About BASC
Beccles Amateur Sailing Club has had the reputation for being the friendliest sailing club on the broads for a long time and welcomes all those with an interest in sailing. The club is located on the river Waveney, North Suffolk, approximately half a mile downstream from the market town of Beccles. Our sailing season runs from Easter to Christmas, with details of the sailing and social events available on our events page.
History
Beccles Amateur Sailing Club is built on a solid foundation of member participation.
Having been conceived at a meeting at the King's Head Hotel on 13th March 1907, the club's initial philosophy was to organise formal racing for sailing craft on the River Waveney on summer Saturday afternoons. In those days a strict policy of only admitting Beccles residents was in force along with a stipulation that amateurism would not be compromised. Even crews were not allowed if they were professionally engaged 'in or about boats'. With membership at five shillings per year, the action was predominantly amongst racing cruisers.
The club today is an enviable position of owning its own land with responsibilities for the upkeep of the adjacent quay heading. Its clubhouse is home to its family orientated membership of around 200.
Sailing activities will begin from April and will continue until the end of December. Formal racing is still the objective and is conducted every Saturday afternoon during the summer season and Sunday mornings after Daylight Saving (clocks change).
The emphasis has always been on attracting family membership, particularly for the sailing uninitiated who will receive a particularly warm welcome. Almost all the club's facilities are geared towards families and existing members like to be involved in encouraging young people. There are always RYA trained members on hand to advise and the club's location offers a particularly safe environment. As our President Janet Forster explains "Because our home stretch of the river is fairly narrow, beginners feel comfortable in that they are close to the bank if there should be a splash". There is certainly no need for parents to have any sailing experience as the club is structured so that teaching the whole family together is easily accommodated. The novice sailing club runs each Saturday morning and the club provides a fleet of six boats so that potential new members can try out the sport before investing in their own craft.
The clubhouse itself offers good basic amenities with tea, coffee, snacks available and a fully licensed bar. There are male and female changing rooms and outside there is naturally a slipway, Dinghy Park (all year round use) and a spacious car park.