Home   News   Article

Banff Sailing Club back at sea after Covid-19 and looking to attract new members


By Chris Saunderson

Easier access to your trusted, local news. Subscribe to a digital package and support local news publishing.



Click here to sign up to our free newsletters!

AN Aberdeenshire sailing club is back on the water and eager to attract new people to take to sea.

Banff Sailing Club, like other community groups, had to drop anchor on March 23 when lockdown came into effect.

It tentatively returned at the end of July and stepped up sailing activity with an event and some racing in August.

Commodore Helen Robbins said everyone is delighted to be back and, with appropriate Covid-19 safety measures in place, wants to encourage more people to take part and potentially boost club numbers.

One of the 707 class yachts owned by the sailing club.
One of the 707 class yachts owned by the sailing club.

“We obviously had to stop all sailing and we are now trying to get things going and to attract new members,” she said.

It has been fantastic to be back. Lots of people are looking for new activities at home and we thought sailing might appeal to people.

“We managed to get ten boats from Banff and Whitehills out on the water into Banff Bay recently.”

The boats are cleaned before and after each trip and people are encouraged to turn up ready to board, without the need to use the clubhouse other than the toilets.

The sailing club has implemented Covid-19 safety measures.
The sailing club has implemented Covid-19 safety measures.

“We are also looking at having people in set positions on the boat, handling certain equipment.”

The club has more than 50 members but that number has dropped in recent years, so the club is keen to recruit some fresh blood.

Anyone interested to find out more about opportunities to get sailing can contact secretary@banffsailingclub.co.uk or visit our website banffsailingclub.co.uk


Do you want to respond to this article? If so, click here to submit your thoughts and they may be published in print.



This site uses cookies. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies - Learn More