The Monohull Fleet at Marconi Sailing Club is made up of 150+ boats of all shapes and sizes, from Lasers to Wayfarers to your more exotic skiffs.
Sailing activities include handicap racing, with a dedicated Monohull Fleet start on Sundays, group Dinghy Cruises and Sail Training.
Sunday racing is a friendly affair with lots of support and advice on offer. The racing fleet is generally made up of Laser Radials, Solos, Larks, Laser 2000’s, Toppers and the occasional Wayfarer. However, the Portsmouth Yardstick (PY) handicap system levels the playing field meaning you can sail whatever boat suits you. There are two races each Sunday, the first normally at 11.24 and the second sometime after lunch (exact timings vary but starts are not usually before 1pm or after 2.30pm).
From May to September Wednesday night pursuit racing provides a great opportunity to build your racing confidence. Everyone starts from the slipway and follows the same course, with starts staggered based on the boat’s PY number. Essentially the slowest the boat goes first and everyone else has to play catch-up. Racing generally starts at 7.00pm and finishes at 8.10pm.
Racing is a great way to hone your sailing skills in a safe environment. The Club always has safety boats on the water to offer reassurance or direct support to those that want it.
If friendly competition is not your thing, Dinghy Cruising is an alternative option. The dinghy cruising fleet is made up mainly of Wayfarers and Wanderers. These boats provide a stable platform and offer flexible sail configurations which can be adapted to suit the weather conditions. Dinghy cruises are scheduled for the first Saturday of every month and aim to depart at 10.00am. Destination and lunch stops are influenced by wind and tide. Dinghy cruising is more suitable for the competent helm as there is no safety boat support, but being a friendly bunch anyone is welcome to come as crew or simply as ballast!
If you’re a novice, or want to build your confidence in a safe environment, or want to develop your skills, come and join our Sail Training sessions. Sail Training is free for members and all tuition is given using Monohull dinghies. Sail Training sessions are generally held once a month from April to October and cater for all age groups and abilities. Click here for more information.
We are also always looking for volunteers – for instance if you would like to help with the safety support boats, or providing training or being a race officer.
Interested in sailing a Monohull but don’t own a boat? No problem, Marconi SC has a fleet of club boats including Picos, Toppers, Lasers and Wayfarers. Members are free to use the boats whenever there is club safety support on the water.
If you would like to know more, or would like to join the Monohull Fleet WhatsApp group and/or the Dinghy Cruising email group, please email the Fleet Captain at monohull-fleet@marconi-sc.org.uk