About Us
A friendly sailing and social club in Babbacombe
Babbacombe Corinthian Sailing Club (BCSC) is a friendly sailing and social club with a proud history dating back to 1935. Based in Babbacombe, we bring together people who enjoy sailing, spending time by the sea and being part of a welcoming local club. Whether you’re an experienced sailor, interested in learning to sail or simply looking for somewhere friendly to meet people and enjoy the social side of club life, we’d love to welcome you.
Our History
The Early Years (1935–1939)
Babbacombe Corinthian Sailing Club was founded on Saturday 22 June 1935, at a meeting on Oddicombe Beach attended by around twelve gentlmen.
The club’s founding officers were:
- President: Mr H Thomas, who held the position until his death in 1950.
- Commodore: Mr W Terry, affectionately known as “The Admiral”.
- Honorary Secretary: Mr S W Francis.
- Honorary Treasurer: Mr G D L White.
- Captain: Mr F T C Stoneman.
The club’s first headquarters were in an old fisherman’s hut on Oddicombe Beach. Its stone walls still form the lower storey of today’s beach clubhouse. The first club race took place on 6 July 1935, with six boats competing. It was won by Bumble Bee, sailed by Mr S W Francis.
In February 1936, the club became affiliated with the Yacht Racing Association, later renamed the Royal Yachting Association (RYA). The club also joined the West of England Association and became recognised as a major sailing club in Torbay.
The original racing fleet consisted of around a dozen dinghies, including Snipes, Sharpies, 12ft Nationals and 14ft Internationals. Races were initially organised from an old 37ft naval whaler, with a 12-bore shotgun used as the starting signal.
In 1937, a new clubhouse was built on Oddicombe Beach. Still in use today, it was officially opened by the Mayoress of Torquay on 26 June 1937, the year of the International Coronation Regatta in Torbay.
Regular racing continued until 1939, when club activities were suspended during the Second World War. The Royal Air Force and Home Guard took over the beach headquarters.
Post-War Years (1945–1959)
The club was reformed in 1945 and adopted the Redwing as its main racing class in 1947.
As the club grew, members wanted a place to meet during the winter months, hold lectures, and keep in touch socially. This led to the opening of the St Marychurch clubhouse and licensed premises in Fore Street in October 1947. The building had previously been used as a sales office for locally quarried marble, which explains the elaborate stonemason’s crest above the main entrance. In 1948, Torbay hosted the Olympic sailing events. BCSC was proud to help staff the Olympic Race Committee and host overseas competitors. The club hosted the Redwing National Championships in 1950. Shortly afterwards, the Sprog became the main racing class, with Babbacombe hosting many Sprog National Championships over the following years. In 1956, the club formed its first cadet squadron, helping introduce younger members to sailing.
Dinghy Racing and Development
Many members built their own dinghies during the following decades. Home-built Fireballs and Moths joined Finns and the growing Sprog fleet, which remained strong until the 1980s. The single-handed Laser became popular during the 1980s, before the club adopted the Tasar as its fleet dinghy. BCSC Tasar sailors have represented the UK at six World Championships, and the club held the National Champions title in 2007.
Training the Next Generation
In 1997, Babbacombe Corinthian Cadet Club was formed as part of BCSC for sailing training purposes and has trained over 1,500 young sailors to date. Three of the Club’s instructors have earned RYA awards for their efforts in voluntary training. The club was honoured by a visit from HRH The Princess Royal in her capacity as Patron of the RYA “Sailability” scheme. The Princess Royal attended a reception for all the pupils undergoing training during the year to present RYA certificates and to thank the volunteers.
The Club Today
Over the years, BCSC has continued to improve its facilities, including upgrades to the slipway, safety RIBs, sailing boats and, more recently, the beach clubhouse.
These improvements have helped the club continue its long tradition of sailing, training and bringing people together in Babbacombe.
Babbacombe Corinthian Sailing Club remains an active sailing and social club. We are proud of our history and engaged in the present and we look forward to welcoming new members to share in our future. If you are interested in joining, please check out our membership page or otherwise pop in at the clubhouse for a chat. If you are interested in learning to dinghy sail, information can be found here. We have recently teamed up with Oddicombe Beach Swimming, where members now have an opportunity to enjoy safe open water swimming.
Learn to sail in Torquay
For more information please checkout our learn to sail training section