skerries
- Starting to Race
- Understanding The Flags
- Understanding Racing Rules
- Sailing in Windy Weather
- Sailing in Light Winds
- Sailing with a Spinnaker
(Some talks may deal with more than one topic)
For further information contact Gerry Byrne at 01-8411190 or e-mail info@skerriessailingclub.com
A local sailing school, Skerries Sailing School, is closely associated with the club and operates from its premises. Contact the proprietor Paul Hick by phoning 01-8490363 or 086-8552641. Links to other sailing schools are contained on the Irish Sailing Association website www.sailing.ie