MEMBERSHIP SUBSCRIPTIONS Membership subscriptions for 2024 fall due on 31st January 2024

Rates are as follows :

Single membership renewal £15

Joint membership renewal £25

New Single membership £20

New joint membership £30

Please make payment by bank transfer, referencing the payment with name of member(s) :

Whitehaven Sailing & Boating Association, Sort Code 30-96-15, Account number 22597560

Please send completed application forms to Sarah O’Reilly, email: birddyke@gmail.com

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Back in the 1960s Whitehaven Harbour was run mainly for commercial purposes, feeding the local industries with essential raw materials and exporting coal to Ireland, but sailing and pleasure vessels were always popular. Over 50 years ago the Whitehaven Sailing & Boating Association was formed and some founder members are still sailing with the association to this day.

The association does not have a clubhouse, but we have various functions at local hotels and bars and the occasional barbeque within the marina complex in the summer months.

Whitehaven Marina was created in 1998 following the installation of a sea lock system, designed to protect the town of Whitehaven from regular flooding from the Irish Sea.

With the impounding of the water within the harbour and the success of the new Marina we have seen the Association grow over the past few years to well over 100 members.

The main activity of the Whitehaven Sailing & Boating Association is highly competitive well-organised club yacht racing and all of the boats in the fleet are cruising yachts of various configurations and sizes.

The WSBA is affiliated to the Royal Yachting Association – https://www.rya.org.uk/ The club utilises a sophisticated online RYA-approved yacht racing handicap system called HalSail and the handicaps of competitors’ yachts alter from race to race, a bit like horseracing !

New members are made most welcome and it isn’t a pre-requisite to own a yacht. Inexperienced members usually start by crewing with competent skippers in the fleet.

The W.S.B.A. is run by a Committee of members, comprising :

Commodore
Vice Commodore
Hon. Secretary
Membership Secretary
Hon. Treasurer
Sailing Secretary
Social Secretary
Cruising Secretary

With the help of the working committee, yacht racing, cruising, social events, talks, regattas and competitions are held each season. It is a very friendly organisation.

Our Annual General Meeting is held in a local hotel in January of each year and a new Committee is voted in place at this event. The AGM was held for many years in the nearby Waverley Hotel, but it abruptly ceased trading as a hotel in late 2022. However, it is reported that the Waverley may possibly be reopening as a hotel in 2024.

Prospective members can download and print off a Membership Application Form in the Members subsection on this website.