Sailing Classes

The Cornish Shrimper is a sturdy inshore gaff rigged craft with a lifting keel. Some have outboards, but most now have inboard engines. The most popular design is the Shrimper 19, but there is a 17ft version as well as a more spacious 21ft. There are various different cabin layouts with two or four berths. If you do not want a brand-new boat, there are plenty of good second-hand ones available in Poole and across the south of England.

One of the attractions of the Shrimpers is they can easily be sailed single handed as well as with two or three crew. There is a very active Shrimper Association (link: Shrimper Owners’ Association) which has a one-off joining fee (currently £45) and no annual subscription. The Poole branch has over 100 members. About 30 social sailing events are organised by the Poole branch throughout the season in the harbour, out in the bay and even some overnight stays in the Solent. You can also join in with the social cruising every Thursday morning, which usually ends up with a raft up for lunch somewhere in the harbour. The SOA also organise an annual cruise if you wish to tow your boat to explore the waters in other parts of the country or even across the channel.

At the RMYC there is the option of a swing mooring (accessible with the free club launch) or a marina berth (subject to the waiting list). We currently have eighteen members with Shrimper 19’s and three with Shrimper 21’s.

Shrimpers are well built and maintenance is relatively easy. There is plenty of help and tips available from other owners as well as advice on the SOA website. In Poole there are many yards and repair facilities who are well used to helping Shrimper owners.

The RMYC offers racing on Thursday evenings usually from the third week in April through to the end of August. The racing is friendly, but of course there is a competitive edge, and a number of crews meet up for a drink and club supper afterwards. There is a single-handed race at the beginning of September and also an Autumn series on Sunday mornings in September and October. The RMYC regatta is usually held on a Saturday in June and offers racing for Shrimpers too. Trophies are presented at the end of the season for the spring, summer and autumn series, round the islands race, regatta and single-handed race.

For further information please contact our Class Captain, James Hunter Smart, on 07939122217 or by email to jehuntersmart@gmail.com.

Classic Flying Fifteen racing at The Royal Motor Yacht Club offers a thrilling, and relatively low cost, experience for sailors of all levels. Design in 1947 by Uffa Fox, these 20ft long fast two-handed keelboats race twice weekly on Tuesday and Thursday evenings throughout the spring and summer, and weekly on Sunday mornings during the autumn. Poole Harbour provides an ideal setting for these races, where participants face dynamic conditions and tactical challenges.
The club also has two Flying Fifteens available for members to book, allowing experienced sailors wishing to experience the excitement of participating aboard these fast planing yachts during our fleet races. Each race is followed by friendly gatherings of the fleet in the club bar, where sailors share stories and strategies of the race. Known for its welcoming and lively atmosphere, the Flying Fifteen Fleet combines a passion for relaxed racing with a vibrant social scene, making it the perfect place to enjoy the sport and camaraderie of sailing.
For more information regarding booking a club boat, or indeed joining the fleet with your own boat, please contact the FF class captain, via the club office.

The first race by XODs took place in June 1911 and apart from the war years, the class has raced continuously to this day.

The hull shape and dimensions remain today in accordance with the original design, although changes in timber specification and surface treatments have been permitted, in order to better preserve the timbers and to ease maintenance. The rig is Bermudan with jib and spinnaker.

A total of 202 XODs have been built in the last 100 years, with about 190 still in regular use. The latest boat to have been built was launched in 2007.

There is a very active and well organised ‘XOD’ class association.