London Corinthian Sailing Club
Encyclopedia
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
at Hammersmith
Hammersmith
Hammersmith is an urban centre in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in west London, England, in the United Kingdom, approximately five miles west of Charing Cross on the north bank of the River Thames...
. Its activities include Dinghy sailing
Dinghy sailing
Dinghy sailing is the activity of sailing small boats by using five essential controls:* the sails* the foils ....
and racing on the river, and yachting in the Solent
Solent
The Solent is a strait separating the Isle of Wight from the mainland of England.The Solent is a major shipping route for passengers, freight and military vessels. It is an important recreational area for water sports, particularly yachting, hosting the Cowes Week sailing event annually...
and further afield, as well as an active social side including 'Club Nights' every Tuesday evening.
An RYA
Royal Yachting Association
The Royal Yachting Association is the national governing body for certain watersports in the United Kingdom. Activities it covers include:* Sailing* Windsurfing* Motor cruising* Sportsboats* Personal watercraft* Powerboat racing...
-approved offshore training establishment with a full training programme is provided, including RYA theory and practical courses for competent crew, day skipper, coastal skipper and yachtmaster.
Dinghy racing takes place most weekends throughout the year and some evenings during the summer. Mostly dinghies raced are Enterprises
Enterprise (dinghy)
The Enterprise is a two-man sloop-rigged hiking sailing dinghy with distinctive blue sails. Despite being one of the older classes of dinghies, it remains popular in the United Kingdom and about a dozen other countries, and is used for both cruising and racing. It has a combination of size, weight,...
and Lasers
Laser (dinghy)
The International Laser Class sailboat, also called Laser Standard and the Laser One is a popular one-design class of small sailing dinghy. According the Laser Class Rules the boat may be sailed by either one or two people, though it is rarely sailed by two. The design, by Bruce Kirby, emphasizes...
. In addition to sailing at Hammersmith, there are regular events against other dinghy clubs on the Thames and clubs further afield.
The yachting programme includes cruises (around the UK, cross-channel, in the Mediterranean and the Caribbean), training weekends, treasure hunts and races organised by the club. The club also participates in winter and spring series racing in the Solent, Cowes Week
Cowes Week
Cowes Week is one of the longest-running regular regattas in the world. With 40 daily races, up to 1,000 boats, and 8,500 competitors ranging from Olympic and world class professionals to weekend sailors, it is the largest sailing regatta of its kind in the world...
, Round the Island Race, Cork week, offshore JOG
Junior Offshore Group
The Junior Offshore Group is an organiser of offshore yacht races in the UK using IRC handicap system. Aimed at smaller yachts, though the size of the smallest yacht keeps getting bigger as the years go by....
races, RORC
Royal Ocean Racing Club
The Royal Ocean Racing Club also called RORC was established in 1925 as a result of a race to the Fastnet rock from Cowes and finishing in Plymouth. The RORC is the principal organiser of offshore yacht races in the UK, including the Fastnet race, the Admirals Cup and the Commodore's Cup...
races, the Fastnet race
Fastnet race
The Fastnet Race is a famous offshore yachting race. It is considered one of the classic offshore races. It takes place every two years over a course of . The race starts off Cowes on the Isle of Wight in England, rounds the Fastnet Rock off the southwest coast of Ireland and then finishes at...
and some member-organised events.
The clubhouse is a Georgian
Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
building with river views and full facilities.
History
Chiswick
Chiswick is a large suburb of west London, England and part of the London Borough of Hounslow. It is located on a meander of the River Thames, west of Charing Cross and is one of 35 major centres identified in the London Plan. It was historically an ancient parish in the county of Middlesex, with...
border. In the early years the members were all men and used to meet at each other's homes to discuss sailing matters and racing. It was then discovered that a new member owned a pub closer to the City and meetings were promptly convened there instead.
This stretch of the Thames tideway was also originally home to the London Sailing Club, which rented a clubhouse directly on the river between The Dove and The Rutland pubs. When the London Sailing Club moved down river towards Essex, the Corinthians were offered the lease of this building and changed their name to the London Corinthian Sailing Club. Boats were moored on the tidal water and at a later date on land when space became available.
For the first forty years or so members built and owned various designs and sizes of boats and a complicated method of handicapping races was devised. During the Second World War the club was asked to provide boat and sailing training for the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
. Celestial navigation classes were also started about this time by Dr. Olaf Bradbury and today the club is a West London centre for shore based navigation classes.
