2024 Events now available for booking
Club Activities
We organise a series of club events throughout the year. These are not formal training occasions, but we try to make them as constructive as the crew wish. The skippers are all very experienced cruising skippers, with a long club history, and they enjoy sharing their enthusiasm with others.
Our yacht Eagle, a 38’ Bavaria, is ideally based for the Solent being moored on a new easy access pontoon at Universal Marina on the Hamble River. For those who want to venture further afield, the West Country, the north French Coast and Channel Islands are only a day sail away.
2024 CLUB ACTIVITIES PROGRAMME
This year, as in previous years, we have arranged a wide variety of Club Events to enable Members to improve their skills, learn new techniques of boat handling and seamanship or just go sailing.
SATURDAY 9 MARCH
Skippers Refresher Day – Berthing Safely Emphasis
SESC are holding several ‘Skipper Refresher’ sessions during March to enable skippers to come and hone their skills after the long winter nights and before going out with your crew. This is an opportunity to sail/practice with like minded skippers and learn from each other.
Whilst we all practice our MOB – crash tacking, sailing away, coming back on a close reach, stopping and picking up the fender we have thrown overboard to simulate our MOB, and we congratulate ourselves at being able to return to a point in the water, but we still have that age old question of “how do you get a MOB back onboard”. To answer this question, SESC have recently purchased a ‘MOB tackle and sling retrieval kit’. In addition, all Club life jackets have now been fitted with a MOB Lifesaver and must be worn whilst onboard Eagle. Personal life jackets may only be worn if a MOB Lifesaver is fitted.
To comply with coding requirements, as a club we need to ensure that all skippers have been trained on how to use the new MOB Recovery System and are familiar with the new procedures. For these reasons, all club skippers intending to charter this season will need to attend one of the ‘Skipper Refresher’ days/weekend before they charter the boat. These refresher days are free of charge (just contribution to victualing & fuel).
If none of the dates are suitable, please contact Richard Foulkes, Training Co-ordinator to discuss alternative dates.
SATURDAY 16 MARCH
Skippers Refresher Day
SESC are holding several ‘Skipper Refresher’ sessions during March to enable skippers to come and hone their skills after the long winter nights and before going out with your crew. This is an opportunity to sail/practice with like minded skippers and learn from each other.
Whilst we all practice our MOB – crash tacking, sailing away, coming back on a close reach, stopping and picking up the fender we have thrown overboard to simulate our MOB, and we congratulate ourselves at being able to return to a point in the water, but we still have that age old question of “how do you get a MOB back onboard”. To answer this question, SESC have recently purchased a ‘MOB tackle and sling retrieval kit’. In addition, all Club life jackets have now been fitted with a MOB Lifesaver and must be worn whilst onboard Eagle. Personal life jackets may only be worn if a MOB Lifesaver is fitted.
To comply with coding requirements, as a club we need to ensure that all skippers have been trained on how to use the new MOB Recovery System and are familiar with the new procedures. For these reasons, all club skippers intending to charter this season will need to attend one of the ‘Skipper Refresher’ days/weekend before they charter the boat. These refresher days are free of charge (just contribution to victualing & fuel).
If none of the dates are suitable, please contact Richard Foulkes, Training Co-ordinator to discuss alternative dates.
SATURDAY 20 MARCH
Skippers Refresher Day
SESC are holding several ‘Skipper Refresher’ sessions during March to enable skippers to come and hone their skills after the long winter nights and before going out with your crew. This is an opportunity to sail/practice with like minded skippers and learn from each other.
Whilst we all practice our MOB – crash tacking, sailing away, coming back on a close reach, stopping and picking up the fender we have thrown overboard to simulate our MOB, and we congratulate ourselves at being able to return to a point in the water, but we still have that age old question of “how do you get a MOB back onboard”. To answer this question, SESC have recently purchased a ‘MOB tackle and sling retrieval kit’. In addition, all Club life jackets have now been fitted with a MOB Lifesaver and must be worn whilst onboard Eagle. Personal life jackets may only be worn if a MOB Lifesaver is fitted.
To comply with coding requirements, as a club we need to ensure that all skippers have been trained on how to use the new MOB Recovery System and are familiar with the new procedures. For these reasons, all club skippers intending to charter this season will need to attend one of the ‘Skipper Refresher’ days/weekend before they charter the boat. These refresher days are free of charge (just contribution to victualing & fuel).
If none of the dates are suitable, please contact Richard Foulkes, Training Co-ordinator to discuss alternative dates.
23 – 24 MARCH
Skippers Refresher Weekend
SESC are holding several ‘Skipper Refresher’ sessions during March to enable skippers to come and hone their skills after the long winter nights and before going out with your crew. This is an opportunity to sail/practice with like minded skippers and learn from each other.
Whilst we all practice our MOB – crash tacking, sailing away, coming back on a close reach, stopping and picking up the fender we have thrown overboard to simulate our MOB, and we congratulate ourselves at being able to return to a point in the water, but we still have that age old question of “how do you get a MOB back onboard”. To answer this question, SESC have recently purchased a ‘MOB tackle and sling retrieval kit’. In addition, all Club life jackets have now been fitted with a MOB Lifesaver and must be worn whilst onboard Eagle. Personal life jackets may only be worn if a MOB Lifesaver is fitted.
