Whitstable Yacht Club
Welcome to WYC
Whitstable Yacht Club is one of the oldest and largest sailing clubs in England. The Club is situated on the north coast of Kent where the Thames Estuary meets the North Sea. WYC offers sailing in sheltered waters at all times of the tide for catamarans, dinghies, and windsurfers with yachts in nearby creeks which dry out.
Contact Us
Whitstable Yacht Club, 3-4 Sea Wall, Whitstable, Kent, CT5 1BX
Tel: +44 (0)1227 272942
office@wyc.org.uk
Or:
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Follow @whitstableyc on Twitter
Follow @WhitstableYachtClub on Instagram
Like our page on Facebook or join our Facebook Members Group
2024 WYC Sponsor:
Upcoming WYC Social clubs, Events and Meetings
Click here for the WYC bar opening times, and click here to book social event tickets.
WYC Working Party
Date: Sat 23/03/2024
Please come and support your club at the annual working party!
WYC Annual General Meeting 2024
Date: Sun 24/03/2024
Meeting of Sailors
Date: Sun 13/10/2024
Annual Prize Giving
Date: Sun 20/10/2024
Winter Series Prize Giving
Date: Sun 08/12/2024
Tuesday Nights - Games Evening
Every Tuesday from 7pm, Mexican train dominoes, cribbage or bring your own - come and join us! Bit of luck, bit of skill, bit of a laugh, bit of wine!! Or bring your own game.
Wednesday Nights - Pool League Games
From 8pm - Pool league games played by WYC pool teams. Feel free to come and support, or enquire at the bar to join a team!
2nd and 4th Wednesday of the month - WYC Book Club
We currently have two groups that meet on 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the month, If you’re interested in joining the WYC Book club get in touch with Kellie Gray on 079 6604 6693, it’s a lovely way meet new members whether you’re a sailor or social member.
Thursday Night - Open Pool Nights
From 7pm - open pool night. All over 16’s welcome. Free table, winner stays on unless players present want to change.
1st and 3rd Monday of the month - Art club
Starting on the 5th December - Its a fun get together and learn new skills with others, you will need to supply your own equipment. Meet in the sea room between 10:30 and 1:30pm for more details contact Tizzie on 079 2026 2673.
1st & 3rd Thursday of the month - Music Club
Meet 1st & 3rd Thursdays of the month 7:30 to 10pm. We pick some songs to rehearse beforehand and get to play together as several bands. Welcome guitarists, singers, keyboards, drums, percussion, flutes, fiddles… anything with a tune! We put on a gig at the club every quarter, aim to showcase 24 songs. Contact: Andrew Provan 07899662412
Coffee Club - Every morning
Coffee club - meet every morning from 10.30 in the sea room, this is open to all WYC members
Upcoming WYC Sailing events
Easter Regatta
Event start: 29/03/2024
1 race per day at 2pm, Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday
Topper South East Open
Event start: 28/04/2024
RNLI Pursuit Race
Event start: 06/05/2024
RNLI Pursuit Race 2023, 11am Monday 6th May. For this race, the slowest boat starts first and the fastest boat starts lasts. The race time is 90 mins from the first start at 11.00 hrs. If all boats sail to their PY handicap rating and all helms are equal, all boats should finish at the same time!
Tasar & Merlin Rocket Open Meeting
Event start: 22/05/2024
22nd and 23rd June 2024
Club Championships
Event start: 25/05/2024
2024 WYC Club Championships - 6 races starting at 2pm over the three day late May Bank Holiday weekend.
Wanderer Open
Event start: 29/06/2024
LaserFest 2024
Event start: 06/07/2024
6th & 7th July 2024
Dawes Trophy
Event start: 28/07/2024
The warm up to Whitstable Week!
Whitstable Yacht Club news
WYC Working Party 2024 - Saturday 23rd March
Please come and help your club get ready for the new season! Saturday 23rd March will see the return of our annual start of the season Working Party. We'll start from 10am (although feel free to come down earlier!) and it usually runs for 2-3 hours depending on the weather and jobs to be done. You don't need to bring any tools, but please dress for manual labor (boots and work gloves) and the weather! Tea & Coffee available to those helping.
Whilst your down at the club, preferably before the start of the session, please check that any equipment stored there is in the correct place and labelled clearly with your name (as per the storage policy). Unidentifiable equipment may be moved or disposed of as part of the tidy-up!
This year's jobs include:
GENERAL – (Mike Oliver organising)
Weeding all areas
Jet wash paving, deck area, paths, tea bar steps etc.
Painting fence around rubbish bins
Litter collecting
Clear rubbish pit into skip - leave tyres in pit
Clean all inside windows from top floor down including changing rooms.
Clean moss off tea bar flat roof.
Clean race hut in and out.
Scrub trestle table tops and wash down afterwards.
BOATS & KIT STORAGE – beach and Upper Rigden shed – Sally organising
Tidy beach.
Put covers back on boats that have blown off.
Move boats & kit as advised by Sally.
AND ANYTHING ELSE THAT OBVIOUSLY NEEDS SORTING! Share
Well done WYC Youth Sailor Ralph!
