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ClubRiverShepperton, SurreyRiver Thames, Shepperton Reach

Desborough Sailing Club

BeginnerTrainingJuniors

Desborough Sailing Club is a family-friendly River Thames sailing club at Shepperton, with dinghy racing, cruiser/dayboat activity, open days, RYA training and social facilities.

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Start

Can a beginner start here?

Dinghy racing, Cruiser sailing, Family sailing, RYA training, Open days, Social sailing, Paddling

Beginner
The official site invites people who are not experts to try sailing with an experienced sailor, with buoyancy aids and safety boat patrol. The joining page recommends visiting before applying and says members may be willing to talk to visitors and take them out on the water if arranged in advance. The training page says 2026 courses are aimed at children from 8 and adults who would like to learn to sail or improve.
Training
Desborough says it is an official RYA training centre and that applications for Summer 2026 are open, with two-day courses between 27 and 30 July 2026. Courses listed include Dinghy Level 1, Level 2, Level 3, Start Racing, Seamanship Skills, and Youth Sailing Scheme Stages 1 to 4. The RYA listing also identifies Desborough as a training centre.
Taster
The home page has a Try Sailing for Free section. Its named Saturday 6 June open day has passed as of this check on 12 June 2026, so that date is not treated as current availability. The same section still says visitors can come along and have a go because the club is there pretty much every Sunday, and asks people to email in advance.

Activity tags

Cruiser sailing· ActivityDinghy racing· ActivityFamily sailing· AudienceOpen days· ServicePaddling· ActivityRYA training· TrainingSocial sailing· Activity

Suitability

Juniors, families, and accessibility

Juniors
The club describes itself as family-friendly and says some members bring canoes, kayaks, paddleboards, barbecues and picnics to the riverside club. The Cadets page says the club actively supports cadets with formal RYA training courses, regular sailing opportunities, and a dedicated cadet racing series. The 2026 training page says courses are aimed at children from 8 years old and adults.
Access· Unclear
No current official venue accessibility, disabled access, step-free access, accessible toilet or changing, adaptive sailing, or Sailability information was found on the checked official pages. General facility and launching information exists, but it is not specific enough to make an access-needs claim.

Costs

Costs, membership, and boats

Prices

The 2026 training page publishes course prices: members GBP 60, non-members GBP 110 including 3 months club membership, use of buoyancy aid, certificate and log book, and a special offer of four days for GBP 90 for members. It also says a hot lunch is available for adults at GBP 6 a day. The club boats page publishes club boat charges: cadets under 18 free, adults GBP 7.50 per member per session, or GBP 50 per member per year for the first year and GBP 100 per year thereafter. A 2026 membership application PDF is linked from the joining page, but membership fees were not readable from the official page text in this check.

Membership

Official site describes a family-friendly Thames dinghy sailing club with year-round racing, cruising/dayboats, leisure sailing, open days, RYA sailing courses and membership enquiries by email.

Boat hire
The joining page says members do not need their own boat because the club has boats available for members to use, with several dinghy types and 24 boats in all. The club boats page says members may hire club boats, lists RS Visions, Lasers, RS Fevas, RS Teras, a Laser Pico and Toppers, and says these are used for training and are available for cadets free of charge and adults to hire, subject to conditions.

Facilities

Facilities and equipment

Changing rooms· ChangingBar· ClubhouseClubhouse· ClubhouseLanding stages· OtherDinghy park· StorageParking· AccessShowers· ChangingSlipways· Launch

Location

Shepperton · 6 nearby clubs mapped

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Trust

Sources and data quality

Data status
Verified
Find Watersports check
12 Jun 2026
Club verification
Not listed
Sources checked (3)