Hickling Broad Sailing Club

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Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Hickling Broad Sailing Club, Charitable organisation, Staithe Road, Hickling.

25/10/2026

There are days when I look at who's driving the safety boat at a sailing club and genuinely hope I don't need rescuing, because there's a fair chance I'll come out of it with a worse injury than the one I went in with.

That's not a comfortable thing to admit when clubs depend so heavily on volunteers. But I'm a Powerboat Instructor, I teach RYA Safety Boat, and I've spent a lot of time at clubs around the country. I've seen some excellent safety cover, and plenty that worries me.

On a typical Sunday the driver gently motors round the course, watches the racing and perhaps investigates the occasional capsize, which the sailor has usually sorted out before the boat arrives. That can go on for years without anybody ever having to show they can deal with a serious incident.

Many volunteers did their qualification ten or fifteen years ago, if at all, and drive a powerboat two or three times a year. Yet we expect them to react immediately when a sailor is trapped under an inverted dinghy, somebody is unconscious in the water, there's a serious head injury, or several boats are over and nobody can account for all the sailors.

None of those situations gives you the luxury of remembering what you were taught in 2011.

A certificate tells you somebody passed a course. It doesn't tell you they can still do it.

I do at least one CPD course a year, and I run free safety boat CPD evenings at my own club through the summer. It's usually the more experienced volunteers who turn up, rather than those who'd benefit most.

Clubs are very good at getting a name on the duty rota, and far less good at making sure that person is still competent. None of this is a criticism of the volunteers who give up their time. I want clubs to give them the training, practice and confidence to do the job, because it isn't fair on the sailors relying on them, or on the volunteer who suddenly finds themselves in an emergency they're unprepared for.

If somebody was trapped under a dinghy at your club this weekend, how confident are you that the safety boat driver would know exactly what to do, and when did they last practise it?

12/10/2026

⛵⚓ Gresham’s CCF Royal Navy Cadets Take to the Water at Hickling Broad! ⚓⛵

Over two fantastic field days at Hickling Broad Sailing Club last week, Gresham’s School CCF Royal Navy cadets enjoyed hands-on sailing and powerboating training while developing their confidence and skills on the water.

Cadets worked through a range of RYA sailing and powerboat syllabus elements, with challenging gusty conditions providing plenty of excitement and valuable learning opportunities. Sailors of all experience levels took part, building practical skills, teamwork and confidence afloat.

A particular highlight was the outstanding leadership shown by the cadets themselves. Cadet instructors planned and delivered sessions under adult supervision, demonstrating enthusiasm, responsibility and commitment throughout.

Well done to all the cadets and instructors who made the two days such a success. A great example of leadership, learning and adventure on the water! 🌊👏

12/10/2026

⛵ Start Sailing Success at HBSC! ⛵️

Congratulations to those who successfully completed their RYA Level 1 Start Sailing course at Hickling Broad Sailing Club this weekend.

Led by our instructors Jane and Tony in Wayfarers, the group overcame some challenging conditions on Saturday before enjoying an idyllic final day on the water. A fantastic achievement and a great introduction to the enjoyment of sailing! 🌊☀️

06/09/2026

Hickling Broad Sailing Club’s young team did the club proud at Saturday’s Broadland Youth Regatta, which was hosted by the Norfolk Punt Club at Barton Broad. The event was also honoured by the attendance of Princess Anne.

Although Hickling finished eighth overall, the final results tell only a small part of the story. For many of our sailors, this was their first ever regatta, and several have only been sailing for a relatively short time. Simply taking their place on the start line alongside young sailors from across the Broads was an achievement in itself.

Conditions on Saturday were testing even for experienced sailors, making the determination shown by our less experienced competitors all the more impressive. They kept going, supported one another and gained valuable experience of racing in challenging conditions. Every race completed and every difficult moment overcome will make them stronger and more confident sailors.

More important than any finishing position, however, was the way in which the team represented Hickling. It would be difficult to find a more pleasant, polite, resilient and supportive group of young people. We could not have been prouder of them.

The Broadland Youth Regatta is a wonderful opportunity for young sailors to experience competitive sailing as part of a team, and Saturday demonstrated just how far our juniors have progressed. Hopefully, this will be the first of many regattas for some of our rookies.

A huge thank you must also go to everyone who helped make the day possible: those involved in coaching and preparing our sailors, the parents and supporters who travelled with the team, and everyone involved in transporting boats and equipment. As ever, these events depend upon a considerable amount of work behind the scenes.

