Based on a large man-made inland lake, Frampton on Severn Sailing Club (FOSSC) has just celebrated its 60th anniversary.
Formed in 1966, the club initially sailed on the lake at Frampton Court but moved to the current location in Watery Lane four years later.
“In 1970 it moved here and Sir Peter Scott opened the club, because this used to be a gravel lake, the gravel was used for the M5 motorway construction,” explained Julian Hardy, Commodore at FOSSC.
“They moved across here when there was enough water, but it was funny going back to 1976 when we had similar weather conditions [to this summer]. They couldn’t sail here in October because the water level was so low and there were still some trees left in the bottom which they then had to try and pull out. Fortunately, this year I think we’re going to be okay water wise and we’ll keep sailing.”
The club has around 350 active members and prides itself on its inclusivity, running Royal Yachting Association-approved sailing courses as well as Sailability sessions on Saturday mornings for disabled sailors.
“It’s wonderful to see around 20 disabled people coming down every week. We can take them out on sailing boats. We actually have some special boats as well called Hansas that they can sail that has a weighted centreboard that doesn’t tip over,” added Julian.
Anyone interested in finding out more about sailing, visit the club’s website.
Pictures and video by Matt Bigwood
