The club

The club is situated on the sea front at Hoylake on the Wirral, sharing the grounds of the Hoylake Community Centre (directions here). There is a private car park, club house with meeting room and kitchen, a shower and toilet block, a workshop and a storage area for sand yachts and buggies.

Even if the weather is unsuitable for land sailing, there's always something happening in the club's facilities. The well-equiped workshop is regularly used by people maintaining their equipment. A high-quality sewing machine is available for sail and kite repairs. The machine is capable of handling heavier fabrics, so parakart seat repairs and mods can be performed onsite too.

The sailing site

Full details here

A short walk around to the sea front, sailing site access is via a nearby slipway by the new Hoylake Lifeboat station. Due to the shallow slope of the sandbank, and the sandbar that protects the sailing site, there is approx 150 metres of mud which must be crossed to get to the firmer and dryer sand. Beyond the mud the site is huge, covering several square miles.

This desolate area does not appeal to people who wish to walk, or sit out in the sun - they usually prefer to access the sand via West Kirby which is outside the boundaries of our sailing area. If they are determined, they could walk out to the sea, but as it it over a mile out, most people don't bother. This provides a safe area for land sailing as pedestrians are few and far apart - you couldn't say that about many beaches, and certainly not about parks and other grass sites!

The club has several pilot support vehicle's, which are used out on the sandbank at regattas and larger club meetings. Further details are available here.

Please note: The mud near the sea wall can be quite deep, and frequently traps unwary drivers who take their vehicles down on to the bank. The Club's all-terrain vehicles cope well and they were selected for this very reason, but very few other vehicles are as capable. The club's vehicles are licensed for use on the bank by the local authorities. Without the proper authority, other vehicles enter the bank illegally - please be warned!

The members

Full details here

Made up of sand yacht and parakart pilots of all ages, there is a wealth of experience that new members will find invaluable. A friendly and enthusiastic bunch, they come to Hoylake from all over the country, from as far away as Edinburgh and London. A weekend away from life's problems in a relaxed atmosphere is a great way to unwind and recharge the batteries! There are several bed & breakfast places in the town, restaurants and pubs, which we frequent when staying for the weekend. Details for these facilities are available here.

Inevitably, there is some cross-over from sand yachting to parakarting and vice-versa. Mastering one skill prepares you for the other. A thorough knowledge of the sailing site and local weather conditions is valuable experience, but the two disciplines are quite different and learning a new skill keeps the interest levels up and provides more options when visiting the club.

For membership information, please contact us here

More details to follow.