Helensburgh Sailing Club was founded in 1951 by a number of local enthusiasts with the aim of encouraging small boat sailing in the waters off Helensburgh. As a burgee they chose a white pennant with the flywheel of the pioneer paddle steamer Comet represented on it in black. The Comet sometimes sailed from Helensburgh pier where the Club was initially based and the flywheel is still displayed in the local Hermitage Park.
Initially the members had a heterogeneous collection of craft including several small clinker sailing dinghies, a converted ships lifeboat, an ex R.A.F. airborne lifeboat and a number of small cruising keel boats. Fortunately relatively cheap plywood sailing dinghies had recently come on the market in kit form and several members co-operated in the construction of these craft in various sheds throughout the town. Although the Club has always offered handicap racing these new dinghies soon led to the development of scratch racing and by 1959 40 GP14s, 26 Enterprises, and a growing class of Albacores had entered for Club events. Since then classes have changed with Mirrors, 505s, Lasers, etc. appearing on the scene but the pattern of weekend and midweek handicap and scratch dinghy racing continues to the present day. Similar provision along with musters and the occasional short passage race has also been made for keel boats and since the 1980s keelboat racing has been a joint venture with the Royal Northern & Clyde Yacht Club organised through the East Patch Committee on which both Clubs are represented.
Regattas have also been a regular feature of, the racing calendar starting with the Coronation Regatta in June 1953. In 1958 the Club’s main annual regatta was switched to August with the introduction of a two day Small Boat Weekend and this pattern has continued to the present day.
In addition to its own events the Club has hosted many dinghy championships starting with the GP14 Scottish Championship in 1957 and one of the largest was the Enterprise National & World Championship in 1972.
The original base at Helensburgh Pier soon became unsuitable for the rapidly expanding fleet of dinghies which had to be moored in a rather exposed anchorage and in 1959 a small dinghy park with launching facilities was established at the east end of the town. Since then facilities have improved with an enlarged dinghy park, improved launching facilities, a car park and the building of a small clubhouse.
Training has always played an important part in Club activities. Initially this consisted of classes in loyal halls during the winter followed by practical sail training in members boats in the summer. In recent years the facilities provided by the clubhouse and dinghy park, plus the purchase of a number of Club boats, have been used in a major drive to train Juniors and this is now being expanded to include adults with the club having obtained recognition as an R.Y.A. Teaching Establishment.
