We are aiming to secure the future of sailing at York by purchasing a new fleet of 6 Firefly Dinghies. This new fleet is crucial to ensure the club’s survival and the future of sailing at the University of York, they will allow us to improve our performance, open up opportunities for our members and increase accessibility in the sport.
We have launched the ‘Dry January, Dry Boats’ campaign for January. Why not help us off the slipway by donating the price of only a Pint a week for the month.
We have already raised £32,000 - now we need your help to raise the remaining £6,000 in the next 6 months. This is the first of our fundraising activities, aiming to raise an average £1,000 per month. Any donations you can make, or shares on your social media of our project will help us towards our goal and will be very much appreciated.
Our Story
We are the University of York Sailing and Windsurfing club, a club that exists to offer Sailing and Windsurfing opportunities to University of York students in a welcoming-to-all family-like environment. We are proud to offer sailing opportunities for all, from national-level sailors to those who are taking to the water for the first time.
The improvements of the last two years have been phenomenal. The Race team has gone from one of the worst in the North to one of the very best, the club has almost doubled in membership, we have run RYA courses for the first time and have ran additional coached training days to better accommodate the wide range of abilities in within the club and we have yet more plans and ambitions to continue on this trajectory.
Last year was also one of the most successful ever with the club winning ‘Team of the Year’ at the end-of-year sports awards alongside being nominated for Yorkshire University Team of the Year. Two of our members were also individually recognised for their efforts to develop and grow the club.
About the Boats
Our current fleet of 6 fireflies (built in 2008) are crucial to our ability to offer sailing to students at the university. They allow our race team to train and practice team racing ready to compete at events across the country. They allow the club to run recreational sessions for anyone who wants to attend and go sailing, and they allow the club to run beginners' sessions for people who have never sailed before, at a fraction of the cost to the norm, improving accessibility into our sport. But this fleet is becoming increasingly difficult to maintain to the standard required and they will very soon be unsuitable.
Buying a new fleet of 6 firefly dinghies is crucial to ensure the club’s survival and the future of sailing at the University of York. We have found a fleet available now from the University of Loughborough, and very few fleets as good as this one become available. It is critical we raise this money before July 2025 in order to make the most of this opportunity. Your help would be hugely appreciated to allow us to do this, any donation that you can make will bring us one step closer to securing sailing for the generation of YUSWC sailors.
Why 6 Boats?
Whilst our boats are used by all members of the dinghy section, to continue offering the opportunity to competitively team race our boats must conform to team racing standards. In Team Racing, a team of 3 boats race against another team of 3 boats aiming to finish the race in an overall winning combination. To ensure even and fair racing between teams, boats are bought and sold in ‘flights’ of 6 matched boats.
The Budget
*If we don't reach the total target of £38,000 before the 30th July 2024, and are therefore unable to purchase this flight, any money raised for this project will be ring-fenced by the club to purchase 6 new fireflies when a fleet next becomes available.
Rewards
We have some amazing rewards to offer those of you who are able to donate to help us reach our goals. Please look to the rewards section on this page to see a detailed breakdown of what you can receive after donating to us!
Find us here:
We’ll be documenting all our progress on social media and via our dedicated newsletter.
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Find us on Instagram: @yorksailing
On ticktock: yuswc
Or visit our website: https://www.yuswc.co.uk/
Help us succeed with the first step of this crucial project!
Any donations, large or small, as much as you are able, will enable us to secure the future of sailing at York, enabling future years of students to access the fantastic sport of sailing.
If you're supporting an individual sailor, why not put a message on your donation shouting them out!
Whether or not you’re able to donate please spread the word by reposting our social media onto yours, and there’s no better way to keep up with what’s happening than our dedicated newsletter!
