Dart 15 Forums

Hi,

We've got 4 days off towards the end of October and fancy some late season sailing

Looking for ideas for the South Coast. We will be caravan camping so our Sprint 15 will travel on the car roof. Therefore we want somewhere where the boat can stay on it's launching trolley for 4 days/nights. Given the season looking for somewhere with some shelter rather than straight into the English Channel/Atlantic Closer to where we can camp the better. Currently we only have a small wheel launching trolley so some launch sites will be tricky. Going to be looking for nice day sails as a couple, experience on Sprint 15 upto F5 on Rutland, not much in waves yet, plenty of other sailing experience over the years.

Our ideas so far

1. Mylor (furthest to drive, but know and love the area, cheap caravan site within 3 miles of Windsport, nearly all weather sailing, easy Pasty availability mid sail)

2. Knoll Beach, Studland (beautiful, soft sand may make launching tricky, nicely sheltered, about 8 miles to campsite)

3. Lepe Beach (West Solent so some protection [strong tides], not very clear from website about overnight boat parking or about launching costs, campsites from 10miles)

4. Calshot (mid Solent so lots of weather options, possibility of using Sailing Club?, camping from 10miles)

5. Lee on Solent (East Solent so some protection [but potential launch in surf], day membership available at Stokes Bay SC with boat parking, campsite just short walk away)

Anyone with experience of Sprint 15 sailing at these places (ideally in the Autumn) and any thoughts about what they might be like for boat parking, launching etc.

Or any other suggestions about where might be a great place to sail when you don't belong to a club in the area? We live in Leicester so had wondered about close places like Sutton-on-Sea but beach sailing into the North Sea in Autumn where nobody else is likely to be doesn't seem that wise. 4 whole days exploring Rutland Water doesn't seem that attractive either

Thanks

Dave

Mylor is lovely and sheltered in almost all winds.

Studland is also beautiful but maybe Swanage Sailing Club would be a better place to start with a catamaran.

The Solent is a waste of time. Very few places to land a catamaran safely, the tides are strong, it's often choppy and it's full of ships.

You could have a word with Yaverland Sailing and Boat Club. They have loads of room and you launch into the best sailing waters in the country.

Liam wrote:Mylor is lovely and sheltered in almost all winds.

Studland is also beautiful but maybe Swanage Sailing Club would be a better place to start with a catamaran.

The Solent is a waste of time. Very few places to land a catamaran safely, the tides are strong, it's often choppy and it's full of ships.

You could have a word with Yaverland Sailing and Boat Club. They have loads of room and you launch into the best sailing waters in the country.

Thanks Liam,

We hope to be sailing at Mylor between Christmas and the New Year (if slightly less windy than last New Year)

We called in at Swanage in our Hirondelle 21 when sailing with the kids from Chichester to Falmouth about 14 years ago (wow how time flies) so know it a little. The sailing club website does not mention visitors and town centres have disadvantages in terms of parking and traffic.

Despite the high boat park cost at Studland it is a place we have sailed lots before (had a Laser 16 there for one summer holiday) and it gives some potential day trip destinations too with Poole Harbour handy.

We have sailed in the Solent a fair bit (as Chichester harbour was our home port) in a Jaguar 21, our Hirondelle and with several of my parents boats. But not done much dinghy sailing there. So the shipping are somewhat known. I take your point about the lack of landing points although realistically at the end of October it is not likely that we will be looking for a nice beach to sail to for a picnic I guess the Western end is quieter for shipping although would avoid the tides towards Hurst Castle. So maybe that puts Lepe above Stokes Bay (although the closeness of camping to boat and keeping the boat in a park with lots of others has significant appeal).

Yaverland is an interesting idea, although at the moment the extra time lost to travelling and £160 for the ferry probably rules it out. Plus I think we want a bit more practice before the completely open channel in the autumn on our own.

Dave