It's been a great few weeks for WYC youth sailor Ralph Hadley, who after being announced as a Barton Rising Star at the RYA Dinghy Show in February, went on to put in a great performance at the Topper NS2 - Winter Championships 23/24 at Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy last weekend, coming in 3rd overall with two 1st place finishes in the very competitive 31 boat fleet racing over 6 races, only missing out on 2nd place overall by 1 point!
Definitely an up and coming sailor to watch. Share
Bottled drinks only in the bar 7th to 20th March
Due to works in the club cellar there will be no draft beer available from 7th to 20th March. Instead there will be a new selection of canned and bottled lager and bitter to tickle your taste buds! Your patience while we carry out these essential works is appreciated. Share
WYC 2024 Handbook now available to download. 6 weeks until the start of the season!
It's 6 weeks until the start of the 2024 sailing season, with the Working Party on Saturday 23rd March and the first race on Sunday 24th March. The full sailing schedule has been on the website for a while at wyc.org.uk/on-the-water/schedule, and the paper 2024 Handbook is now at the printers, so now's a great time to start planning your 2024 sailing (and don't forget to check if you have a duty this year)!
You can also download a PDF version of the programme here: wyc.org.uk/images/uploads/2024_Club_Programme_Final.pdf. Share
Whitstable Yacht Club and HolidayCottages.co.uk partnership 2024
Whitstable Yacht Club is delighted to welcome HolidayCottages.co.uk as a major sponsor in 2024, our third year of partnership.
The sponsorship will support a range of sailing and racing activities through the 2024 season including our premier racing event Whitstable Week, community outreach events ‘Discover Sailing’ to get non sailors on the water, ‘On Board’ linking with local schools and Cadetfest a summer weeklong fun event for cadets. The sponsorship will also provide bursaries for sailing courses both for new adult members and for children to encourage more people of all ages to be drawn to the enjoyable pursuit of sailing.
Stacey Turnbull, Senior Regional Communities Manager at HolidayCottages.co.uk commented ‘we are committed to supporting local communities in which we host our holiday cottage guests - and we know Whitstable Yacht Club to be a fantastic resource for the coastal town. HolidayCottages.co.uk believe in sustainable tourism, and water sports are a huge draw for holidaymakers.
HolidayCottages.co.uk offer accommodation to suit everyone, from fisherman’s cottages to chic sea view apartments. Visit www.HolidayCottages.co.uk to browse our collection.’
Whitstable Yacht Club Commodore Andy Jackson added ‘We are delighted to be working with HolidayCottages.co.uk for a third year following a range of successful sailing events and membership growth in 2023. The 2024 partnership builds on that success with a programme designed to promote sailing and expand membership across all ages.’
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2024 Sailing Schedule now available on the website
The 2024 Sailing Schedule has now been uploaded to the website at wyc.org.uk/on-the-water/schedule, and the Google Calendar has been updated with the dates. If you've previously added the Google Calendar to your account, you shouldn't need to do anything, this year's events should now be in your calendar. Now is also a great time to check for your 2023 duty and add it to your diary!
To read an introduction this year's schedule from our Rear Commodore (Sailing) Steve Gray, download it here: wyc.org.uk/images/uploads/WYC_2024_programme_-_introduction_from_Steve_Gray.pdf Share
Epic New Year’s Celebration at the Club!
Happy New Year, Whitstable Yacht Club family!
What a start to 2024! Last night was nothing short of spectacular, with our club buzzing with the energy of 120 friends and members at a completely sold-out event.
As the music filled the air (thanks to the Dead Pelicans!) and laughter echoed around, the night culminated with all of us on the deck, marvelling at a breath-taking fireworks display.
A heartfelt thank you goes out to everyone, especially our incredible bar staff. Their hard work and dedication were the backbone of this amazing evening. Their tireless efforts in keeping the drinks flowing and the spirits high truly made this celebration possible.
This unforgettable night was made even more special by the warmth and camaraderie of each of you, truly embodying the spirit of our club.
Here's to a 2024 filled with great sailing and more memorable events at the club!
#WhitstableYachtClub #NewYearsEve2024 #CelebrationOnTheWater
Thanks to Debbie Clifford for the photos
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2023 season roundup
Go to http://wyc.org.uk/news/2023-season-roundup to read the report.
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2024 WYC CLUB PROGRAMME: ADVERTISING OPPORTUNITIES
The 2024 WYC Club Programme is currently being compiled. If you or anyone you know would like to advertise their business within the programme, please contact Sally for more details: sailing.secretary@wyc.org.uk. Share
Jon Blunt
We regret to report that Jon Blunt, father of cadets Tom and George and wife to Naomi, has passed away following a severe illness, which he bore with immense inner fortitude while continuing to take as active an interest as possible in club and cadet activity.
Jon was an ever helpful contributor to WYC cadets, supporting Tom and George in sailing their 420, at the club and away at 420 class events, volunteering to drive and crew safety boats for cadets and club races. Even when terribly ill he took pleasure supporting the Topper Nationals in May.
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