Student life in Bangor

A new fleet for the Sailing club?

An image of a sailing boat at sea

The University of Wales, Bangor’s Sailing Club are in the process of improving their fleet and have applied for a £30,000 grant to fund new training boats such as Fireflies.

The University’s Sailing Club is in partnership with Port Dinorwic Sailing Club (PDSC) and has about 40 members. The club is based at the PDSC club house on the Menai Straits. The University’s Sailing club boasts its own rescue boat, 4 Laser IIs which hold 2 people, and 1 Europe, which up until recently was the women's Olympic Singlehander class.

The club’s Chair, Zac Dehaney-Steven, said,

"If the grant application for just under £30,000 is successful we'd order the boats straightaway. We'd buy Fireflies, which are good, all round training and racing boats and they'd have to be built to order, which would take a couple of months. Image of sailing boats at sea

"Training would be much easier and more effective with the new boats, as they won't need as much repairing, and are generally easier to use. It would also mean that our membership numbers would hopefully increase, and we'd be able to organize an event every year where we would invite teams from around 8 universities to Bangor for a weekend of team racing.”

Zac added,

"Team racing events are always fun, and are as much about the social side as the racing!”

The committee meetings are held every Monday, the social nights take place every Tuesday, and the club sails every Saturday and Sunday. The club is open to beginners and more experienced sailors. Zac said,

An image of a student in a sailing race

"We run race training for more experienced members every Saturday and basic training for the beginners on Sundays.”

The beginners training is for people who have never sailed but want to learn, or sail badly and want to do better. Zac said,

"We'll teach you your jib from your gybe and a cleat from a clove-hitch, and how to capsize with a difference. There's nothing quite like a short sharp dip in the Menai Straits in November to get your blood racing.

"Race training for the more experience sailor is the natural progression from beginners training. During the season we race with and against Port Dinorwic and we race amongst ourselves. We also leave the choppy Menai Straits for Student competitions, such as the Nationals held in Weymouth, and BUSA (British University Sailing Association) competitions around Britain.”

If you are considering coming to Bangor University and would like to join the Sailing club visit Serendipity at the 2 day Freshers’ Fair on Welcome week where you can sign up to join various clubs and societies.For more information on the Sailing Club visit their website at www.undeb.bangor.ac.uk/sailing or email sailing@undeb.bangor.ac.uk.