THIS INCLUDES YOU ALL – Annual Big Fun Day Coming Soon

On Sunday the 17th July from 10am to 6pm we have the annual Big Fun Day at Shotwick Lake. This is for all members – this is your chance to get together to enjoy sailing of a different sort – all abilities welcome from complete novice to expert racer – there will be activities to suit you all with supported sailing continuing until late afternoon. Barbeque equipment and charcoal will be available – bring your own  food (and drink) and enjoy cooking and eating with friends. Any monies raised by members will be going to the Flint RNLI Lifeboat Appeal –

2016 is an extra special year for the volunteers at Flint Lifeboat Station. They are celebrating their 50th anniversary, and, in May, received a new £48k inshore lifeboat, to be named ‘The Lady Barbara’. David Sadler from Buckley has donated £35k toward the cost of the new lifeboat in memory of his wife, Barbara, who died in 2015. The volunteer RNLI team at Flint have recently launched a £13k appeal to meet the remaining cost of the boat. Since the lifeboat station opened in 1966, the volunteers at Flint have launched 667 times and saved 97 lives in their area of operation on the river Dee from Chester weir to the Dee estuary at Talacre. In addition, they have been involved with inland flood rescue at Towyn, Kinmel Bay, Mold, Farndon and Ruthin, and two members traveled with the RNLI Flood Rescue team to Cockermouth in 2010. Flint is one of 235 lifeboat stations in the UK and Southern IrRNLIeland who together with RNLI lifeguards on over 200 beaches assist some 30,000 people each year.

Tony Forster

As a founder member of the then British Steel Shotton Sailing Club in 1983 I took part in the first beginners sailing course, in an Optimist believe it or not (quite a feat for someone 6' 4" tall!) and then began to help with further courses. My first dinghy was an Enterprise and much sailing in this and coaching by our first RYA Principal, John Swift, resulted in me gaining the RYA Dinghy Instructor award in 1984. In 1985 I joined the committee and over the years moved through the roles of Club Captain, Vice Commodore and then Commodore a position in which I proudly served for about 25 years. During my tenure as Commodore I saw the club become Corus Colors Sailing Club and then starting around 2004 I helped to steer the club towards independence from the Steelworks Sports & Social Club, the formation of the company and charity Shotwick Lake Sailing and the purchase of the lake and buildings. Although I have frequently raced at the club my main interest has been in the development of the club and ,of course, in the training section. In the early years John Swift, Alan Sourbutts and myself managed to get the club recognised as an RYA Training Centre. Then, some years later, on passing my RYA Senior Instructor qualification I was appointed as the RYA Training Principal, a role which I still perform to this day. Over the years I have sailed Toppers, Mirrors, GP14s, Herons, Lasers, Wayfarers, Wanderers and many others and my seafaring has included sailing a Sailfish 18 and a Leisure 17SL which I still own. Over the years I have witnessed massive changes and developments at the club and have cared passionately about its success and future. I have been truly blessed to have been able to serve such a fantastic organisation and to have made so many friends along the way.