North West Events
Introduction
In the North West there are events both for larger sea going vessels and for smaller boats that can be trailered by road.
The programme includes events in Lake District and on our Estuaries. On the Isle of Man there is an annual festival at Peel.
Many of our events include cruises in company with other boats. They might be an informal not too serious race. Most events will have a programme of related social activities.
You are welcome to come to our events even if you do not plan bringing a boat. You just might get a sail.
Going to a traditional boat event is a great way of seeing other boats and meeting other OGA members.
2026 Events
Royal Barrow Festival of Seas including Tall Ships - Sat 8 & Sun 9 Aug
Major maritime festival celebrating Barrow's connection with the sea. The festival features tall ships, historic vessels, including Morecambe Bay Prawners, entertainment, talks, live music and children's activities, making a great day out for all the family.
The event is based in the Buccleuch Dock in the centre of Barrow-in-Furness. There is boat launching for trailer sailers whilst bigger boats can come through the sea lock. The dock is big enough to sail in. There is a marquee by the dock for refreshment and food in the evening. Showers are available for boat crews..
Smaller boats will be based at the south end of the Dock on Cavendish Dock Road LA14 2LA next to the Canoe Club and Funfair. There will also be a chance to see boats sailing up and down the Dock.
Gaff rig boats coming to the event include Hearts of Oak, a Morecambe Bay Prawner built in Ulverston in 1912, Arnside Sailing Club's Severn, a Lune Whammel and a Loch Broom Post Boat
For more details contact Andrew Naylor AndyNaylor129@msn.com
Spray Welcome to Morecambe Event Fri 14th August
Civic event welcoming Spray back to Morecambe.
Spray is one of the oldest surviving Morecambe Bay Prawners. She was built in 1896 by Crossfields in Arnside for a Morecambe fisherman. At the turn of the nineteenth century there were around 100 prawners based at Morecambe. Spray is owned by the Morecambe Bay Prawner Trust who aim to keep her in sailing conditions.
The event will be based at the Stone Jetty in Morecambe. We envisage that Spray will sail in with the tide arriving between 12 noon and 1pm. She will stay overnight for the Maritime Singing Event the next day leaving at high tide.
(Event is dependent on the weather)
OGA Windermere Jetty Regatta Sat 3 and Sun 4 Oct
A two day event combining sailing with heritage based at Windermere Jetty Museum. With sailing on the lake, the event is a must for everyone with an interest sailing and traditional boats. It is suitable for any traditional boat that is trailerable by road, big or small. With the woods on shore taking on autumn colour the lake will be at prettiest.
Sailing Plans
We plan to offer a programme of cruises in company and a possibly an informal race. The Museum is located on the wider northern reach of the lake which is closer to the mountains, including the Langdale Pikes and Fairfield Horseshoe. We hope to sail up to Ambleside for lunch on one day and on the other visit the beaches south of the National Trust's Wray Castle. Alternatives are stopping on the west side of the Lake under Claife Heights or sailing south to the southern reach of the Lake.
The Windermere Lake Users Map gives an idea of the options.. Click here to see the map.
Supporting Programme
We plan to organise group meals on Friday and Saturday evening.
Prices
Event fee £67 per boat for two days sailing (Boat launching, storage, mooring and cruising each day)
Museum admission and visit to workshops £12
Members not planning to bring a boat are also welcome to come. There should be a chance for you to go out on a boat. (contact nwsec@oga.org.uk)
To Book Click
Association AGM Weekend, Old England Hotel, Bowness-on-Windermere Fri 15 to Sun 17 Jan 2027
Based at the Old England Hotel overlooking Bowness Bay in 2027 the weekend is as much a social weekend as an Association AGM. Each year the AGM takes place in different location with sailing connections.
For these not taking part in meetings during the day there will be opportunity to visit Windermere Jetty Museum coming back via a cruise on the lake to Ambleside. In the evening after the AGM, there will be conference dinner followed by a ceilidh.
On Sunday there will a programme of talks and a sandwich lunch at Royal Windermere Yacht Club. Talks will include the History of Royal Windermere Yacht Club and the Windermere 17 Class by Richard Thompson and Arthur Ransome's different boats by Paul Flint from the Arthur Ransome Society.
