Club History Page

A Brief History of Fleetwood Model Yacht & Power Boat Club

The club evolved from a group of model yachtsmen who sailed their boats on a piece of water near the shore known locally as 'The Navvied Pond

The Fleetwood Model Yacht & Power Boat Club was formed in 1929 and the lake, as we know it today, was officially opened by Earl Bettie of "Jutland" fame in 1932, at which time we had 100 members and a nice wooden clubhouse in which members could store their boats. In the same year the club held its first National Championship for '6 Metre model Yachts.

In the following year, 1933, the British Open A Class Championship was held for the first time at Fleetwood. Since that time Fleetwood as held many major National and International Championships for many classes of boats.

In those early years all the yachts were vane controlled but in the early 1970's radio controlled yachting became popular and by 1974 the Model Yacht Association had organised national championships for Radio Marblehead's and soon realised how popular the sport was going to become. Radio controlled yachting has grown in popularity and is now one of the major activities in the sporting and racing calendar of the club . In addition, on the R/C  yachting racing scene the club plays host  to a number of Open , National and International events .

The interest in model powerboats sadly began to wane by the mid 1970's but out of the ashes of the powerboat section grew the scale section. The group grew in both members and aspirations and being dedicated modellers they have, as a group, successfully completed two large-scale projects. These being the renovation of the model SS Duke of Lancaster and the conversation of an old A Class yacht into a model of the STA Schooner Winston Churchill.

The club now has about 120 members,  a fine club house and excellent sailing water. Bbut be warned it can blow up  a bit rough at  Fleetwood and skippers used to calmer conditions have sometimes been surprised with the size of the waves and the strength of the wind.