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The Clubhouse opens six nights each week (not Sunday nights) and at lunch time at weekends, Bank Holidays and Wednesdays. It is Club policy for a whole family to join at the same time whenever possible when children may join from age seven; otherwise they must be over ten. The application procedures are designed to ensure that prospective new members are acquainted with the Club facilities and have had the opportunity to meet members with similar interests to their own before joining. We always aim to be as welcoming and helpful as possible. Membership categories are grouped into various price bands which take account of different circumstances including age, distance living away from the Club and number of people in household. Those aged over 65 (after 3 years membership) or under 26 can enjoy subscriptions at a reduced rate. We also have an outport membership for those who live a distance away from the Club (defined by postcodes) for more than eight months of the year. Family membership means that only one subscription is payable for all the children in the household aged between 7 and 18.
There is a busy programme of events in the winter months including ShipShape on Tuesdays, a quiz on Wednesdays and Bridge is played in the Wilson Room on Thursdays throughout the year. Each Friday evening is Club night in the Main Room and the 200 Plus Club is held on the last Friday of each month in the Main Room. The various notice boards around the Club advertise sailing events, social functions and official notices. There are also notice boards in the entrance hall where members may advertise boats for sale and crewing requirements. This is the only unauthorised advertising in the Club. The website is also regularly updated with a wealth of information and photographs. The Club magazine, Seldom Seen, is published three times a year and is financed by advertising. It is named after a buoy in the Dee Estuary. RULES AND TRADITIONSThe General Rules and the Club Handbook are given out on election. Bar opening times, Club Rule 44 (Liability of Club) and the House Regulations are displayed on the Official Notices Board in the rear entrance. Children under 10 must always be under parental supervision when on Club premises and may use the Main Room at lunch times at weekends or Bank Holidays. Juniors aged 10 to 14 can also use the Main Room on Friday evenings and after bona fide sailing in the week until 9.30 pm and must leave the premises by 10.00pm. Juniors 14 to 18 may normally use the Main Room until 10.30 pm on a Friday except they must vacate by 9.45 pm on the night of the 200 Plus Club. Juniors are not permitted to use the Macdona Room or consume alcohol. Please see House Regulations for full information. Guests must be signed into the Visitors’ Book and may come to the Club a maximum of six times in any one year. Non members aged under 18 must be introduced to a Club Officer and shall be subject to the same Rules as a Junior Member of an equivalent age. The Club has several traditions. Please remove all headgear when entering the premises. The bell in the Main Room must only be rung for official announcements, when there are a prescribed number of rings for each Officer. The traditional penalty for breaking these rules is drinks all round! Gentlemen (and ladies) are requested not to be bare chested in the Cluhbouse. We ask all members and guests to respect our Rules and Traditions which make our Club special, as well as complying with the law and we hope that you will find that they enhance your regard for the Club. The members of the membership sub-committee are set out below. Should you have any queries at this stage, please feel free to contact any of these at the Club and they will try to assist you. SAILING AT WEST KIRBY SAILING CLUB
There are three tidal moored classes, Stars, Falcons and Hilbres, which have organised races, usually at weekends according to the height and time of the tides. Stars are the Club’s senior class and are clinker built (ie overlapping planks) and date back originally to 1906. Falcons are similar to a large dinghy and are now mainly of glass fibre construction, although we still have a number of wooden Falcons which remain competitive. Hilbres are heavier clinker built boats with a cuddy (cabin top). The dinghy classes use the marine lake in the evening during the week and either the tide or lake at weekends. Our dinghy classes comprise Fireflies (highly manoeuvrable, 12 foot, 2 sail boats) GP14s (14 foot, 3 sail, general purposes dinghies), Lasers (nearly 13 foot, glass fibre, single sail dinghies), Larks (14 foot, glass fibre, 3 sail dinghies) and Mirrors (small gunter rigged dinghies). Exclusively for junior members are the fleets of Cadets and Optimists. Cadets are small 3 sailboats for 2 people. Optimists are single sailed, solo crewed boats, particularly suitable for the younger helm. Our most recent addition to the dinghy classes is the Illusion, (a single handed keel boat, in miniature).
If you wish to buy a boat, you may wish to be introduced to the Class Captain(s) to discuss the different merits of various boats. Craft using the marine lake require a licence, obtainable from Wirral Borough Council. Members need a “south end licence”. All boats must be adequately insured at all times when sailed or stored on Club premises. Approved buoyancy aids must be worn when afloat. We encourage every member to mark all items of gear and clothing to that they can be easily identified. STORING YOUR BOATBoat storage is for members’ boats only, subject to availability and on a strict prepayment basis. Storage is seasonal and all dinghies must be removed when the racing season is over. Financial details are given later in this brochure. USE OF THE CLUB HOUSEThe Clubhouse is for members’ use only. In addition to the Main Room, there are a number of other rooms used for different purposes. The Macdona Room has a snooker table and is for the use of Senior members only (i.e. aged 18 and over). The Wilson Room is upstairs and is used for committee meetings and small functions. Also upstairs is the Training room.
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Sailing takes place on the marine lake on weekday evenings between April and October and at weekends from April to December. There is also tidal sailing between April and October.
A variety of social functions are arranged for members by the House Committee and details of forthcoming events are displayed on the notice board behind the bar in the Main Room and also on the website. Members may hire rooms for private functions subject to the approval of the General Committee well in advance.
The Dee Estuary is a tidal and the trot moorings flood approximately two hours forty minutes before high water. Our racing finishes about an hour and a half after high water on an average tide. The height of tide varies and the best racing occurs with a height over eight metres.
If you are new to sailing, you may be able to acquire practical sailing experience by crewing for other people during the season. You may wish to take sailing lessons, preferably at an approved Royal Yachting Association (RYA) establishment. The Club, as a recognised training establishment does run some training courses for members.