For those wanting to stay longer it should be possible to combine a holiday in the Lakes with the OGA Weekend
Association AGM Weekend, Old England Hotel, Bowness-on-Windermere Fri 15 to Sun 17 Jan 2027
The Museum
The awarding winning Windermere Jetty Museum was opened in 2019. It tells the 200 year story of the Windermere's boating history. The Museum's collection includes steamboats, gaff rigged yachts, ferries and speedboats. Windermere was at the forefront of boat design. In nineteenth century. Rich Victorian built large houses round the lake and competed to have the latest and best boat. In early twentieth century the lake was synonymous with Arthur Ransome and Swallows and Amazons. Coch-y-bonndhu one of Arthur Ransome's boats is one of the boats on display. The 1950s boats used as Swallow and Amazon in 2016 film are here too. Another of the museum's exhibits is a boat owned by Beatrice Potter.
The weekend includes a chance to go on a guided tour of the museum including a visit the boat conservation workshops. Steam boat trips are also available.
Association AGM Weekend, Old England Hotel, Bowness-on-Windermere Fri 15 to Sun 17 Jan 2027
Programme
Friday 15th
Arrival, meet up in bar and restaurant
Saturday 16th
1030 Cruise to Windermere Jetty Museum (for those not involved in meetings)
1045 - 1345 Museum Visit, Conservation Talk, Lunch in Lakeside Cafe
1345 -1500 Return to Bowness via Ambleside Cruise
1600 - 1800 AGM
1900 AGM Dinner
2100 Ceilidh
Sunday 17th
Talks for example about Arthur Ransome or Royal Windermere Yacht Club to arrange followed by buffet lunch
Association AGM Weekend, Old England Hotel, Bowness-on-Windermere Fri 15 to Sun 17 Jan 2027
Old England Hotel
Set on the shores of the Lake, the luxury four star Old England Hotel is the traditional lakeside grand hotel making it the ideal venue for an OGA AGM weekend. Founded in 1745, the hotel has been welcoming guests for 250 years. The Old England has a spa and swimming pool. The hotel is owned by Macdonalds Hotels. It overlooks Bowness Bay, where Windermere Cruise boats depart from.. The restaurant, bar and meeting rooms have lakeside views. There is car parking at the hotel for guests staying overnight, though it is a bus or taxi ride from Windermere station at the top of the hill.
The special bed and breakfast rates for OGA members are Friday & Sunday single room £149 and £156 for a double, Saturday single £166, double £186. (The normal price is over £200). Room booking is via the hotel.
For more info about the hotel https://www.macdonaldhotels.co.uk/old-england
Association AGM Weekend, Old England Hotel, Bowness-on-Windermere Fri 15 to Sun 17 Jan 2027
Visit to Windermere Jetty Museum and Lake Cruise Sat 16 Jan
An opportunity for OGA members to visit Windermere Jetty Museum and go for a cruise on the Lake up to Ambleside and back. The Museum tells the story of Windermere boating history.
Prices are
Cruise £17, Museum visit £10
Dinner & Ceilidh Sat 17 Jan
Dinner will be in the Lakeside Restuarant.
The band for the Ceilidh are Bannish the Boggart an outstanding 3 piece ceilidh band. Thery are Ben Farmer on accordion, Richard Moss on guitar and Clare Douglas on fiddle. Ben Farmer will be doing the calling taking us through the dance steps.
Past Events
Peel Sea Fest (Isle of Man) Fri 24 - Sun 26 July
A weekend celebrating the sea including traditional boats, alongside other types of sailing craft and competitions.in the historic port of Peel, Isle of Man. The family friendly event will include a treasure trail, boat trips, skiff rowing, yacht racing and boat jumble.
The festival is hosted by Peel Cruising and Yacht Club. There will live music in the Sailing Club bar in the evening.
Should be a great weekend. Worth going to even if you are not bringing a boat. You could combine it with a longer holiday in the Isle of Man,
If you interested in going please contact the club via psccnickey@gmail.com
Wallasey Yacht Club Regatta - Sat/Sun 11/12th July
A chance for OGA members to take part in Wallasey Yacht Club's annual regatta, Two days of racing in the Mersey off New Brighton and Liverpool attracting boats from Merseyside's historic classes. Traditional gaff rig boats welcomed.
Other historic boats likely to be racing include Wallasey's Seabird Half Raters, Milnes and Etchells from the Royal Mersey Yacht Club, Operas from Hoylake and West Kirby Hilbres and Stars. There may be modern boats such as Wayfarers and ICLAs.
