Areas -> East Coast -> Events

Sailing on Rutland Water

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PLEASE NOTE THE CHANGE OF VENUE FOR THE SMALL BOAT RALLY
AND 2026 GAFFLING CHAMPIONSHIPS
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Following last year’s successful Small Boat Rally and Gaffling Championships on Ullswater, organised by the North West Area, the OGA Small Boats team are planning a similar event for 2026. It will be based at Rutland Water Sailing Club (RWSC). The club sits between Leicester and Peterborough. The horseshoe shaped reservoir is a popular sailing venue and the Sailing Club are enthusiastically supporting us. Rutland SC facilities include three slipways, clubhouse, showers, trailer storage and more - details on their website.

The event will be held over the three days of the August Bank Holiday weekend. Arriving on Friday 28th August there will be three days of sailing on the Saturday and Sunday, culminating with the Gaffling Championships on the Monday, leaving on Tuesday 1st Sept.

The event is open to OGA Members and non-Members.

Outline of events –

Sailing Activities 

The weekend is open to all small sailing dinghies as well as slightly larger trailable boats e.g. Winkle Brig, Shrimper and Cape Cutter. Events for all boats, including the Gafflings, will run on both Saturday and Sunday. The OGA managed Gafflings will be available at Rutland Water for loan and general sailing on those days. Make your booking for a Gaffling using this event booking form. They will allocated on a first come first served basis. Read more about previous Gaffling adventures here: https://www.eastcoastgaffers.org.uk/tag/gaffling-4-1/.

Gafferteering (Saturday) - The course will be ‘open’ for about two to three hours (depending on conditions). There will be a series of waypoints and competitors are free to choose in which order the waypoints are visited. Each waypoint will be assigned a points value. The aim is to ‘collect’ as many points as possible whilst the course is ‘open’. It doesn’t follow that the highest points are necessarily on the furthest away waypoints. 

Consistency Challenge (Sunday) - A suitably convoluted course is set and is ‘open’ for about two to three hours (depending on conditions). Competitors are not racing against other boats, but themselves. Competitors must sail at least two laps, but they may sail as many laps as they wish whilst the course is open. Their time will be noted for each complete lap. The objective is to sail two laps in exactly the same time. Sounds simple……..? The winner is the boat which records the closest two lap times. If the Challenge produces a dead heat, then the quicker time takes first place.

Gaffling Championships (Monday) - There will be a series of heats sailed over a short course, open to all attendees who express an interest in taking part. Depending on numbers, winners from the heats will then take place in the final race(s) sailed over a longer course. Who gets which boat to sail will be drawn ‘out of a hat’. All Gafflings will have the necessary insurance.

Please note that at no point during the sailing activities do handicaps rear their controversial heads!

Temporary Membership of Rutland Sailing Club

To enable us to use the clubhouse, slipways, trailer storage and other facilities the club require one person from each party to have temporary membership of the club. The charge for temporary club membership is £75 per boat for the whole weekend Friday to Monday inclusive. 
The East Coast OGA are managing payment for temporary membership through this form. Skippers will be asked to complete a brief Membership form at the club when they arrive.

The following are important policies to which all users of Rutland Sailing Club must adhere:

• Check, Clean & Dry Procedure for Visiting Boats
• Articles, Rules and Byelaws
• Code of Conduct

2025 Gaffling Championships at Ullswater - Mary Gibbs

Camping and Accommodation

The Rutland Water Campsite https://www.rutlandwatercampsite.co.uk/ is adjacent to the Sailing Club, although it is a totally separate organisation.
There is a well-stocked village shop and post office in the village open 9-5 every day and Sunday morning.
The camp site is an established and well maintained grass field, set just off the famous Rutland Water Cycle path and walking distance to the local shop and village pub (The Wheatsheaf in Edith Weston). Our basic facilities include; mains water supply, rubbish disposal point and a chemical toilet emptying point. The OGA will have an area of the field to themselves and campers will have use of the Sailing Club facilities during its open hours.
The East Coast OGA are managing the pitch bookings for the event. Charges range from £7 for a small tent to £14 for a large motorhome per pitch per night.
There are a few campsite rules:

• Generators only to be used between 10am - 1pm
• No electric hook up point
• No campfires or open fires allowed
• No boat or boat trailers permitted on the site at weekends. 
• Noise to be kept to a minimum after 10pm. 
  

There are also plenty of other places to stay in the area if you prefer a B&B or hotel.

Catering

There is a bar and restaurant which will is open Thursdays to Saturdays 11am - 10pm and Sunday 11am - 5pm. Times vary according to demand and we may be able to have different times for the weekend - tbc. We are looking at having event meals in the clubhouse.

On the Monday, we will visit a local hostelry for an evening meal, location and costs to be confirmed.

Queries?

Please email Mike Dixon at smallboats@oga.org.uk if you have any queries.

Please note: due to circumstances outside of our control,
arrangements may change from those outlined before or on the day (weather!).

2025 Ullswater Rally Lunch on the beach, Howtown Photo: Steve Yates