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The Club:
Established well over 100 years ago, the Solway Yacht Club continues to go from strength to strength, achieving RYA Scotland “Club of the Year “ in 2018. The Club caters and encourages all forms of sailing and boating, from long distance ocean cruising, highly competitive dinghy, and keelboat racing, through to kayaking and paddleboarding. It also has a highly active powerboat fleet with larger offshore powerboats and RIBs. The Club enjoys the stunning surroundings of the Urr Estuary leading to the open Solway Firth, the Colvend coast, justifiably known as the “Scottish Riviera”, the Irish Sea and beyond. The Club has a spacious clubhouse with magnificent views across the boat-park, slipway and estuary with the Galloway hills beyond, There are comfortable showers and facilities, along with a fully stocked bar and galley, open during events
Training:
As a recognised RYA Training Centre, the Solway Yacht Club boasts the annual Cadet Week which is the main training event of the season. Cadets aged from 10 years are given the opportunity to work towards, dinghy courses RYA Stages 1, 2 and 3 before progressing to coaching with the aim of joining the racing fleet.
For those who prefer fuel over sail, we are able to offer RYA Powerboat Level 1, 2 and Safety Boat courses.
We are also able to bring in external instructors for courses in VHF Radio and RYA First Aid.
For more information please contact the Principal / Training Officer for more information on date and costs
The Members:
Club members, past and present, include circumnavigators as well as racing sailors who have reached international level in the British Sailing Team. Dinghy and keelboat racing takes place regularly during the season as well as “cruising in company”, enjoyed by both sailing and powerboat crews. The seasons highlights are the annual Cadet Week and Kippford Week, as well as open meetings for various racing classes. Reports of these and other SYC events are to be found on yachts and yachting.
The Cadet Fleet:
The Club has a strong cadet training section with several RYA Qualified Instructors, Senior Instructors and Coaches, including several enthusiastic young instructors, great role models for new cadets. There are also others who have many years of experience behind them, along with rather less hair than their younger peers! The Club’s Cadet Week is a tradition stretching back decades, including spirited racing, coaching for the improvers, and a full programme of RYA courses for beginners. The social scene during the week is legendary, with “Mudlarks” and the Cadet Dinner served by the Flag Officers (parents prohibited!) perhaps being the highlights. Cadet Week has produced many a fine sailor over the years including many top class national and international racers and not forgetting Jock Wishart, a previous Cadet Captain, the famous explorer and adventurer.
Kippford Week:
Kippford Week racing has become an annual pilgrimage for many families, from all parts of the UK and beyond. Six days of racing cater for dinghies, keelboats, and cruisers, including the day of the Kippford RNLI Regatta when all entry fees are donated to the local RNLI. Again, the social side is very much part of the fun, and the village is lively all week. It’s a holiday area and there are plenty of hotels, B&Bs and guest houses providing accommodation locally but booking well in advance is essential.
Visiting Yachtsmen:
The Solway Yacht Club also offers a cordial invitation to visiting sailors. However, Kippford is not really a suitable berthing area for fin keel cruisers due to drying moorings. Any boat that can take the ground will be able to moor in the Urr. There is limited space on the club’s pontoons with a very modest overnight charge, payable at the Club or at The Mariner Hotel. Both pubs in the village serve great food and drink.
The Welcome:
Most importantly, we are a friendly club. We welcome new members, visitors or just anyone who would like to pop in for a blether about boats, the Solway, or the weather but that’s always great in Kippford! Remember though that we're all glass half full folk.
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The Solway Yacht Club offers a cordial invitation to visiting sailors.
The Solway Yacht Club offers drying out pontoon berths for approximately 6 yachts at £20 per night payable at the Mariner Hotel at the head of the pier.
However, Kippford is not really a suitable berthing area for Fin Keelers as there are no deep water moorings. Additionally, the Club ask fin keelers not to 'tie up' onto the pontoons as they put too much pressure on the structure and cause damage.
Temporary Membership
Please visit our membership site at http://webcollect.org.uk/syc to apply for a temporary membership or email
Both Cruiser and Dinghy visitors can have access to the Clubhouse for showers and toilets. WiFi is available in the Clubhouse free. The WiFi is with BT so a BT Open Zone is available for BT Broadband customers. Ask the Hon Sec for the pass codes for the Clubhouse and WiFi when you book. There are water and electricity points on the pier and pontoons.
We can sail to and from the pontoons and slipway between 2.5 to 3 hours each side of high tide.
Kippford Area
A bus service calls at the village and stops at the shelter in the village.
The Kippford Caravan Park (up the hill on the way out of the village) provides a seasonal shop with a wide range of fresh foods, newspapers etc. It also has cycle hire.
Adjacent to the Caravan Park is a Golf Course which welcomes visitors.
Kippford has two hostelries, the Anchor and the Mariner both of which do bar meals. The Mariner also has rooms available.
There are some spectacular walks from the village and the Jubilee Path between Kippford to Rockcliffe is publicised as one of Scotland's best. There is the Rockcliffe Gallery in the Barons Craig Hotel and a tea shop in Rockcliffe, on the left, just where the road leaves the village.
The path along the shore from Rockcliffe to Castle Point will not disappoint.
Solway Smuggling - during the 18th century the Solway was one of the most prolific smuggling areas in the country, particularly, with the independence of the Isle of Man and the numerous creeks, coves and caves, between Southerness and Fleet. Click the link on the title to take you a summary of smugglers tales.
Items of Interest
The Solway Yacht Club in the 50's and 60's The SYC when it was based in Rock Villa - kindly donated by Guy Mathison read on...
A history of Kippford
The Kippford Association has an interesting insight into the history of Kippford click here read on...
Smuggling Tales on the Urr Estuary
Solway Smuggling - during the 18th century click to read on...
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Don't forget our Web Site
If you have any interesting photographs, news or comments I would be most grateful for them - your efforts will be acknowledged.
Just Email them to the
Free Members' WiFi at Clubhouse
The club offers free WiFi to all at the Club House.
The WiFi key required to join the network can be found on the members' area of the website or can be obtained from a committee member on request. We hope you will find the useful for checking your e-mail, news and weather forecasts whilst waiting for the tide!
Members' Only Information
By having a login to the website members' Area can access Committee Minutes, Sailing Committee minutes, the Club's Constitution and other member only information, which arises from time to time from submenus appearing in the main menu Club.
If you do not have a username and password for the website or have forgotten these please contact the member secretary.
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Tidal Predictions at Hestan for next 7 days
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