History
Welland Yacht Club A Brief History
1950 - 2020
Welland Yacht Club was formed in April 1950 after a group of likeminded people identified the need for a yacht club within the area. Initially the club adopted the Ship Inn at Surfleet as its headquarters with the club flag flown from a flagstaff outside. Initially members had motor boats in which they kept at Surfleet and ventured out into the wash, organising races and eventually they would race up river from the Glenn cut to the Beet Factory Wharf. After a few years their popularity had waned and members started to build / purchase sailing dinghies.
The First Clubhouse
The club then relocated further up river to its current location, there was no club house just a little asbestos hut for ladies to change, complete with a chemical toilet and stove for tea making. A wind generator provided for an electric light. Men changed behind car doors, all the dinghies were staked down on the bank in the open with no compound at this stage. There was a starting box with flagpole, a small starting cannon which used 12 bore blanks was used. The early fleet comprised of Graduate, Merlin Rocket, National 12 and Cadet. There were also inter club event with Wisbech, Witham (Boston), Nene (Peterborough), Snettisham, Hunstanton, Denver, Ruston (Lincoln) and Skegness Yacht Clubs. The fleet was then joined by the Enterprise class. Single handers didn’t appear at the club until towards the 1970’s with first Solo’s then Laser & Topper classes as they became more popular throughout the 70’s
The first clubhouse was built in 1955 comprising of four beach huts from Snettisham reconfigured as one. This served the club for just over 20 years when it was replaced with a purposed built clubhouse in the late 1970’s.
The Current Clubhouse
This new club house which is still the main part of the current one featured a watch tower giving race control greater views up the river. The tower was removed around 1999 due to structural issues. The clubhouse was then further extended in 2012/13 that with the replacement cladding in 2017 brings us to the clubhouse we currently know.
