Discover Sailing Open Day with Guernsey Yacht Club was a resounding Success🌊⛵
We couldn’t have asked for a better day to welcome the community onto the water for our joint Open Day with the Guernsey Yacht Club. With sunshine overhead, light winds, and smiles all round, it was a true celebration of sailing, powerboating, and getting people afloat.
With 244 people getting out on the water, and well over 300 people (and a dog) down watching, this was one of our busiest and most vibrant open days to date. From complete beginners to confident water lovers, families and individuals had the chance to experience a variety of on-the-water activities in a relaxed, friendly environment.
Registration on the balcony of the Guernsey Yacht Club provided a great view across to the sailors on the pond. Made all the better for the wonderful BBQ provide by the Yacht Club’s chefs. Fresh fruit was also provided as snacks for the sailors; huge thanks to the Health Improvement Commission for sponsoring this!
Throughout the day, participants enjoyed:
- Sailing on the Model Yacht Pond, light winds made it easy for first time sailors
- Sea sailing, In Hawk 20 keelboats or Dinghies the calm waters were perfect for confidence building
- Powerboating sessions, fun rides with a sun sparkling across the water, always a memorable time
- A tour on Guernsey’s all Weather Life-boat with crew performing Man Overboard (MOB) demonstrations in Cows Bay.
Children, predominantly under the age of 12, sailed on the model boat pond in ‘Oppies’, with many experiencing this for the first time, the youngest being 3 years old. More experienced sailors or those of 12 + sailed in Havelet Bay in a range of sailing dinghies including ; Single handed Zest & Teras, small groups in Quests, and families in the Hawk 20 Keelboats.
Mike Chapple, Rear Commodore of the Junior Section of the Guernsey Yacht Club had this to say about the day; ‘The GYC works very closely with the GST, and we share resources to create as many sailing opportunities as possible. For the club the Open Day offers the introduction to our Pirates on the Pond tuition for 5-year-olds and older. We hope that as their interest peaks as they get sailing on the sea, and become involved with racing and ultimately represent the Guernsey Yacht Club Marauders Racing Team.’
Events like this highlight the strength of our local sailing community and the value of working together with partners like Guernsey Yacht Club to make boating accessible, welcoming, and fun for everyone.
It was also an honour to have our patron, The Lieutenant Governor of Guernsey His Excellency Lieutenant General Sir Richard Cripwell KBE CB, down to oversee and support the proceedings.
A huge thank you goes out to our instructors, volunteers, and the team at Guernsey Yacht Club for making the day run so smoothly: and of course to everyone who came along and joined us on the water.
If you missed out, don’t worry. There are plenty more opportunities to sail, powerboat, and build confidence afloat with us throughout the season.
Ready to Take the Next Step? ⛵🌊
If our Open Day has sparked an interest in getting back on the water, there’s no better time to start.
👉 Book a sailing or powerboating course today and turn that first experience into a lifelong passion for the water.
Event Photos
Please have a look at some of the photos from our Discover Sailing Open Day 2026; huge thank you to Pierre Bisson for taking many of these photos. To see more of his photos check out his website or Instagram search @gsyphoto.
