home | forum | events | gallery | weather | locations
 

Club History
What is our history?
Northumbrian Windsurfing Club has a history spanning four decades and has seen many changes in that time. Our roots took hold at "QEII" Lake at Ashington, Northumberland, in the late 1970's when the club was formed as "Wansbeck Free Sailing Club". Thankfully this was changed to "Wansbeck Boardsailing Club" and the club went from strength to strength with club racing and various other activities taking place right throughout the year. These were the days of 6.5m "Regatta" sails with their tiny windows, wooden dagger-boards and the like.
oldmontage.gif

In 1983 the regional windsurfing association "North East Wind Surfers" was actually born out of the club. NEWS, a purely racing organisation, has become a breeding ground for success with several of its younger (and not so young) members competing and doing well at national and international competitions.

By the 1990's the club had moved to a new venue, Druridge Bay Country Park, and become "Druridge Bay Windsurfers". Our base was there until 7 years ago when we decided to abandon the home water in favour of the variety, cleaner winds and challenge of sailing at coastal locations. The club name then changed, yet again, to it's present form! Many changes there have been, but one common factor remains - we are, and always have been, purely a windsurfing club, run by windsurfers for windsurfers!

What's our current philosophy?
In modern terminology, we are essentially a club now dedicated to freeride windsurfing. In other words, we are all in it for the fun of it, not for competitive racing, although there is a healthy amount of personal competitiveness between friends on a windy weekend! We are also very much an inclusive and friendly club, not dedicated to just a certain level of windsurfer. We encourage not only beginners and experts alike, but also non-sailing members who are well catered for with an active social calendar.

We do recognise that the sailing ability of members is split approximately into two groups, one, the more experienced, that wants to sail on the sea as much as possible and the other that prefers the safety of inland waters. The sailing calendar is designed around this, providing maximum opportunity for the type of sailing you prefer, whether it's sea or lake based.

Although we are what you might call a roaming club, there are two locations at which we sail very regularly, that are as close as we have to home bases - the north end of Druridge Bay beach, and, just around the corner, Ladyburn Lake in Druridge Bay Country Park.

What are the benefits of being a member of Northumbrian Windsurfing Club?
  • Safety
    Being affiliated to the RYA (Royal Yachting Association) means, amongst other things, that we operate in a responsible and safe manner.
    The club safety policy is nothing more than common sense that basically translates into a "buddy" approach when sailing, where everybody looks after each other. This is particularly important, and comforting, when sea sailing - our number one priority is to have fun, but we like to do it safely.

  • Free coaching
    There is no better way to improve your windsurfing skills than by sailing with people who are more experienced than yourself. Some club members have been sailing (and racing) since the "early days" and are more than willing to help fellow sailors of all abilities with the tuning requirements of either equipment or technique.

  • More fun
    It is simply much more fun to sail with friends, especially when they are as passionate as you about the sport. It's always good to have witnesses (and encouragement!) when you crack that move you've been persevering with for ages, or alternatively, when do your most spectacular crashes!

  • More sailing
    You will see that the official club sailing calendar covers mainly Sundays, but the level of enthusiasm in the club is usually such that off-calendar sailing is done on most weekends, as a general rule, so you're rarely stuck for sailing company if the wind is blowing. If your hands can stand the cold, there are club members that sail 12 months of the year.

  • Natural Beauty
    Northumberland has clean water, miles of clean, sandy, often deserted beaches, an almost total lack of other water-users and, quite simply, beautiful surroundings. The whole seventy-mile stretch between the Tyne and Berwick on the Scottish border enjoys the status of "outstanding area of natural beauty".

  • Good company
    The club is growing, and the social side of the club is growing with it. Monthly meetings at the Tap and Spile, in Morpeth (on the first Wednesday of each month), are well attended, and the regular "club special" days, and weekends, are always great social events, where families are not only welcome, but necessary, to help to consume all the barbeque food!

  • Economy
    Our current annual membership fee is just £15. Because the club has negotiated regular group sailing arrangements at some locations, sailing is free of normal charges on such days. We have also negotiated special member discounts at some UK windsurfing equipment retailers.