Upcoming & Past Events 

Summer - Thursday Evening Social Sailing

Looking for dinghy sailing in Hertfordshire, social sailing near Welwyn Garden City, or a friendly local sailing club where you can simply enjoy more time on the water?

Join us at Welwyn Garden City Sailing Club at Stanborough Lakes for our Thursday Evening Social Sailing, held on the last Thursday of every month.

These relaxed dinghy sailing evenings are about getting on the water, improving your sailing, meeting other local sailors and enjoying sailing without the pressure of racing.

You must have RYA Level 1 or Level 2 sailing experience (or equivalent) to take part. This isn't a learn-to-sail course, but it's perfect for qualified sailors looking to gain confidence and experience.

Last Thursday of every month — get off the sofa, get on the water and come sailing with us!

Punch Bowl Trophy

The Punch Bowl Trophy is one of the most famous and entertaining events in the Welwyn Garden City Sailing Club 

Held at Stanborough Lakes in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, this unique three-hour dinghy pursuit race combines competitive sailing, handicap racing, teamwork and some wonderfully chaotic crew changes!

Each boat has two crews, with sailors swapping over every one or two laps. Clever changeovers are encouraged… although spectacular disasters are often far more entertaining! There’s even a special prize for the most spectacular crew change.

Whether you're racing or watching from the shore, the Punch Bowl Trophy is sailing, teamwork and controlled chaos rolled into one brilliant day.

Come for the racing. Stay for the changeovers!

Learn About Racing - Club Night

Ever watched a dinghy sailing race and wondered what all the flags, whistles, shouting and boats apparently heading in different directions actually mean?

Our Learn About Racing evening at Welwyn Garden City Sailing Club is designed to make dinghy racing simple, friendly and fun.

Perfect for sailors who can sail but want to understand how sailing races work, we'll cover starting a sailing race, race signals and flags, starting-line bias, the first beat, sailing tactics, race preparation, finishing, basic racing rules and what happens when a race is abandoned.

Rescue Boat Refresher 

A number of Welwyn Garden City Sailing Club members recently took part in an RYA Safety Boat Refresher course delivered by the fantastic team at Better Stanborough Park Water Sports Centre.

The refresher gave our safety boat crews the opportunity to update their rescue techniques, towing skills and on-the-water procedures, ensuring they remain confident and ready to provide safe, effective support during club racing, training and social sailing sessions. The RYA Safety Boat qualification is designed for those providing safety cover for dinghies and other small craft, making it an essential skill for any active sailing club.

A huge thank you to the Better instructors for an enjoyable and professional course, and well done to all of our members who took part. Keeping our rescue crews' skills current helps ensure everyone at WGCSC can continue to enjoy safe and fun sailing throughout the season.