Sailing
The UoB Sailing Club is a small, friendly and inclusive community that welcomes sailors of all abilities — from complete beginners to national‑level racers. We run weekly social sailing for anyone who wants to enjoy time on the water, learn to sail or take a break from university life.
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For those seeking competition, we support members in progressing onto our national‑level BUCS teams. Alongside sailing, we have an active social scene with weekly themed socials and activities throughout the year, including our annual yachting trip to Greece — a highlight for many members.
Our Club
We have two competitive Team Racing BUCS teams that regularly compete at events across the country, as well as weekly social sailing every Wednesday afternoon where members can learn to sail or simply relax on the water. Our social calendar is equally lively, with themed Sports Night every Wednesday and a variety of activities throughout the year.
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Members also have opportunities to develop their sailing portfolio through access to RYA courses such as Powerboat Level 2 and Dinghy Instructor. Beginners can start through Social Sailing, where our DI‑qualified Captain teaches sailing from the ground up. We welcome all new members and look forward to having you join our club.
Facilities
Barnt Green Reservoir
The club will train at Barnt Green Reservoir.
Training Times
Each squad trains 4-6 hours on the pitch and plays in fixtures on Wednesdays. Training takes places across the two top class artificial grass pitches located on campus.
- Wednesday: 1.00pm - 5.00pm (Social Sailing)
- Saturday full day team training
Exact times will be confirmed by the club upon registration.
Competition Opportunities
Competition Opportunities
We have a first and second BUCS team that compete in the Team Racing category.
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Our first team has been successful in qualifying for playoffs for the last
three years in a row. We are looking into expanding our BUCS participation through fleets and yachting, so if this appeals to you please come get involved!
Membership Price
Memberships are available to students and non-students
As part of signing up to a Sports Club you are agreeing to the Sport and Fitness Terms and Conditions, Privacy Policy, Sports Club Code of Conduct and other UoB Sport & Fitness policies. Click here to head to Sports Club Benefits to read them.
Social Sailing Membership £150 per year (+£17.50) signup fee to UoB Sport
Team/competitive membership £180 per year (+£17.50) signup fee (only have to buy team not both team and social)
Social Sailing Half Year Membership (available upon request)
*This is an approximate list of what the club membership may include. This can change at any point, so please confirm with the club directly on what this membership includes.
Social Sailing
On Wednesday afternoons, we provide social sailing where you are welcome to come along, no matter your ability or experience. Any member of our sailing club can attend and enjoy sailing as a break from your degree and to catch up with friends within the club.
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The green space around Bartley is a welcome break and allows for a mental reset. We have a range of boats to choose from: Fusion, Pico, Firefly and Visions, and newcomers will always be supported by experienced sailors.
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We can provide RYA level course at reduced rates throughout the year, alongside opportunities to get into instructing within our own sailing club. We can also facilitate opportunities for paid work with Andrew-Simpson Centre in Bartley for those who already has relevant qualifications.
Performance Squad
Our performance squad competes in the University Team Racing circuit throughout the year. For team racing, we exclusively train and sail in firefly dinghies but aim to attend fleets this year allowing us to compete in different classes of boats.
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Although this is our BUCS level (aimed at sailors who have experience racing, but not necessarily team racing), we are keen to train anyone committed to the team. We have coaching from National Level firefly sailors, along with past alumni sailors. The team trains throughout the year (September – April), every weekend, potentially both days of some weekends. This culminates in the important events of the year in February, March and April.
Development Squad
Our development squad trains alongside the team on weekends and aims to provide the progression to move up to team level within the sailing year.
Benefitting from top-level coaching, with the choice to either train and not compete or train and improve to reach the standard of the performance squad. This is ideal for sailors who have more extensive sailing but maybe aren’t confident in their racing ability or just want to practice and learn.
Events
Sailing offers a unique opportunity to attend weekend-long events at other Universities.
This is a great opportunity for the performance squad to practice against other teams, but also provides an amazing social opportunity for all involved. We typically attend 2-3 events per year and all club members are welcome.
