News

Working parties will be held on Saturday 16 February and Sunday 24 February.  Start at 10am.
This year there is minimal outside work to be done so we need you to bring your marigolds rather than your gardening tools!
Come and spruce up your club for the new season and resumption of sailing on March 3rd.
Members are also reminded that boats should not be returned to the dinghy park before March 1st.

Following testing the lake is closed for sailing and fishing. We will keep you updated with any changes.

We can now sail only on race and organised event days (Tuesday evening and Sundays) when we have formally risk assessed the level of Blue-green Algae. No casual sailing is permitted until further notice. Sailing is therefore on this Sunday subject to the inspection by the OOD (see below). Everyone who sails, or their parent or guardian if a child, needs to read the RYA_Blue_Green_Algae_Guidance and sign the SSC Blue Green Algae consent and risk statement before going on the water. Once in a sailing year is sufficient.

If you are down for a duty during this ‘algae period’ please firstly double check that there is sailing on, and secondly if it isn’t, could you find another vacant date to fill and let the Duties Officer (Juley Simmonds) know.

The hose pipe which is in a box on the rear of the clubhouse is available. Sailors should wash off any potential contamination (hands / gloves, boots, legs etc.) on leaving the water and before entering the clubhouse. Anyone who falls in should take a full shower including their sailing clothing.

Boats and trolleys should always be thoroughly washed before being taken away from the club in accordance with the RYA Check, Clean, Dry Policy Apart from the risks of blue-green algae, Shearwater already contains at least one invasive species – Signal Crayfish – whose eggs can be spread by unwashed boats.

Longleat Estate advise that they have been informed by the Environment Agency that a spot sample has been taken from Shearwater and that blue green algae is present.
Therefore they have to shut Shearwater Lake due to health and safety concerns until further notice.
No sailing can take place during this time.

The estate will inform the club when the situation improves. It is hoped that the present rains will help reduce the levels of algae.