Filey Sailing Club

Jim Saltonstall rates this Yorkshire venue as one of the best on the east coast

Filey Sailing Club is situated on the east coast of Yorkshire and has hosted numerous national dinghy events over the years. Ideal for either national championships or major open meetings, the club offers good facilities, both ashore and afloat.

Access is via the A170, which is the main east coast road, running out to Scarborough, or the A64 from York. From the south, take the A165 from Bridlington. Filey is a small seaside resort, steeped in both character and history, ideal for the sailing as well as the family holiday area. There is good accommodation, restaurants, and great fish and chips! Caravan and camping facilities are all in abundance in the immediate surrounding area.

For those looking for places to visit, you will not be disappointed. The Yorkshire moors, Bempton cliffs, Flambrough Head, Scarborough and Bridlington are all within 30 minutes’ driving time, so there is plenty to choose from.

Racing Area

Filey Bay offers a superb racing area - a small-secluded bay protected from the western sector winds, exposed to the easterlies. Launching is off a shallow shelving hard beach, which is not a problem at all in the predominantly westerly winds during the summer months.

The bay is protected from the northerly winds by Filey Brig, which extends out to the east, curling away to the south-east. Racing normally takes place inside the bay, but could be further to seaward if required. Looking at the chart, you will see that it is a relatively shallow race area, not too deep until you get well to the east of the Brig.


Wind Direction

340-020 degrees: The wind from this direction is coming over the Brig, so it is quite shifty, as the land is relatively high to windward. Should you ever get this wind direction in Filey Bay, the race committee will set the course up fairly well to the south in the bay. Race strategy for the wind is to use the shifts left of middle, as there is more wind on the port side of the course, with possible lifts on port tack near the mainland shore. Know your numbers on the compass, highs and lows on both tacks, so that you can use the shifts to your advantage all the time, whilst the wind is out of the north. The only reason for not working the port side of the course in a northerly wind could be a strong spring ebb tide, which we will look at later.

020-150 degrees: In this direction, the wind is at its most stable in both strength and direction, with slightly less wind near the shore as the wind leaves the surface to climb over the land. This effect is at its strongest when the wind is from the north-east sector, as the land is higher to the south of the town, where it starts to climb up towards Bempton cliffs. When the wind gets more to the south-east, this is when we get the roughest sea state, as the bay now becomes a dead end producing quite a backwash of confused water. Race strategy with the easterly wind sector, depends much upon the tidal direction, which we will cover later.

150-160 degrees: Now the wind is running parallel with the shoreline from the south-east, it pays to work the beat left of middle for the wind, as there is more wind away from the shoreline, due to the divergence wind area within half a mile of the land. Tidal direction and strength may change your mind, as you will see later, when we address the tidal issue.

160-230 degrees: With the wind now coming off the land from the south to south-west, it pays to work the beat left of middle again for the stronger wind area, due to the divergence area along the shoreline. But you must also consider using the lifts on starboard tack along the shoreline, as the wind comes off the land onto the sea. Both strategies have been known to work, so check it out on the day. There may well be less wind inshore, but with a lifting wind on starboard tack, it could pay to go right.

230-290 degrees: This is a shifty direction. It becomes more so closer to the windward mark, as the shifts are quite frequent, ranging over a wider arc than they will do down in the leeward mark area. It is important to know highs and lows on the compass for both tacks, so that you can take advantage of the shifts all the time. Do not get to the lay lines too early, otherwise you will be easing sheets to get to the windward mark. As you approach the mark, look for lifts mainly on starboard tack as the wind sheers to the right, as it leaves the land to go onto the sea. The sea state is at its flattest when the wind is in this sector, and so from a boat tuning point of view, we are looking to set up with flatter sails, and firmer leaches.

290-340 degrees: When the wind is in the north-west sector, it is gusty and blustery, as well as shifty. With the convergence area on the port side of the course, it normally pays to work the shifts on the port side. As you go closer to the shore on starboard tack, you pick up headers, with lifts on port tack along the shoreline.

Sea Breeze

The best conditions for a good sea breeze are in the early morning, when there is a light south-west offshore wind, clear blue sky, and a warm sunny morning. Cumulus clouds start to develop late morning, showing that the vertical rise of warm air has started; the sea breeze comes in close to the shore first, and then fills in from offshore. Initially it fills in from approx 090 degrees, backs slightly as it builds, then veers, as the day gets older. So think about protecting the right-hand side of the course from mid to late afternoon.

Tide

Basically the tide flows parallel with the shore line, turning inshore first. The flood tidal direction is to the south, and the ebb to the north. The strongest tide is to seaward of the Brig, as you would expect, and you can see a definite tide line where the stronger and weaker areas meet. Outside of the Brig the tide is quite strong during springs, up to two knots, whereas inside the bay it is noticeably less. Tide alone plays a major part in your race strategy decision process, at times opposing your thoughts about the favoured side for the wind. Chat to the Filey fishermen for local knowledge about the tide.


Filey Bay, is a good racing venue, and in my opinion under-used. So if you are struggling to find a venue, pay it a visit and have a look. I am sure that you will be well impressed.

Tourist Information Office

Kingston Upon Hull phone 01482 867 430