Even if you do not plan it is worth coming to watch and take part in social activities. The best places to watch are the start/finish line by the Victoria Road slipway in New Brighton or the beach past Fort Perch Rock (depending on course)
Watch out for the details and entry forms on Wallasey Yacht Club's website http://www.wallaseyyachtclub.co.uk/wyc-regatta/
For more info contact Chris Pearson pearsonprojects@aol.com
Conwy River Festival - Fri 3 to Sun 5th July & Wed 9 - Sat 11 July
Conwy’s annual on-the-water festival is taking place over two weekends in July 2025.
Quay Day and Rowing
The popular public Quay Day will take place on Saturday 4th July. On the quay we celebrate Conwy’s rich heritage with nautical themed games, activities and entertainment for all the family.
Regatta Weekend
The regatta weekend runs from Friday 3rd – Sunday 5th July, which includes racing in Conwy Bay for larger boats as well as river racing for smaller boats and dayboats.
LA-LA Rally
The famous LA-LA Rally from Conwy to Caernarfon including the Menai Striats is running from Wednesday 16th – Saturday 19th July
For more info https://conwyriverfestival.org
Chance to sail a Seabird Half Rater, Wallasey - Wed 24th June
Hosted by Wallasey Yacht Club at the mouth of the Mersey, a chance for OGA members to sail in a Seabird Half Rater. Based at New Brighton at the mouth of the Mersey we will either sail south towards Liverpool's historic waterfront or out into the sea past the end of the Wirral peninsula.
Seabird Half Raters are one of the oldest classes still sailing in the UK. Dating from 1898 the boats are 20 feet long. There are fleets of Seabirds at Wallasey Yacht Club, Treaddur Bay in Anglesey and at Abersoch.
Wallasey Yacht Club. Based on Hope St in New Brighton, the club was founded in 1903. The Club runs a programme of racing for Seabird Half Raters and an annual regatta. The boats are maintained using traditional wooden boat building techniques by members in the Club's workshops underneath the Clubhouse.
The event will start with coffee / tea at Wallasey Yacht Club's historic clubhouse on Hope St, New Brighton at 10 am. Sailing from 12pm to 2.30pm. There will be some buffet food available afterwards with people welcome to stay in the clubhouse for longer.
For more information and to book contact Chris Pearson pearsonprojects@aol.com
Lytham Rally Sat/Sun 30/31 May
A chance for OGA members to sail on the estuary at Lytham as part of Ribble Cruising Club's Regatta. The event offers OGA members a chance to explore Lytham, meet up with friends and sail in the Ribble Estuary. The event is suitable for both sea going vessels and trailerable boats.
The event includes racing, a cruise in company and programme of social events,
Most
Lytham
Lytham
Advanced Ropework - Knots, Splicing, Whipping and Lashing Sun 12 April 0930-1630
Learn traditional maritime skills at Arnside Sailing Club. One day advanced ropework course covering about knots, splicing, whipping and lashing. The course includes a soup lunch.
Phil Bleazey, the course tutor is a professional engineer . He has spent the last 30 years making woodwind instruments - flutes, whistles and recorders. He runs courses in making instruments and engineering. In the 1980/90s he built and sailed his own yacht, an Anderson 20 in the Thames Estuary.
The course is in aid of Spray, owned by the Morecambe Bay Prawner Trust. Spray built in Arnside 1896 is one of the oldest surviving Morecambe Bay Prawners. To find out more about Spray https://morecambebayprawnertrust.org
Cost £35
Click to book: Advanced Ropework Course
Venue - Arnside Sailing Club, 19 Promenade, Arnside LA5 0HD
OGA North West AGM, Lytham Sat 28 Feb 11.30 am
The OGA North West AGM at Ribble Cruising Club on the seafront at Lytham.. The AGM will be followed by a talk and buffet lunch.
As well as being AGM, it is a great chance to meet up with other members.
At the AGM the Area President gives a short presentation reveiwing the past year activities and plans for next year, the accounts are approved and the committee for next year elected.
Buffet lunch £10.50 OGA members, £12.50 non members
To book https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/oga-north-west/oga-north-west-agm-lunch-lytham/e-admarx
Christmas Visit to Lancaster Maritime Museum & Lunch - Friday 5th Dec at 11am
A chance for OGA members to enjoy a guided tour of Lancaster Maritime Museum followed by lunch at a nearby.
