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ClubCoastalBalsall Common / Coventry, Warwickshire / West MidlandsCoastal and offshore cruising and racing venues, with Balsall Common meeting base

Heart of England Offshore Cruising Association

BeginnerTrainingJuniors

Heart of England Offshore Cruising Association is a Balsall Common-based offshore sailing club for adults, with cruising, racing, training and social activity using coastal venues.

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Start

Can a beginner start here?

Offshore cruising, Yacht cruising, Yacht racing, Cruise rallies, RYA training, Shorebased training, Speaker evenings, Social sailing

Beginner
The official site says HOEOCA welcomes new members at all levels of experience, and that beginners and anyone new to yachts are particularly welcome. The cruising page says rallies are planned to give everyone an opportunity to have a go at sailing whatever their level of experience, and social cruises provide shorter sailing opportunities for seasoned sailors and newbies alike.
Training
HOEOCA says it facilitates RYA and other training activity, including theoretical and practical programmes, links to RYA approved training centres, and tailored courses for members. Current 2026-27 event pages list RYA Coastal Skipper/Yachtmaster Theory courses starting in September 2026, including one 22-week course at GBP 375 including course pack and another at GBP 290 plus RYA documentation fee at cost.
Taster· Unclear
No current official open day, public try-sailing session, or sailing taster date was found on the checked official pages. The site invites potential new members to monthly social evenings to find out about the club, but those are information/social events rather than confirmed on-water taster sessions.

Activity tags

Cruise rallies· ActivityOffshore cruising· ActivityRYA training· TrainingShorebased training· TrainingSocial sailing· ActivitySpeaker evenings· ActivityYacht cruising· ActivityYacht racing· Activity

Suitability

Juniors, families, and accessibility

Juniors
The official home page describes HOEOCA as offshore cruising and racing for adults who live primarily in the West Midlands. The checked official membership, events, cruising, training and social pages did not show a current junior sailing programme or family membership offer.
Access· Unclear
No current official accessibility information was found on the checked official pages. The membership page describes a safe, respectful and enjoyable environment and gives the meeting venue, but it does not confirm step-free access, accessible toilets, adapted sailing support, or access-needs booking arrangements.

Costs

Costs, membership, and boats

Prices

The official membership page lists Full Membership at GBP 45.00 per year. Current 2026-27 training event pages list RYA Coastal Skipper/Yachtmaster Theory course prices of GBP 375 including course pack, and GBP 290 plus RYA documentation fee at cost. Current 2026 social cruising event pages list per-person sailing costs of GBP 225 for the 17-21 August midweek cruise and GBP 225 for the 21-23 August weekend cruise, with additional shared kitty costs for provisions, fuel, mooring fees and similar expenses.

Membership

Official site says HOEOCA promotes offshore sailing for adults living primarily in the West Midlands, welcomes beginners and offers cruising, racing, training, social evenings and speaker nights from its Balsall Common base.

Boat hire· Unclear
The official pages show that HOEOCA uses a mix of owner and chartered boats for rallies, and current member cruising events use chartered boats from Fairview Sailing with member ticket costs. They do not confirm public boat hire or standalone bareboat hire through HOEOCA, so boat hire availability for a visitor remains unknown.

Facilities

Facilities and equipment

Social events· ClubhouseBalsall Common meeting base· OtherCruise programme· OtherOffshore racing programme· OtherSpeaker evenings· OtherTraining programme· Other

Location

Balsall Common / Coventry · 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 (2)