It is nearly time for our annual cruise to the Kyles of Bute. Please contact Julie for further details and let her know if you want to join the group.

We look forward to welcoming both new travellers and old friends at our Open meeting this Bank Holiday weekend. For all the details click here.

Many Congratulations to Brian Coates, David Matthews, Rhod Rhodes, John Scullion, Nicky Coates, Chris Lawrence, Vicky Fleming, Graham Thumwood, Adrian Langford, Ed Books and Ollie Brooks who have all gained new or additional Instructor qualifications in the early part of the season in either Windsurfing, Powerboating or Dinghy disciplines. This enhances our training team and allows us to keep up with the high levels of demand we always seem to have. Well done to all. Read more here.

We now have a licence to serve alcohol at the club. Please look here for full details and to see how you can help out.

We have some very smart new trophies. The idea is that when you are placed in a series you will receive one of these superb wooden trophies at the dinner at the end of the season. You then put the details on a small plaque and attach it to the trophy. Each year you add your accolades to the trophy giving you a perpetual record of your sailing achievements. I know I am going to have to join in some races this season as I really want one of these trophies! So if anyone wants a crew or helm, just let me know......

Each trophy is made of wood and has been hand made in the Scottish Borders especially for KWSC. You can see a map of Kielder Water on the base. We even have one with a broken mast for an extra special award for deserving folk!

We will be running an RYA Seamanship Coourse for members on Friday 6th and Saturday 7th April. Contact Julie for details.

Here it is in position and very smart it looks too. Thank you to everyone who helped make it.

We took over the Wentworth Bowl in Hexham for our Start of Season Social and had an energetic time showing that we are better sailors than we are bowlers! For more photos and all the RESULTS go to the social area of the website.

Here is a sneak preview of our refurbished welcome sign to be returned to its position by the barrier at the forthcoming working party on 18th March. Designed by Julie Billington and crafted by lots of different members of all ages during the later half of 2011, it was a very enjoyable and practical project. Our thanks go to Jamie's Tiles who provided us with the tiles.

The cruise on the Norfolk Broads is now being booked. Contact Julie if you want to join us.

The 2012 Start of Season Social will be held at the Wentworth Bowl in Hexham on Saturday 10th March. Everyone is welcome and if you do not want to warm up those muscles bowling then you can coach or laugh at the rest of us. Full details can be found in the Social area of the website.

2012 Membership fees are now due. If you were a member in 2011 you should have received your renewal form and various attachments (training flyers, Summer Camp application form etc) from our Membership Secretary, Vicky Fleming. If not or you are interested in joining KWSC please contact Vicky.

We have been granted planning permission to build a wooden shed for the storage of the club windsurfing and sailing equipment. It is hoped that we might be able to build this shed in 2012. Once the shed is purchased we will be able to apply for funding for further windsurfing equipment.

Cruising members have been cruising at Coniston and sailing down the River Tyne from Newburn to South Shields. Pictures tell the story of both events and can be found on Bob's lookc photo site.

Great News! We have been awarded £2,000 by the RYA Small (Equipment) Grants Programme to match the club's own funding of windsurfing equipment. Phase 1 of the project was to buy a variety of boards and rigs for various sizes of beginner so that we could start windsurfing training at the club. Phase 2 will extend this provision and provide a shed in which to keep all our club gear. Simialr to club boats, the windsurfing equipement will be available for members to use at anytime it is not being used for training and members are asked to fill in the necessary form in the clubhouse.

We have won the August 'I Love Sailing' video competition. Well done to all those that took part but especially to David Matthews for most of it and to Peter Hawkin for the unique soundtrack. Brill. You can view it here. Unfortunately we did not win the final announced at the Southampton Boat Show in September but coming in the top 5 out of 113 entries is an excellent result.

30 Years of Sailing at Kielder

Our September Open NOR, SIs and Entry Form are now available here.

As a Volvo Champion Club volunteers and coaches (ie all of us as we all do volunteer duties) in the club can take advantage of an RYA Henri Lloyd clothing discount offer. Please see the attached (large 4.4 MB file) for details. Thank you.

Our very own necktubes are now available. Designed to our specification by Nicky Rhodes, the microfibre tubes stretch in 2 directions, are silky to touch and lovely and warm as well as very stylish. They are a limited edition and are on sale now whilst stocks last. Contact Julie for details.

38 Members had a wonderful week of sailing in the Kyles of Bute based at Carry Farm just south of Kames. See the club photo site for pictures. We had such a good time that we have already booked for next year from 2nd to 9th June 2012. Reserve the dates now.

Results of the Early Open 2011 are now available. More details can be found here.

Members will notice that what was the integral garage is now another room in the clubhouse which will be used as a base for training courses. The conversion was made possible by a grassroots grant from the Community Foundation of Tyne and Wear for which we are extremely grateful. We are grateful to Graham Thumwood for doing an excellent job in time for the this season's courses.

Congratulations to 4 KWSC members for successfully attending the Regional Race Officers Course, passing the exam and becoming CRO+s - Ernie Bennett, Steve Gibbon, Peter Hawkin and Alec Mamwell. They are all now working towards gaining relevant experience for full RRO qualification. More details can be found here.

There are a few places left on the course taking place on 13th and 19th March. Price for members is £60. Please contact Julie if you want a place. Sorry, all places are now filled.

The web site has received a slightly new look, a wider frame and additional features. It is also now much easier for authorised members to add and create content on the web site. In the transfer to the new build it is entirely possible some features or content has been lost or corrupted alightly. If you find anything smiss or have any comments on the site, or requests for functionality or content, could you let me know please, thank you.

The dates for the 2011 Young Sailors Summer Camp have been set as Sunday evening 14th - Friday 19th August. The 2010 Summer Camp was a huge success and fully subscribed. Please reserve dates in your diaries now if you would like your children to attend or if you would like to volunteer your assistance. More details here.

Flyers for 2011 Level 2 training and Young Sailors courses are now available here.

Slides from the AGM 2010 can be found here (a 3MB download please note), including details of the new Committee, which can also be found here.

The end of an era took place this weekend with the last October Soling Open at Kielder. After a 20 year+ association with the Solings the club have decided to call a close to the event in its current format due to falling numbers and with there no longer being any active or previous club Soling members remaining .The results for the October Solings Open Open are now available here. We are glad to say, however, that the Solings are invited to attend our Spring Windward/Leeward Open event and have a separate start if numbers permits. Many thanks to the Solings for their support of the club over the years.

Nominations for Best Improver 2010 in a number of categories are now open. You can find a nomination form on the web site here or at the club house. Please send nomination forms to the Commodore once completed. Many thanks.

The NOR, SIs and Entry Form for the Soling/Tempest Open on 2/3/ October are now available.

The results for the September Open are now available here.

Thank you to everyone who helped make our 2010 Summer Camp such a fantastic success. We had over 60 volunteers throughout the week making the whole event run smoothly and providing the participants with some great memories. My many thanks to you all - Steve Gibbon, Commodore.