The Club sails on Llangorse Lake, which is one of the most picturesque sailing venues in the UK and is recognised as one of the safest sailing venues in Wales.
The lake is situated within the Brecon Beacons National Park, between the Black Mountains and the Brecon Beacons. The lake and much of its surroundings are a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and has now become an EU Special Area of Conservation (SAC).
The club was formed by a few enthusiasts in 1952. Some of the founding members had been sailing there prior to the 1939/1945 war.
The club’s objectives are laid out in rule 1.2 : ‘The object of the Club shall be to promote and facilitate the sport of sailing, which shall include racing, on Llangorse lake. As one of its objectives, the Club will promote sailing for young persons. The club will do all in its power to protect the natural amenities and beauty of the lake….’. The club maintains an equal opportunities policy.
On its formation, the club became tenants of a family who ran pleasure boats on the lake. In 1968 the club was able to buy the site. At that time only a small area was usable as much of it was at or about summer water level and subject to flooding after heavy rain and for much of the winter.
The Club became affiliated to the Royal Yachting Association (RYA); the sport’s national authority soon after it was founded and is a member of the Welsh Yachting Association.
The Club Trustees act on behalf of the Club’s Executive Committee on matters relating to the ownership of the site and in dealings with the owners of the lake through the Llangorse Lake Conservation and Management Company. The executive Committee is empowered to ‘..manage the affairs of the club according to the Rules, Byelaws and Recommendations and shall cause the funds of the Club to be applied solely to the objects of the Club….’
Soon after the site was purchased, a machine was brought in to dig two channels and the lagoon to get enough spoil to start raising much of the area. The unstable spoil was covered with a layer of soil brought in from near-by. Wooden piles were driven close to the banks by club members to stabilise them.
During the 60’s and 70’s membership grew and further land was made available for dinghy and car parking by dredging new creeks and the lagoon and bringing in many hundreds of tonnes of soil to raise the level. A clubhouse was built in 1973, soon after the initial excavations, followed several years later by changing rooms. The club was connected to the electricity, water and main sewer on the other side of Llangorse Common. These improvements were mainly financed by the membership, although the club did receive a grant towards building the changing rooms. The club still relies on members for maintenance, small developments and projects to improve the infra-structure and facilities.
Although Llangorse Lake had been open to all and sundry from time immemorial, a local family was able to prove ownership in the eighties. After a long period of protracted negotiations, the club reached an agreement with the Llangorse Lake Conservation and Management Company in 1987 for its members to be licensed to sail on the lake.
More latterly the club played a leading role in the establishment of the Llangorse Lake Users Group (LLAG). The group consist of the lake owner, The Countryside Council for Wales, The Brecon Beacon National Park Authority, the Brecknock Wildlife Trust, lake-users and other interested organisations. The group drew up a code of conduct for the use of the lake to protect the environment and acts as the monitoring body.
It has always kept its subscription and dinghy berthing fees and the cost of training courses low to attract members from across all age groups and abilities. Currently there are around two hundred and fifty memberships, which include family and their children. In 2008 members ages ranged from 4 to 87, with some 38% of the members under 18 or students. The club attracts members from a wide area and as it is the best sailing location within a reasonable distance of many of the small towns along the Welsh Border and Herefordshire.
Although the club had always been very keen on training, with the advent of the Royal Yachting Association training programmes, training was put onto a more formal footing and the club has RYA Training Centre status.
In the early 80’s with the help of the Sports Council for Wales, the club was able to obtain six Topper dinghies for training. These were augmented later by the purchase of six Oppie dinghies for training young children with the help of a Foundation for Sports and the Arts grant. In the early nineties the Club began its Cadet Week training initiative for juniors over the school summer half term. For several years now this event has attracted around 60 Juniors of all ages and capabilities. The club runs other Junior training sessions and events throughout the sailing season.
In the past several Junior members have been selected for National Training Squads and some have represented their country and the UK in International events. Senior Club members have competed successfully at Open meetings at other sailing clubs and at International events.
To further the training aspect of the club, it applied for and received a Sportlot Grant and a grant from Powys Council in 1997 for the purchase of four Comet Trio dinghies, an extra safety boat and more safety equipment to increase the scope of the club’s training initiative. The club has also received some small training grants to increase the number of qualified instructors needed to be able to satisfy the demand for training and to update some of the training facilities. The club now runs training courses at various levels most weekends throughout the season. All club instructors do so voluntarily at no cost to the club.
In 2005 the club began a massive project to improve the club site. The piling retaining banks around the club site had deteriorated and damage by erosion was becoming a serious problem and the lagoon in front of the club house was silting up creating problems for launching boats, but particularly hampering junior training within a safe zone. During late summer of 2004 the banks were re-piled and the lagoon dredged and members built a new launching ramp.
As part of the project members constructed a new jetty in front of the clubhouse and a new launching slip and concreted the area above it and the walkway out to the lake. What had been the west creek was filled with topsoil and re-seeded and hard roadways were laid around the site. In 2008 the old wooden jetty out onto the lake was replaced with a more substantial structure with the help of a grant from Powys County Council as was the major site project undertaken in 2004 and 2005..
Llangorse Sailing Club makes its facilities available to members of other sailing clubs, schools and youth organisations and holds open sailing events which attract members of other sailing clubs from across the country. The club plays a pivotal role in running the annual Welsh Yachting Associations/Acorn/LSC two-day Youth Regatta. The Regatta, which attracts many young sailors from right across Wales, has become the biggest youth sailing event in the Principality.
In 2006 the Llangorse Sailing Club received the Powys Sport’s Council’s Club of the Year Award and Mal Jones a previous club Commodore and National Sailing Coach for Wales received a Royal Yachting Association Life Time Award from HRH the Princess Royal and a Sports Personality Award from Powys Spots Council, both awards which have also been received by John Morgan, the club’s longest serving member and its president.
The future aim of the club is to attract and encourage membership, particularly junior members.
To achieve those aims, the Club’s objectives are to enhance its training capabilities and schedules, maintain and improve the facilities and the infra structure of the club site.