Delph Sailing Club, Bolton
We are a family-friendly sailing club set between Egerton and Belmont on the outskirts of Bolton. Easy access from the surrounding towns of Chorley, Preston, Blackburn, Manchester and beyond.
Whether you are a complete novice or someone returning to sailing after a break, we can help give you the confidence to get out on the water and start enjoying sailing, as a social or competitive pursuit.
Recent News & Updates from Delph Sailing Club
Friday Evening Digest 29th May 2026 Dear Delph Member Your club can be seen as a small club supporting dinghy racing. It is much more than that. In the last few weeks we have seen Delph members:...
By any measure the start of the 2026 sailing season at Delph Sailing Club has been a spectacular success, which is not surprising considering we have had nearly 80 new members so far this year as...
We have just had news that a rather special family have decided to return to Delph with their unborn children. The Little Ringed Plover is a rare breeding species in the UK that is specially...
Just so all our members know we have a brand new pressurised hot water cylinder with a huge 300 litre capacity. Here’s some pictures of what has been done and what is in the plant room below the...
Well done to all our Youth and Juniors who entered the RYA NW Junior& Youth event at Delph on Saturday. We had a good turnout (especially considering some clashes with other events). Well done to...
May Bank Holiday Weekend - 1st to 3rd May Members old and new – we’d love to see you! 🙌 Join us at Delph Sailing Club for our Big Weekend of sailing, socialising and a great club spirit. Whether...
Fantastic Miracle Open event and here's the article in Y&Y. https://www.yachtsandyachting.com/news/295236/Miracles-at-Delph
Fireball Open 18-19/04/26 Photos taken from the committee boat Saturday https://photos.app.goo.gl/vguFLwFEzR75LNCC9 Sunday https://photos.app.goo.gl/gY5ELZVZkJi7XB2Q7
20 boats out for Wednesday racing from national champions and squad sailors through to novices. Not bad at all. Join Delph https://membermojo.co.uk/delph-sc
Hi all, Just for parents of children who can complete a triangle course and want to start racing there is an event on the 18th April at West lancs YC. Coached from the back its a perfect opportunity...
Nice write up of our season so far. Thank you to everyone who has got the season off with a bang! https://www.yachtsandyachting.com/news/295115/Wednesday-night-A-Series-at-Delph-Race-1
Wednesday Handicap Series 2026 Hi All Wednesday evening Handicap starts this week 8th April 😁 7pm. Typically 2 races... all dependant on the daylight
1st May will be our first Fri night social sailing (for all) and cadet club. It is also the North West Junior Travellers on Sat 2nd and our Open Day on the 3rd May. So let’s make a weekend of it!...
Cadet club We would like to get the ball rolling with cadet club on two Sunday mornings (19th and 26th April) before moving to our normal Friday night club on the 1st May . We will be able to cover...
Miracle Northern Area Championship 2026 & Miracle Youth & Junior National Championships 2026 Saturday and Sunday, 11th and 12th April 2026 Delph Sailing Club Longworth Road, Egerton Bolton,...
Great result from all the hard work put in by club members during the closed season.
As is usual, there was an informal meeting after the AGM to keep the membership informed and get ideas off you as to what you want. The gist of it is that we have come a long way as a volunteer...
Huge congratulations to our newly qualified PB2 drivers! Great students and good company over the past two weekends. Looking forward to seeing you put your new skills into practice this season...
Miracle Open and Junior Championships 2026. Miracle Supper - Saturday 11th April - 6:30 for 7pm until later. Adults £10, Under 12’s £6 Lasagna, garlic bread and salad plus dessert. Vegetarian and...
Another group of delph sailors gettting stuck in and doing Powerboat Level 2 course
Laser / ILCA Grand Prix – Northern Series Delph Sailing Club ILCA Open Meeting, featuring the ILCA Youth Event, on Saturday 18th April 2026. Entry price is £15, payable on the day at the club. Club...
Fantastic day of team race training for Lancs Youth Sailing (LYS) at Delph Today. We had 4 fireflies each sailed by 2 kids in the age range of .... During the day the teams changed and switched...
Laser / ILCA Grand Prix - Northern Series Delph SC – Saturday April 18th 2026 Facebook link The Organizing Authority is Delph DSC in conjunction with the ILCA UK NOTICE OF RACE 1.0 RULES 1.1 Racing...
