50th Anniversary Weekend
Celebrating 50 years of inspiring Sailing and Windsurfing
On Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th May Queen Mary Sailing Club will celebrate its 50th Birthday with a weekend of activities for members and guests.
Our water in West London has been the home for thousands of sailors and windsurfers since the club was founded in 1972. We are very proud of our rich heritage as a top racing venue, the home of the iconic Bloody Mary and for supporting Olympians and Paralympians to glory. We also run one of the UK’s largest sailing schools, are a venue for keelboats and are a friendly members Club with an active social and leisure sailing scene.
The Anniversary weekend has a lot going on!
Key activities
- Saturday Club – An Anniversary Special in the morning
- Team 15 – Youth windsurfing (Sign up)
- Youth Sailing – Both days (Sign up)
- Saturday Keelboat Club (Racing) – A new venture of afternoon racing in RS21s (Sign up)
- QMSC Club Championships – Handicap dinghy racing for all on Sunday morning (Sign up)
- Windsurfing Clinic - All day Sunday (Sign up)
- Sailing Tasters – On RS21 keelboats both days (Sign up)
- Lunchtime BBQ and evening Beach Party and Chill Zone – both days
… it is time to celebrate!
See full event details and schedule for each day below.
Saturday Club
David Bithell and Alison Philips, our Saturday Club group leaders, invite you and everyone who has ever sailed at a Saturday Club for the Saturday Club Anniversary Special. Saturday Club is a social sailing meet up for Select and Standard Members of the Club who just want to go sailing. Expect a special themed activity based around the 50th anniversary on the day!
- Saturday 7th May
- Briefing at 09:30 in the clubhouse
- Friends and family welcome
- Email sailondon@queenmary.org.uk to get involved
Saturday Keelboat Club!
Sailing Principal Ross Malloy will lead our first ever ‘Saturday Keelboat Club’ in our RS21 keelboats. This will be a series of short races with 50th Anniversary Mugs as prizes, a great opportunity for sailors from any of our fleets or groups to team up together and pit themselves against others.
- Saturday 7th May
- Briefing at 13:30 in the clubhouse
- Free for Keelboat Select Members, £20 for Club members and £25 for non-members.
- Limited spaces - booking online, link below
Beach Party and The Chill Zone
Our lead instructors Ben and David are your hosts for the afternoon party, chill and relax. Fingers crossed the weather plays ball, grab a drink from the club wet bar and join your friends on the waterside terrace.
- Saturday 7th May - 16:00 to 19:00
- Sunday 8th May - 16:00 to 19:00
QMSC Club Championships
This prestigious QMSC event will comprise three back-to-back races with no discards, open to all club classes in the quest to find our Club Champion for 2022.
- Sunday 8th May
- Briefing on the waterside at 09:30
- Notice of Race and Sailing Instructions (coming soon)
- Sign on (coming soon)
All day Windsurf Clinic with a difference!!
Simon Winkley will be present at QM for the whole of Sunday! All members are welcome to join in at any time to benefit from Simon’s expertise, whatever level you are at. He will be around the AstroTurf rigging area or on the water near to the shore. Come and say hello and maybe he can help you improve your windsurfing!
- Sunday 8th May
- Rigging and tuning tips demonstration and help with your own kit
- Land simulator exercises to brush up on your skills and try new ones
- Ad hoc on-the-water training
- Photos for you throughout the day
- BBQ available on the terrace to keep you fuelled! 12-3pm
- Please call the club if you would like to find out more!
Keelboat Taster sessions
Come and try keelboat sailing - no experience needed this is the perfect way to get a taste of our new RS21 keelboats. The session starts with an introduction and orientation on the RS21 keelboat. The group will then take to the water for a 60-minute session to experience what it's like to sail these bigger boats.
- Up to four crew sailing under the supervision of an RYA keelboat instructor.
- Sessions Saturday 9:30 and Sunday 9:30 / 13:00 / 15:00
- £20 for Club members and £25 for non-members booking online
- A perfect activity for friends and family to see what QM has to offer!
Anniversary Weekend Celebrations
Saturday 7th May
- 09:30 Sailing Taster sessions - On RS21 Keelboats perfect for friends and family
- 09:30 Team 15 – Windsurfing session for our Youth Windsurfing Members
- 09:30 Saturday Club Anniversary Special
- 10:00 Aqua Foxes – Sailing session for our Youth Members
- 12:00 Barbeque till 15:00
- 13:30 Saturday Keelboat Club – Afternoon of racing
- 16:00 Beach Party – Music and drinks on the terrace till 19:00
- 17:30 Prize Giving for Keelboat Racing
- 19:00 Thank you and see you all tomorrow!
Sunday 8th May
- 09:30 Sailing taster session - Perfect for friends and family
- 09:30 Club Introduction to Racing – Support for those making first steps into club racing
- 09:30 Briefing for The QMSC Club Championships
- 10:00 Youth Group Ospreys – Racing focused sailing session for our Youth Members
- 10:30 All day Windsurf Clinic with a difference
- 10:30 The QMSC Club Championships – first of three back-to-back races
- 12:00 Barbeque till 15:00
- 13:30 Sailing taster session - Perfect for friends and family
- 14:00 Prize giving for The QMSC Club Championships (Podium)
- 14:00 Sea Badgers – Youth Group sailing session for our Youth Members
- 14:00 Womens Sailing Group Coaching
- 15:00 Sailing taster session - Perfect for friends and family
- 16:00 The Chill Zone – Music and drinks on the terrace till 19:00
- 19:00 Thank you and goodnight!
Join us for the weekend when QMSC hits 50.