Adults 18 Years and Above – Wednesday and Friday evenings
Open to Members and non-members, the Discover Sailing programme provides an entry point to sail training for adults with minimal financial commitment. The programme offers practical training on the Club’s own yachts every Friday evening from May to September. Once you have gained some experience, you will have the option of taking part in Club racing on Wednesday evenings. You need to provide your own wet weather gear but automatic inflatable life jackets are available for a small fee.
Discover Sailing uses the Club’s six Piper one-design keel boats and our Etchells racer for the practical classes. You also have the opportunity to sail on larger cruising and racing yachts skippered by volunteer Members of the club.
You get your first two on-the-water sessions free of charge. If you wish to continue in the programme you can take advantage of a half-price introductory Club membership fee. By joining the Club you can enjoy the full benefits of Membership, as well as participating in Discover Sailing sessions.
Sailors can progress towards a Helm assessment which allows them to use and race the Club boats or simply enjoy the sailing and camaraderie of being on the water with like-minded people.
Enquiries to royalgourocksocialsailing@gmail.com
Cadet Programme – Children 12 to 18 years – Thursday Evenings
Our sailing program teaches more than sailing skills; it teaches teamwork, sportsmanship, self-reliance and confidence — skills and experiences that will benefit our cadets for a lifetime! The fact that many of our cadets return year after year demonstrates just how fun and rewarding the experience can be.
Royal Gourock Yacht Club’s Cadet Section provides fun and safe sailing lessons to children who are 12 -18 years old. Meeting every Thursday evening throughout the Summer months and every other Thursday evening throughout the Winter months, the goal is to teach cadets how to handle small boats safely and have fun on the water.
Many of our cadets go on to become Young Members, participating in all aspects of what Royal Gourock Yacht Club has to offer.
Enquiries to royalgourockyachtclub@hotmail.co.uk
Meet our Fleet
You don’t need to be a boat owner to sail at Royal Gourock Yacht Club. The Club owns six Piper keelboats and an Etchells 22 keelboat and these racing day-sailers are available for qualified Club Members to sail.
The Pipers are Clyde born and bred, designed by David Boyd of Robertson’s yard in Sandbank, just across the river from the Club, and fitted out there. You can spot their bright hulls on the moorings in front of the Club and under sail.
Built in 1967 Peter Piper, sail number 2, was sailed on the Clyde until 1985. A move down south and a name change to Solitaire ensued and she was sailed on the river Tamar which separates Devon and Cornwall. Laid up for three years she was revitalised and her name changed back to Peter Piper. Now on the moorings at Gourock, Peter Piper’s bright red hull is clearly visible from a distance.
Built in 1972/3 Dodo, Grace and Mona, sail numbers 38, 39 and 41 respectively were bought new for the Club’s cadets by local Jim McKelvie whose son Archie was a cadet. Another Piper, Jean, sail number 40, was purchased for the Club by Jim at the same time but later came away from her mooring in a storm. Jean was stranded on the shore at Ashton and written off. The Pipers are easily identified from a distance – Dodo is green, Grace is blue and Mona is grey. They were apparently named after the wives of Club committee members.
Rosanne was built in 1970 and purchased privately. She was sailed in the Clyde before arriving at RGYC. Rosanne has a white hull and sail number 28 and has been successfully raced locally. She recently had a major refit.
Schwarze Lena, not surprisingly, has a black hull and was previously named Kestrel. Built in 1969 Schwarze Lena, sail number 14, was gifted to the Club by John Coleman.
First designed in the mid 60s by American Skip Etchells, the Etchells 22 keelboats are light fast racers, popular at the Club. Recently Gelert was gifted to the club to encourage Members to participate in racing this class of boat. She is regularly used by Discover Sailing and the Cadets for training and by qualified Members for Club racing.
The Club boats give Members the opportunity to participate in One Design racing. An individual boat may be booked for a particular race or, at the discretion of the Committee, for all races in a series, whether organised by RGYC or by any other Clyde club.
Royal Gourock Yacht Club 