Henley Sailing Club, on an island, Willow Lane, Wargrave. Left bank.
The Club Commodore, Duncan Mackay, wrote the text for the lovely book: THE SECRET THAMES
with photos by Skyscan.
Henley Sailing Club is a small, family-friendly sailing club set on a picturesque stretch of the river Thames. The club was formed in 1896 and has flourished ever since.
We race on Sunday afternoons and Wednesday evenings, in a variety of dinghies and find the river often provides interesting winds and challenging conditions. We also hold fun sailing days and offer an excellent social calendar for sailors and non-sailors alike, with BBQs, camping, suppers and Sunday afternoon tea on the lawn.
Novice and expert, young and old, and the rusty are welcome to join the club and to borrow one of the club’s dinghies, free of charge. Our more experienced sailors run an in-house coaching programme and when you are ready to race, there are special races for juniors, lady helms and novices.
The club’s facilities include a club house with a fully equipped kitchen, a furnished lounge area with panoramic windows overlooking the river, and a small bar for relaxing with a drink after sailing. To the outside there are attractive riverside lawns, changing rooms with hot showers, boat store and car parks.
Henley Sailing Club History:
On Saturday, August 1st, 1896, at the suggestion of Dr. W. H Macpherson,
a few gentlemen met at Cordery’s Boat Yard, Shiplake, and, as a result, a small Sailing Club
was formed which was named The Henley and Shiplake Sailing Association
and the first set of Rules was drafted.
At the end of the year the Club numbered 22 Members, all of whom owned and sailed boats.
In 1897 the name of the Club was changed to The Henley Sailing Club, the present Club Burgee was adopted,
being based on the burgee of the then defunct Erith Yacht Club, and the first Club Cup,
presented by Mr. H N. Chapman, was sailed for.
In 1898 the office of Captain of the Club was created, Mr H. N. Corsellis was elected to this post
and the Club held its first open meeting.
The Club in those early days raced sailing punts, under the Rules of the Thames Punt Sailing Club,
and a mixed class of Dinghies. The sailing punts were very fast and required skilful handling
and the Club had as many as fourteen of these craft at one time.
The Henley Sailing Club, if not the earliest, was one of the earliest Clubs in the country
to adopt the Dinghy as a racing boat. These dinghies were handicapped
on the Sailing Boat Association’s Rating formula modified by measuring length overall
instead of length on water-line. This formula of the Club was later adopted by the S.B.A.
when they recognised Dinghy sailing under the title of the ”Gig Class”.
The Club races were held either at Shiplake, being there conducted from the Thames Conservancy Ferry
opposite the present Club premises, or on a course between Henley Bridge and Temple Island.
Sailing Punts at Henley Sailing Club
1923: The present Club house was built.