Some 60+ years since starting sailing at Southwold in Suffolk on the sea and on the River Blythe, I have returned to Blithfield Reservoir with a Mirror dinghy 14689 some 50 years old. The reservoir is fed by another River Blithe with a slightly different spelling. We have a group who sail on Thursdays ans call themselves the Thursday Buddies. The rules of Blithfield Sailing Club require a minimum of two craft on the water for safety reasons and this is known as “Buddy Sailing”.
We have another Buddy Group that evolved from this group called the Maintenance Buddies. We have renovated a launch called Misty, a blue craft with a cuddy. We have recently renovated another boat that sank in the February storms of 2024. She is called Verena and is a green and white open launch as you can see in the then and now image.
The Club welcomes new members “We are situated on the banks of the largest reservoir in Staffordshire. We are open to new members, welcome beginners and as a RYA recognised training centre, we run training courses for juniors and adults of all abilities. For the more experienced we have a comprehensive club racing programme and host Open Meetings for classes represented at the club. Our venue benefits from easy access to the water and clear winds, we sail all year round and look forward to giving you a warm welcome.” Click here or on the Sailing Club logo for a link