Glorious sight of sails in the wind as Scarborough Yacht Club pitches wits against nature in race across bay

While race day for the Scarborough Yacht Club is a little different this year, that sense of escape on the seas is as expressive as ever.

For in a sailor’s skill there is a homecoming to be had in the waters, and in pitting wits against nature to master its thrill.

“It’s a wonderful thing, is sailing,” said Commodore Clive Murray, as a dozen boats yesterday readied for the last race day of the club’s successful autumn series.

“Hoisting the sails and cutting along the water, you can sail across the bay and there are no tracks. A hundred boats could do the same, and there’s no trace.

“If you want to go fast in a car, try a go-kart at 40mph – and it’s the same with sailing,” he added. “The smaller the boat, the closer your backside is to the water, the more exciting it is.”

First formed as the Scarborough Sailing Club in 1895, the yacht club has had several club homes over the years, including the William Clowes boat in the outer harbour, the old toll house, and now the harbour lighthouse.

Founded by three artists, described as the spa town’s “hippies of the Victorian era”, the Scarborough Yacht Club saw a turbulent time in the war years.

In December 1914, as keels were confiscated for the war effort, the lighthouse took a shell from a German ship, but remarkably stood standing as it seared clean through. In the wake of the Second World War, it saw a huge boom in membership, as society sought a sudden return to recreation.

It now has an active membership of 320 members, many of whom would usually travel from across the West Riding, with an all-year circuit and a winter series.

One sailor in his 80s, Brian Sizer, has been a member since he was “naught but a lad”, said Mr Murray, and with a profound knowledge of the tides and the winds he often wins races.

Adapting

But this year, the club has had to learn to be creative to adapt. Under guidance from the Royal Yacht Association (RYA) it has managed to open in some ways, with racers able to get out on the water.

Since May, there have been forms of trials, with staggered starts and ‘bubbled’ boats. On smaller vessels, there is a smaller crew, to meet with guidance.

But regardless of the club’s slimmed down status, there is a sense of jubilation that it has managed to remain active.

“It’s very much keeping boats on the water,” said Mr Murray. “It’s important to us, that what is left continues. We have a social responsibility, but it is possible to get out.”

Camaraderie​

Scarborough’s maritime history and boat-building past is well documented, with the sight of sailors on its seas a familiar one to thousands of coastal visitors.

The harbour, with businesses funding festive decorations, is lit up this Christmas with each boat festooned with glittering and twinkling bulbs.

But amid a bitter wet wind yesterday it takes a hardy sailor to brave the bay. They deserve a “knighthood” for enthusiasm, laughed Mr Murray.

“As soon as you say ‘yacht’ people think of gin and tonics and fancy watches... it’s not,” he said. “It’s working lads, and the boats aren’t high end. The camaraderie is there.

“It’s a wonderful thing, to be a part of something like that,” he added. “Seeing the boats out in the bay takes me straight back to childhood, like listening to an old tune.”

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