Welcome to the East Dorset Sailing Club, which is located on the South coast adjoining the shores of picturesque Poole harbour, with panoramic views overlooking the Sandbanks peninsular, National Trust’s Brownsea Island and the Purbeck hills beyond.
The East Dorset Sailing Club’s position allows easy access to the harbour entrance and out into Poole Bay. Once here, there are opportunities to sail either eastwards towards Christchurch and the Solent, with numerous harbours and creeks to explore, or westwards to Swanage, Weymouth and beyond following the spectacular Jurassic coast. Adventurous sailing club members also head south to Cherbourg and all that the French coast can offer.
However, due to our exceptional position in Poole Harbour, there is no need to ever leave the entrance. With over 38 square kilometres of water and 100 kilometres of shoreline having numerous bays, inlets, and islands, extending up the River Frome to the town of Wareham, there are many sailing explorations to be undertaken in the harbour itself.
East Dorset Sailing Club was established in 1875 on the very spot it stands today, and is proud to be the oldest sailing club in the harbour not to have moved or changed its name. It was formed all those years ago by a group of gentlemen who enjoyed “messing about in boats” and as the club has evolved with the passing of time that ethos hasn’t changed.
We are the smallest club in Poole Harbour with 65 swinging moorings for yachts, 35 dinghies in our yard and having just 180 members. However, this gives us a unique quality being extremely friendly with most members knowing each other by face if not by name. We are also very much a self-help club. All members contribute to the running and maintenance with their own individual skills and abilities, whether it is helping with a spring clean, maintaining our pier which is as old as the club, or crewing a safety boat.
At the East Dorset Sailing Club we offer a wide, diverse range of activities throughout the year. Members are actively discouraged not to just park their boats, but to join in the rallies, the racing both in and outside the Harbour, the Picnics and bbq’s in summer along with the many winter socials in the clubhouse.