Becoming a member

The Club welcomes new members who are keen to play an active part in the Club and its activities; experience is not important. You don’t have to own a boat and we can teach you to sail, so absolute beginners are welcome. We also run intermediate training for adults and children to encourage members to get out on the water for fun social sailing as well as regular racing.

We welcome applications from prospective new members throughout the year.  Our training is done entirely by volunteers and consists of weekly sessions – Tuesday nights for Adults, starting in March, Saturday mornings starting in April for Juniors.

We participate in the RYA Push the Boat Out scheme that runs every year – in 2019 it is on 25^th May and runs from 2pm until 5pm, which offers you the chance to go out in sailing boats with experienced helms to see what sailing a dinghy is like.  This event is open to all.

Details on how to apply for membership are provided below.

If you would like to know more about the club before you apply you are invited to join us on a Sunday around 12.30pm; please ask at the bar to be introduced to a committee member.  As well as discussing our racing, cruising and social calendars, it will be an opportunity to have a look around the club house and to understand how the club functions and meet the mix of people that make up its membership.

New members must be able to help out at the club as all the activities are run on a volunteer basis.  It is also important to have empathy with the club, its principles and its objectives, namely to promote and maintain the sport of recreational and competitive sailing through participation and contribution.

Applying for membership

A form is downloadable from this website in PDF format or available on request.

• 2019 Membership Application Form - Word (106 downloads)
• 2019 Membership Application Form - PDF (97 downloads)

Temporary Membership

Temporary membership is available for visiting sailors with their own boats. However places are very limited. For more details please send the following form to the membership secretary.

Temporary Membership Form 2018 (328 downloads)

Please send your application to:

Hon Membership Secretary
Swanage Sailing Club
Buck Shore, Swanage
Dorset
BH19 2AW

Applicants will be invited to the club for an informal talk and a presentation on how the club is managed and what is expected of members.  These meetings are typically conducted on Sunday mornings and last approx. one hour.

Successful candidates will be notified in writing by the Hon Membership Secretary and Membership will commence on receipt of the Joining Fee and Annual Subscription.

2019 Subscription rates and joining fees

	Age limits	Subscription	Joining Fee
Adult	>=18	£106.00	£106.00
Adult partner	>=18	£48.00	£48.00
Youth	>=17, <=25	£48.00	£0	Educational requirement removed
Junior	>=8, <=16	£33.00	£0	Lower age limit reduced
Child (pre 2019)	<=11	£0	Not available to new members.	For existing child members only. Transition to Junior unchanged at 12
Child	<=7	£0	£0	New members

Example costs for first year
A single adult	£106 + £106 = £212
A couple	(2 x £106) + (2 x £48) = £308
A single parent with a youth	(2 x £106) + £48 = £260
A family with two children aged 10 & 13	(2 x £106) + (2 x £33) = £278

Boat hire is free for first and second year trainees on the Tuesday night training sessions. Adult lessons from April to July are free.

Children’s lessons on Saturday mornings from April to July are free.