Well done to every member of Team Hickling. Eighth in the results, perhaps – but first class in attitude, determination and team spirit.

We are enormously proud of you all.

28/08/2026

This summer has brought some variable weather…!
On Wednesday 19th August, racing was paused when a thunderstorm passed over Hickling.
One of our members shared these incredible photos! ⛵️

Got any photos of club events to share? Send them over or tag us!

25/08/2026

A Brilliant Evening at T-Sail! ⛵️

There was a real buzz around the club this evening for the penultimate T-Sail of the season, with around 30 young sailors taking to the water and making the most of a good Hickling breeze.
With several of our juniors soon to be representing the club at the Broadland Youth Regatta, the evening also provided a valuable opportunity for some race preparation. A huge thank you to Tony Aldous and Noel Bradshaw, who set a course and offered racing guidance, helping our young sailors develop their skills, confidence and understanding ahead of the regatta. We wish the whole Hickling team the very best of luck!

Back ashore, Ros and Nigel once again took charge of the Galley and, together with their team of helpers, made sure that 30 hungry sailors – and plenty of equally hungry adults – were well fed. Many thanks to everyone who helped make the evening run so smoothly.
The special mention of the night, however, has to go to Andy Spurgeon for an absolutely outstanding cheesecake – there may be a new culinary star at Hickling!

Evenings like this capture what T-Sail is all about: young people out on the water, developing their sailing, enjoying time with friends and being supported by a fantastic team of volunteers ashore and afloat.

Just one T-Sail remains this season – let's make it another great one!

13/08/2026

This year’s Hickling Village Regatta delivered truly glorious weather, giving us the perfect backdrop for a fantastic celebration of sailing on Hickling Broad. Winds shifted from gentle breezes to strong gusts — with a splash of unpredictability in the final race — making the weekend exciting for sailors of every ability.

Although the regatta is traditionally home to river cruisers and half‑deckers, HBSC continued to widen participation with an increased dinghy presence. The fleet was wonderfully varied, featuring everything from a one‑off traditional Broads dinghy to a Dart 18 catamaran, adding colour and energy to the racing.

🏆 Congratulations to our winners:

~ Jane & Megan Pye — Victors of the legendary Bloodbath in Wild Goose 2
~ Emily Vaughan — Winner of the inaugural Crew’s Race (after only starting sailing in May!) in Peregrine
~ Delyth Crook — Dinghy prize winner in her tiny but determined Rose

A huge thank‑you to James Crook and his team for organising such a warm, welcoming and thoroughly enjoyable regatta that truly showcased the spirit of Hickling’s sailing community. Thanks also to The Pleasure Boat, Norfolk Wildlife Trust, and Hickling Parish Council for their support throughout the event.

✨ A brilliant weekend of sunshine, close racing and community on the Broad — Hickling at its best.

10/08/2026

A huge thank you to everyone who attended and gave their time to make HBVOR 2026 Regatta happen. We hope you enjoyed the Regatta, although the Saturday afternoon wind kept a majority of the fleet in safe harbour Sunday was ideal.

We welcome your feedback, please leave comments on this post, email us at [email protected] or call/message on 07920026484.

See you next year.

03/08/2026

Summer holidays? Not at Hickling!
Eight of our junior sailors were out on the Broad making the most of some excellent sailing conditions.

With five different classes of boat on the water, Ted led another fantastic Junior Racing session, focusing on short-course racing, race tactics and, importantly, understanding the Racing Rules. It has been wonderful to see how the regular practice is paying dividends. Confidence is growing, decision-making is becoming quicker, and the progress being made by every sailor is clear to see.

One of the real strengths of these sessions is the supportive atmosphere. Sailors of different ages, abilities and boat classes all learn together, encouraging one another while developing the skills needed to race with confidence.

If you have a competent young sailor who would like to improve their racing, build confidence on the water and have great fun in the process, why not come along and give Junior Racing a try? We'd love to see even more boats joining us over the rest of the summer.
A huge thank you to Ted for another excellent coaching session and to all the parents and volunteers (especially Rosie and Toby in the galley) who continue to make these afternoons possible.

25/07/2026

More details to follow soon…

Address

Staithe Road
Hickling
NR120YJ

Website

https://www.hicklingbroad.com/page/the-club

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