The Museum tells the story of Lancaster and Morecambe's maritime history. In the eighteenth century Lancaster was a leading port trading with the West Indies, America, Africa and Europe. The city was an important ship building centre. The Museum is housed in the historic Customs House and an adjacent eighteenth century warehouse on St George's Quay. Fishing was an important industry in Morecambe with a fleet of around 100 prawners, as well mussel and whammel boats.
There are exhibits about the eighteenth century port, the slave trade, the fishing industry, crossing the sands, Lancaster Canal,Port of Heysham and the Morecambe Bay Gasfield. There is a model of Crossfield's Boatyard in Arnside, where many prawners were built on display.
There is an entry fee to the Museum of £4 (paid on the door). For residents of Lancaster City Council it is free.
Can you let us know that you are coming by booking on the below link
Registration is free
Crossfields Conference, Arnside - Sat 22 Nov
Conference about Crossfields of Arnside and the different boats they built
Crossfields were leading builders of Morecambe Bay Prawners and yachts from 1840s to 19940s. They buult Arthur Ransome's Swallow and Coch-y-Bonndhu.
The conference should feature talks about
a) Morecambe Bay Prawner Trust's Spray, which was built in Arnside in 1896
b) Arnside Sailing Club's Severn built by Crossfields in 1912
c) A talk by OGA President Mike Beckett about Pacific Moon, a Crossfield's boat that sailed to Tahiti in 1931
There will a programme of supporting social activity in the evening
Booking - https://www.tickettailor.com/events/arnsidesailingclub/1753017
Ullswater Rally and Gaffling Championship, Sat 23 - Mon 25 August
Three days gaff rig sailing on England's most scenic lake.
We are based at Ullswater Yacht Club, at the Pooley Bridge end of the lake. The Club has excellent facilities including on site camping, space for camper van and launching for day boats and yachts.
We plan a programme of day cruises stopping on a beach for lunch for a picnic or visiting a nearby cafe. We hope to sail up to Glenridding at the head on the lake on one day, a full day's sail through increasing mountainous scenery. There will be a programme of social events in the evening..
Gaffling Championship
Bank Holiday Monday will feature the Gaffling Championship. The championship will take the form of heats with crews changing between heats followed by a final. Hopefully we should have five boats there so there will be plenty a chance to crew a boat in one of the heats. The Gaffling dinghy was designed by Andrew Wolstenholme, a leading yacht designer for the OGA as an entry level boat to gaff rig sailing, It is available in kit form from Fyne Boats near Kendal.
To watch a video of last year's championship click
To book a Gaffling for the championship click
Booking
Booking and payment will be through Ullswater Yacht Club's booking system.
https://ullswateryachtclub.org/event/1183881
The price is £20 per person per day. Camping is £20 a night,
If not camping or coming in a camper van, we would advise booking early. As well as chalet parks, pubs, hotels, self catering accomodation and guest houses round the lake, staying in Penrith is a further option,
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Notice of Race Gaffling Championship 2025 | [pdf 96KB] |
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Arnside Classic Boat Regatta - Fri 27 and Sat 28 June
An event for towable boats with launching from Arnside Promenade. A chance to sail in the scenic estuary in Arnside overlooked by the Lakeland Fells.
Arnside has a long maritime heritage, The estuary was the port for Kendal, The Victorians held regattas. The village's first yacht club was set up in 1852. Crossfields built Morecambe Bay Prawners and yachts. They built both Arthur Ransome's Swallow and Coch-y-bonddhu.
Arnside Sailing Club own Severn, a yacht was built in Arnside in 1912. She is currently being restored at a cost of over £100,000 with the help from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and other funders. Severn is one of 10 Rivers Class yacht built by Crossfields for the Royal Mersey Yacht Club. The Club also own Jabberwocky a Gaffling dinghy.
Come even if you do not plan bringing a boat. Arnside is a great place to watch traditional boats. You just might get a sail. On Saturday there will be a strawberry supper supper following sailing. Buffet with sandwiches followed by strawberries and cream.
For Further Information and to book https://widget.eola.co/1222/activities/arnside-classic-boat-regatta or email Alasdair Simpson commodore@arnsidesailinclub.org.uk