Wallasey Yacht Club
Encyclopedia
Wallasey Yacht Club is based in Hope Street, New Brighton
, on the Wirral Peninsula
, England
, near Liverpool
. Founded in 1903, the club regularly sails on the River Mersey
and New Brighton marine lake. The club's burgee
is a red dolphin on a blue background with a white cross.
The club mainly sails the Seabird half rater
but it also has dinghy
and offshore fleets. The club hosts its annual regatta
as part of the Wirral Regattas series where local sailors come to compete on the River Mersey.
and river gigs
to take to the water.
The two clubs in the area were felt to be too exclusive, and in 1903 it was decided that a new club be formed. This was to be called the Magazines Sailing Club, after an area of New Brighton where the preliminary meetings were held.
In 1903 the club fleet consisted of 12 boats:
Comet, Constitution, Flora, Hypatia, Ivy, Markab, Mona, Naama, Rita, Dart, Cigarette and Gaunet. Over the years the club prospered, and other local clubs offered to amalgamate, but offers were refused.
By 1913, five seabird half rater
s had been acquired by club members, and class racing began. In 1925 there were 14 Half Raters, and the club was made association representative for the Mersey area.
Over these years the regattas grew in size, but the First World War brought the activity to a standstill, as 63 members joined up.
The Magazines Sailing Club changed its name to the Wallasey Yacht Club in 1921, when Wallasey
itself became a municipal borough
. The present club house in Hope Street, New Brighton, has been occupied by the club since 1910.
The current membership is very keen to see the seabird half rater
continue to flourish, and retain all the original design detail. A number of the boats have required major repair and even rebuilding, and attention to the original construction methods has been painstaking.
As a result of this enthusiasm, there are now 23 half raters in the club, most of which actively race during the April to September season.
New Brighton, Merseyside
New Brighton is a seaside resort forming part of the town of Wallasey, in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, in the metropolitan county of Merseyside, England. It is located at the northeastern tip of the Wirral Peninsula, within the historic county boundaries of Cheshire, and has sandy beaches...
, on the Wirral Peninsula
Wirral Peninsula
Wirral or the Wirral is a peninsula in North West England. It is bounded by three bodies of water: to the west by the River Dee, forming a boundary with Wales, to the east by the River Mersey and to the north by the Irish Sea. Both terms "Wirral" and "the Wirral" are used locally , although the...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, near Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
. Founded in 1903, the club regularly sails on the River Mersey
River Mersey
The River Mersey is a river in North West England. It is around long, stretching from Stockport, Greater Manchester, and ending at Liverpool Bay, Merseyside. For centuries, it formed part of the ancient county divide between Lancashire and Cheshire....
and New Brighton marine lake. The club's burgee
Burgee
A burgee is a distinguishing flag, regardless of its shape, of a recreational boating organization.-Etiquette:Yacht clubs and their members may fly their club's burgee while underway and at anchor, day or night, but not while racing. Sailing vessels may fly the burgee from the main masthead or from...
is a red dolphin on a blue background with a white cross.
The club mainly sails the Seabird half rater
Seabird Half Rater
The Seabird Half Rater is the oldest one design class still sailing in Britain. It is a 20 ft carvel planked sailing boat, with a design dating back to 1898. To date there have been 106 built...
but it also has dinghy
Dinghy
A dinghy is a type of small boat, often carried or towed for use as a ship's boat by a larger vessel. It is a loanword from either Bengali or Urdu. The term can also refer to small racing yachts or recreational open sailing boats. Utility dinghies are usually rowboats or have an outboard motor,...
and offshore fleets. The club hosts its annual regatta
Regatta
A regatta is a series of boat races. The term typically describes racing events of rowed or sailed water craft, although some powerboat race series are also called regattas...
as part of the Wirral Regattas series where local sailors come to compete on the River Mersey.
History
Around 1900, an increasing number of boats of all shapes and sizes started to make their appearance on the River Mersey, as the youths of the area adapted ships' lifeboatsLifeboat (shipboard)
A lifeboat is a small, rigid or inflatable watercraft carried for emergency evacuation in the event of a disaster aboard ship. In the military, a lifeboat may be referred to as a whaleboat, dinghy, or gig. The ship's tenders of cruise ships often double as lifeboats. Recreational sailors sometimes...
and river gigs
Captain's Gig
The captain's gig is a boat used on naval ships as the captain's private taxi. It is a catchall phrase for this type of craft and over the years it has gradually increased in size, changed with the advent of new technologies for locomotion, and been crafted from increasingly more durable...
to take to the water.
The two clubs in the area were felt to be too exclusive, and in 1903 it was decided that a new club be formed. This was to be called the Magazines Sailing Club, after an area of New Brighton where the preliminary meetings were held.
In 1903 the club fleet consisted of 12 boats:
Comet, Constitution, Flora, Hypatia, Ivy, Markab, Mona, Naama, Rita, Dart, Cigarette and Gaunet. Over the years the club prospered, and other local clubs offered to amalgamate, but offers were refused.
By 1913, five seabird half rater
Seabird Half Rater
The Seabird Half Rater is the oldest one design class still sailing in Britain. It is a 20 ft carvel planked sailing boat, with a design dating back to 1898. To date there have been 106 built...
s had been acquired by club members, and class racing began. In 1925 there were 14 Half Raters, and the club was made association representative for the Mersey area.
Over these years the regattas grew in size, but the First World War brought the activity to a standstill, as 63 members joined up.
The Magazines Sailing Club changed its name to the Wallasey Yacht Club in 1921, when Wallasey
Wallasey
Wallasey is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, in Merseyside, England, on the mouth of the River Mersey, at the northeastern corner of the Wirral Peninsula...
itself became a municipal borough
Municipal borough
Municipal boroughs were a type of local government district which existed in England and Wales between 1835 and 1974, in Northern Ireland from 1840 to 1973 and in the Republic of Ireland from 1840 to 2002...
. The present club house in Hope Street, New Brighton, has been occupied by the club since 1910.
The current membership is very keen to see the seabird half rater
Seabird Half Rater
The Seabird Half Rater is the oldest one design class still sailing in Britain. It is a 20 ft carvel planked sailing boat, with a design dating back to 1898. To date there have been 106 built...
continue to flourish, and retain all the original design detail. A number of the boats have required major repair and even rebuilding, and attention to the original construction methods has been painstaking.
As a result of this enthusiasm, there are now 23 half raters in the club, most of which actively race during the April to September season.