Welcome to the Dinghy Section

Set against a picturesque backdrop of castle, trees and hills, and yet only 15 minutes’ drive from Glasgow, Bardowie Loch provides idyllic surroundings for people of all ages and abilities to learn to sail.

Through the entrance gates and down past the car park, the first building you see is our grand new Clubhouse, which was opened in 2004. It has modern changing facilities, with separate training and lecture areas.  The main area overlooking the Loch houses a dining/social area and modern diner/kitchen facility where the Diner Crew provide welcome sustenance during all evening classes and special weekend events. Then there’s the boat shed, where members work throughout the year repairing and painting boats and equipment. At the water’s edge there is a special dock and hoist for Challenger sailors. Next there’s the old clubhouse building which has been converted to a sail shed and also provides a warm area for winter maintenance work. Finally, there is the fuel shed and a new dinghy park.

The club currently owns over 60 dinghies: the main training fleet of Laser 2000’s, Toppers, Picos, Lasers, training versions of the International Optimist and single seat Challenger trimarans suitable for disabled people. Increasingly, however, members are now bringing their own boats to Bardowie (for a small additional fee), amongst which we now have one of the largest fleets of Solos in Scotland. We encourage members to compete at youth events throughout the UK, and we host our own race series, even during the winter months, as well as occasional open events. Our modern fleet of rescue boats keep us up to current RYA standards and also enable us to provide training on tidal water at Kip as well as supporting CCC members at major events.

The Club’s original purpose in establishing the dinghy section almost 75 years ago was to provide a means of training young people to sail - providing crew for the great classic yachts of those days. That purpose still holds true, but now dinghy sailing has become a substantial sport in its own right - one of the few sports in which GBR excels at Olympic level. Nowadays, the Dinghy Section at Bardowie provides members with RYA training in all aspects of dinghy sailing, both racing and cruising. We run evening classes from April to September, with extra courses during the Easter and summer holidays.

Bardowie works because everyone contributes, and as part of this ethos, we have had a sustained programme of encouraging competent sailors to train as RYA instructors. We now have about thirty instructors, much needed to cope with the hundred or so new members who join each year.

The mix of boats and activities has helped the club cultivate a friendly atmosphere where the whole family can enjoy a sport together. It is particularly encouraging to note that teenagers who, in the past, may have drifted away from sailing are at the heart of much that goes on at Bardowie. In the last few years, young dinghy sailors who came up through the Dinghy Section have been instrumental in bringing both Glasgow and Strathclyde University Sailing Clubs to Bardowie, where they have trained and competed throughout the winter months.

Why not take a look around our web pages, or even better come to Bardowie any weekend or midweek evening during the summer and see it for yourself.