BUDWORTH Sailing Club are a finalist for the Royal Yachting Association's Club of the Year Award.

A public vote is now taking place to determine the winner, with Budworth facing competition from nine rivals from across the United Kingdom.

Officials at Budworth present a strong case.

The rapid rise in membership numbers is considered to be thanks to the quality training that the club offers on Budworth Mere, which is surrounded by views of Marbury park, rolling hills and St Mary and All Saints' Church which add to the enjoyment of being out on the water.

In the past few years, there has been a drive to offer inclusive tuition to people of all ages and abilities, from complete novices to those who are wanting to fine tune their racing skills.

Budworth Sailing Club have recently gained RYA Recognised Training Centre status which allows the club to deliver RYA training courses and award their certificates.

In recent years, the club have made a big push towards improving and increasing the amount and variety of training it offers.

Fusion dinghies have recently been bought for the sole purpose of training at the club.

Multiple training pathways are available for club members with both group lessons and one-to-one sessions available.

The club offer tuition throughout the year with sessions focused on the students to aid their enjoyment and improvement in sailing.

Budworth Sailing Club are committed to retaining members by providing a smooth and fluid movement through the training programmes and on to club racing.

Communication via WhatsApp groups has seen the club's ‘Better Sailing’ group come out in force and make the most of Saturday morning informal training sessions before the afternoon racing.

The ever-growing junior fleet can often be seen training on a Sunday morning and joining in with the club’s main racing a few hours later and also enjoying the ‘Cruising not Racing’ on a Friday evening, jumping in the lake and enjoying barbecues.

The well-kept clubhouse and lawn provide an excellent space to sit and watch the sailing and absorb the club’s atmosphere.

Budworth Sailing Club has a fascinating history.

It was founded in 1946 by the Manchester Cruising Association.

Due to timber restrictions at the time, the big question was where are the boats going to come from?

A member discovered a stock of undeclared hard wood in a ship-building yard and persuaded the owner to build them a number of Snipe dinghies.

After a chance meeting in a pub with the agent for Arley Estates, they agreed to give sailing rights to the cruising association for £30 a year.

From this, the club was born!

Traditionally, Budworth Sailing Club has a strong racing background, thought to go back to the Firefly North West Championships in 1973. The club racing element is still just as strong today!

The weekly turnout across all sessions clearly indicates the success of the club and why Budworth Sailing Club are a finalist in the 2022 RYA Club of the Year Award.

The success of the club in general is down to its members.

As a volunteer driven club, members enjoy showing and sharing their passion both on the water and in the newly renovated bar.

The club hosts open days in the spring and late summer with the most recent attracting more than 50 new members.

These open days are an opportunity to see the club in action. Some of the club’s highly skilled sailors are on hand to give joyrides to perspective members, while the bar and galley are open serving food and local beers with members around to chat to and explain more about the club.

The approachable nature of the club members helps to create the friendly and inclusive atmosphere that the club strives for.

The club would love to meet more people at one of its opens days to try sailing, but in the mean time the final vote for the club of the year is in the hands of the general public.

If you would like to support your local sailing club you can vote via the link below or via the club's website up until January 24, 2022, with the winner being announced on February 26.

Aberdeen & Stonehaven Yacht Club, Arnside Sailing Club, Ballyholme Yacht Club, Brading Haven Yacht Club, Chelmarsh Sailing Club, Teesdale Sailing & Watersports Club, Exe Sailing Club, Flushing Sailing Club and Lymington Town Sailing Club are also bidding for the title.

Vote link: awards.yachtsandyachting.co.uk/rya-vote/