Seventy enthusiastic participants took the to the water during Dovestone Sailing Club’s Discover Sailing event last week.

The event was part of a national Royal Yachting Association (RYA) initiative to give people who may have thought about sailing a chance to try it out and find out how their local club can help them get into the sport.

After being kitted out with mandatory buoyancy aids, guests were taken by high-speed powerboat to join the club’s expert instructors on dinghies on the water for a half-hour sail.

A stiff breeze in chilly conditions on Saturday (April 27) made for an exhilarating ride, and the hot drinks and food on returning to the clubhouse went down a storm.

Club Commodore, Iain McNeill, said: “There was such a buzz in the clubhouse – coming off the water everyone was saying how much they’d enjoyed it.

“Participant ages ranged from seven to 70, with lots of family groups, some returning sailors, and guests from the local Tameside Sea Cadets. It really is a pastime that can be enjoyed at any age.”

The club will be running RYA dinghy training courses over the summer for new members and has regular sailing sessions Sunday afternoons, Wednesday evenings, and Friday evenings when the Youth group get together.

Dovestone Sailing Club is set in beautiful surroundings in the Peak District National Park and has been part of the community in Saddleworth since it was founded in 1967.

It has a reputation for its friendly, informal atmosphere and club sailing and a track record of producing World Championship standard sailors.

Current Flying 15 European champions Andrew McKee and Richard Jones from Dovestone are getting ready to set off to defend their title at Crozon-Morgat in France in May, while Ian Jones has been competing across Europe in the Laser/ILCA European Masters series, with next stops Belgium and Netherlands.

For more information, contact; www.dovestonesc.org.uk.