To comply with coding requirements, as a club we need to ensure that all skippers have been trained on how to use the new MOB Recovery System and are familiar with the new procedures. For these reasons, all club skippers intending to charter this season will need to attend one of the ‘Skipper Refresher’ days/weekend before they charter the boat. These refresher days are free of charge (just contribution to victualing & fuel).
If none of the dates are suitable, please contact Richard Foulkes, Training Co-ordinator to discuss alternative dates.
6 – 7 APRIL
Just Go Sailing
Teach an old dog new tricks or teach a new dog old tricks. Which will it be? Maybe you are an experienced skipper and have not had much time on Eagle recently, come along on this weekend and get familiar again without having to take the responsibility.
Hosted by Matt Folkes a newer member of the club with lots of enthusiasm, this weekend can be whatever the crew collectively would like it to be.
20 – 21 APRIL
Around the Island / B-C Ticket Preparation
Following the success of this new event last year, this event is perfect for skippers who would like more experience, or novice sailors who would like to see the south side of the Island. The weekend will draw on your navigation, helm and crew skills with probable night sailing hours also.
In addition, it may be an opportunity to teach you to “Take Charge” safely and confidently and prepare for ticket advancement. A skipper does much more than navigate. They are responsible for the complete safety and wellbeing of the yacht and crew. These responsibilities include weather forecasting, victualling, engine maintenance, sail selection and handling, passage planning, watch keeping, navigation and pilotage. This is not a testing Weekend, but it will give you a good insight into what is required of a Skipper and you’ll have ample opportunities to practise all the skills required to take command.
27 – 28 APRIL
Skippers Assessment Weekend
If you have ever wanted to be your own skipper and feel up to the challenge, then this is the weekend to become a Spread Eagle Skipper. This Weekend is designed to let you demonstrate you can “Take Charge” safely and confidently and/or test your experience beyond limits that you have previously sailed on Eagle. There are various levels of skipper and details can be found on the website under Club Skipper Testing. This is a testing Weekend and is overseen by one or two of the club’s assessment team. It will give an opportunity for aspiring skippers to be tested to become a club skipper or for current ‘C’ skippers to upgrade their ticket to a B+ skipper allowing them to sail further afield and at night.
4 – 6 MAY
Just Go Sailing – 3 days
With the daylight hours increasing and the weather improving this event aims to sail morning, noon and night so may appeal to some but not others who prefer a leisurely approach.
Of course the host skipper will organise the agenda to suit all on board taking into consideration the weather forecast and the crews experience. It could be a chance to practice coming alongside pontoons, picking up a person overboard and general sail handling.
18 – 19 MAY
Ladies Weekend
Skippered by Jane Mancini, this is an opportunity for the ladies to sail together. It is a relaxed event and hopes to avoid and minimise those tensions that can present between couples sailing together.
We fill the weekend with a little bit of everything; mooring practice, chart plotting, practicing techniques whilst cruising to Chichester or Poole or just exploring the Solent – followed with a G&T in the evening of course.
4 – 6 JUNE
Just Go Sailing – 3 Day Mid Week
Subject to weather of course but the predicted tides may allow access to some of those trickier Solent harbours. Skippered by Peter Dollin who has experience with some of these places like Island Harbour, Bembridge and Beulieu, this is a midweek sail to avoid the crowds and being 3 days makes it worth the journey for those of you who live further afield.
22 – 30 JUNE
Early Summer Cruise – 9 Day
This year’s Early Summer Cruise will be skippered by Vernon Bush, the Club Commodore. The aim of this 9 day cruise is to reach foreign waters and have one day off from sailing at some point (but this is not guaranteed). It should be noted that both Summer cruises will likely begin with a long day or night passage.
17 – 18 AUGUST
Just Go Sailing
With no pre-set agenda this sail could be intensive exercises or a leisurely Solent cruise.
The host skipper will organise the agenda to suit all on board – it might just be a sail to one of the delightful destinations such as Lymington / Yarmouth or Cowes, or if everyone prefers, it could be a chance to practice coming alongside pontoons, picking up a person overboard and general sail handling.
31 AUGUST – 1 SEPTEMBER
City Sailing Regatta Incorporating Crossley Cup
This year Spread Eagle’s Crossley Cup Regatta, one of the City Sailing Series regattas, arranged by the Portcullis Sailing Club, will again be run jointly with the Finn Trophy, which is hosted by the Stock Exchange and Baltic Exchange Sailing Clubs. Boats representing banks and City Institutions sailing clubs, with other entries, will race on Saturday and Sunday. After a day’s competitive, but friendly, racing in the Solent, a formal dinner will be held at either the Royal Yacht Squadron or the Royal Ocean Racing Club [formerly Royal Corinthian YC], two of the most prestigious Cowes based sailing clubs.
10 – 11 SEPTEMBER
Just Go Sailing – Mid week
With no pre-set agenda this sail could be intensive exercises or a leisurely Solent cruise.
The host skipper will organise the agenda to suit all on board – it might just be a sail to one of the delightful destinations such as Lymington / Yarmouth or Cowes, or if everyone prefers, it could be a chance to practice coming alongside pontoons, picking up a person overboard and general sail handling.
9 – 10 NOVEMBER
Night Sailing / Masterclass
Are you ready to be challenged! This weekend is for qualified Skippers only and is for those who want to practise their skills in boat handling in confined places and other advanced sailing techniques that you wouldn’t normally do with your usual crew. It could be sail trimming, rudderless sailing, blind navigation, and anything else that you might want to try with the benefit of one of our most experienced Skippers to give you all the guidance that you might need.