ClubCoastalGurnard / Cowes, Isle of WightGurnard Bay and Western Solent
Gurnard Sailing Club
Beginner
Start
Can a beginner start here?
Dinghy sailing, Dinghy racing, Youth sailing, Cadet training, RYA training, Powerboat training, Family sailing, Club boats, Social sailing
Beginner
Gurnard SC says sailors of all abilities are welcome in club racing, provides training to club members from complete beginner to intermediate racing level, and runs adult beginner-to-Start/Intermediate Racing training according to demand. Youth cadet training also includes Thursday evening RYA beginner stages with no previous experience required.
Training
The club is an RYA Recognised Training Centre for dinghy sailing, powerboating and some shorebased theory courses. Adult dinghy training from beginner to RYA Start/Intermediate Racing runs on Friday evenings from early May to mid-July according to demand; cadet RYA training runs Thursday and Friday evenings from May to July. The adult and cadet course cost shown is GBP 100, and limited training-night boat hire is also listed at GBP 100.
No current official page found that clearly advertises public taster sessions, try-sailing sessions, or a current open day for non-members. The official site does mention social sailing, informal training sessions, and an upcoming Adult Open Sailing calendar item on the home page, but the accessible page text does not confirm this as a public beginner taster offer.
Youth sailing is clearly supported. The club welcomes youth sailors from Year 1 upwards, runs Sharks and Dolphins family sessions for competent sailing parents with children in Years 1-4 from mid-May to mid-July, and offers cadet RYA training from Year 4 upwards. Families must be club members for children to take part in cadets, and parents are expected to remain on site and help in volunteer roles.
Access· Unclear
No current official accessibility, disabled access, step-free access, adapted sailing, or access-needs information was found on the checked official pages. The member information document says members who feel unable to undertake a volunteer slot should contact admin@gurnardsc.org.uk to discuss other ways to support club activities, but that is not enough to confirm visitor or participant accessibility provision.
Costs
Costs, membership, and boats
Prices
Training pricing is published: adult and cadet dinghy courses are GBP 100, and limited training-night boat hire is listed at GBP 100. The boat-hire policy lists Tera/Pico hire at GBP 15 and Feva/Vision/Laser hire at GBP 20 per day or part thereof. The 2025/26 membership application lists membership subscription and joining fees including family membership GBP 157 plus GBP 30 joining, junior member age 15-18 GBP 54 plus GBP 10 joining, joint members age 18-59 at the same address GBP 124 plus GBP 30 joining, joint members age 60+ at the same address GBP 83 plus GBP 30 joining, temporary membership GBP 43, and reduced subscriptions at 70% from 1 July. Some adult single category labels were not extractable clearly from the official Word document text, so complete membership pricing should be checked on the application form or with the membership secretary.
Club boats are available for competent members to hire when safety boat cover is on the water. The hire fleet is listed as Laser Picos, RS Teras, RS Fevas, ILCA/Laser boats and an RS Vision. The boat-hire policy says under-18 sailors need RYA Stage 2 or equivalent higher standard and GSC safety boat cover, and hire costs are GBP 15 for Tera/Pico and GBP 20 for Feva/Vision/Laser per day or part thereof.
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