After the Second World War the club grew in popularity and became very influential in dinghy design and racing. The club has long associations with Uffa Fox
Uffa Fox
Uffa Fox CBE was an English boat designer and sailing enthusiast.-Life:Uffa Fox was born on the Isle of Wight and was raised in East Cowes. He lived for a while in Puckaster on the Isle of Wight.-Work:...
and Jack Holt
Jack Holt (dinghy designer)
Jack Holt, OBE was a prolific designer of sailing dinghies. His pioneering designs of dingies using plywood did much to popularise the sport of sailing in the period immediately following World War II....
, designers and builders of famous dinghy classes (Fireflies, Enterprises, GP 14's, etc.). Other classes sailed on this stretch of the river included the Swordfish, International 14
International 14
The International 14 is 14-foot double-handed racing dinghy. The class originated in England in the early part of the 20th century. It is sailed and raced in many countries around the world and was one of the very first true international racing dinghy classes recognised by International Sailing...
, OK, Merlin, Cadet, Mirror and in recent years the Laser and RS200.
The clubhouse suffered severe bomb damage from a V-1 flying bomb
V-1 flying bomb
The V-1 flying bomb, also known as the Buzz Bomb or Doodlebug, was an early pulse-jet-powered predecessor of the cruise missile....
during the latter part of the war. Repairs were undertaken, but the structure's days were numbered. Due to significant bomb damage surrounding the clubhouse the Hammersmith Town Council decided that the area should be razed and public gardens created (Furnival Gardens).
The old clubhouse was finally demolished and in the early 1960s the London Corinthians were relocated 200 metres up river to Linden House, a gracious refurbished Georgian building. This new accommodation provided room for future growth and a superb environment for sailing tuition and social functions. Simultaneously, secure covered accommodation for over 100 boats was constructed beneath a development of adjacent flats. Launching ramps, spacious pontoons and a race officers' starting box were installed next to the river.
Throughout the years the London Corinthians have welcomed a broad and diverse membership. It was one of the first London clubs to allow women boat owners and sailors to participate in this hitherto 'male only' sport. Rupert D'Oyly Carte
Rupert D'Oyly Carte
Rupert D'Oyly Carte was an English hotelier, theatre owner and impresario, best known as proprietor of the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company and Savoy Hotel from 1913 to 1948....
the opera impresario, and his brother Lucas, and musician Leon Goosens were former members. Athlete Roger Bannister
Roger Bannister
Sir Roger Gilbert Bannister, CBE is an English former athlete best known for running the first recorded mile in less than 4 minutes...
, scientist and broadcaster Dr. Magnus Pyke
Magnus Pyke
Dr. Magnus Alfred Pyke was a British scientist and media figure, who, although apparently quite eccentric and playing up to the mad scientist stereotype, succeeded in explaining science to a lay audience...
and naturalist Sir Peter Scott all sailed at the club. The reformist MP and author of the popular novel 'The Water Gypsies', A P Herbert, was a solid supporter of the Club throughout his life and his son John was until recently the club's President.
At Sport England's suggestion the LCSC formed the registered charity The London Corinthian Trust (roughly 1998) to purchase Linden House and to safeguard the building for sports use in perpetuity. The Trust owns and maintains Linden House, which is the clubhouse for the London Corinthian Sailing Club and the Sons of the Thames Rowing Club. Donations to further the trust's work are greatly appreciated. Linden House is a popular venue for meetings and private celebrations. For much more about Linden House and the trust see the Linden House link below.
The club continues to grow and is experiencing resurgence in river dinghy sailing. Much of this is due to increased public awareness, availability of club owned boats for members to hire and the popular 'come and try it' weekends that encourage novices onto the water for the first time.
The club is committed to expanding recreational sailing and racing on the Thames and a number of initiatives are being brought forward to safeguard the long term future of this sport on the tideway.
The club's offshore group continues to grow and in 2007 several teams entered the prestigious Fastnet race
Fastnet race
The Fastnet Race is a famous offshore yachting race. It is considered one of the classic offshore races. It takes place every two years over a course of . The race starts off Cowes on the Isle of Wight in England, rounds the Fastnet Rock off the southwest coast of Ireland and then finishes at...
. Various rallies, treasure hunts and races are organised on the South Coast, with charter cruises further afield. The club has expanded its shore based theory classes and now offers a wide range of RYA courses, including Yachtmaster and Day Skipper. The club's social events at Linden House are very popular and both informal and formal events are organised throughout the year.