Delph SC SIs 2026 DELPH SAILING CLUB Open Event SAILING INSTRUCTIONS 1 RULES Competitors should note that Delph Sailing Club implements the RYA Racing Charter and that they will be required to sail...
New PY numbers published. https://www.rya.org.uk/racing/portsmouth-yardstick/ The PY numbers allow different boats to be sailed competitively. These numbers are collated by the RYA and are...
The new colour for the wet area is starting to take shape. The lights that were above the bar have been repurposed for above the galley. Thanks to the maintenance team for all there efforts.
Evening all, Don Blackburn is kindly offering his Miracle, free to a new home. It was last on the water during last season. The boat is sound (hull smooth) but the decks will need a little TLC.It...
Aim We want to replace our oldest and slowest safety boat with one that can get to people in trouble in the water much quicker. Wow. Just Wow! We are all stunned that we raised such an incredible...
Here is a little update on where the team are with the refurbishment on the bar and Galley. Hope you like what is going on and how fresh and new the place will look.
Great work at Delph today, Andrew Hindle relaying paving flags, Poppy getting on with her artwork, and the rest of us making great progress with refurb. Galley is almost finished just needs a deep...
Sneak peek of what will be above the bar. Well done to the talented Artist. 🧑🎨 👌👌👍
Remote Control Lasers, they never stop March 20th The Delph AGM March 22nd Working Party March 29th Shakedown Pursuit April 5th Cadet Club resumes
Happy New Year It’s all happening at Delph SC! We’re not closed, just not sailing! I'm there most Sunday afternoons (and sometimes Sunday mornings)! Call in and have a brew and a chat See what...
What an excellent turnout for the Plum Duff. A great event in challenging conditions. Thanks to the race officer and his team and well done to Andy Flitcroft from Bolton SC who won in his Supernova....
Happy 70th Gary. Thank you Gary for all the time, effort and energy you give to the club.
Cracking bit of delph from the sky
We always welcome more members so if you fancy having a go or have a family member, a friend, a neighbour, a work colleague or know anyone who fancies coming down for a sail, why not get them to...
Thanks for a lovely end to the season with the Christmas Party. Thanks to all those who organised this and helped out.
Just a reminder for everyone. After the success of the last theory session we ran on a Friday evening Andy and Graham are going to lead another one on Friday 12th Dec at 7.30pm (5 minute gun at the...
Well done to our group members WAVE. We are currently working with them to secure their membership for the future and expand our paddle based activities at Delph. Bolton-based WAVE Adventures has...
Fireball calendar for 2026 Click image to open in new window. https://www.facebook.com/share/1BbY8T8zsL/
A link for the Fireball YouTube channel, from events to training and a bit of a laugh https://youtube.com/@fireballsailing?si=NOkVnFbxthBiNV6W
Annual Prize giving Dinner and a bit of a party. Here is the invite to the Clubs annual Prize Giving dinner on Saturday 29th November at Dunscar Golf Club. It’s the one event of the year where we...
ILCA Northern Circuit Dates 2026 16 events on calendar for 2026, starting at Delph Sailing Club Bolton in April, and running across a range of clubs in the North. The circuit qualification for 2026...
Rules and a pint (or two) 14th November from 7.30pm (5 minute gun and room at the bar at 7.25pm), Andy Taylor and Graham Clow are leading a session on rules and protests. They will be starting with...
A fantastic post about the achievement of Lilly a delph sailing youth, who was able to compete due to the donation and support of the John Merricks Sailing Trust...
Afternoon All. If there is interest, I would like to run a theory session at the club this coming Friday 24th (7.30pm) for those who have recently done their practical for L1 but need to finish...
Hi All, This Sunday 26th Oct is not only the end of British Summer Time it is the start of the Delph Frostbite Series. Two races starting at 13,00 hrs GMT. For many years we have tried to provide...
Afternoon Folks, Saturday 11th October 2025 is our next Delph Sailing Club Social. Our RNLI Fun Night & Fundraiser for all the family. Followed by the RNLI stall and raffle on Sunday 12th....
Frostbite series 2025 Entries are now open for the Frostbite series of racing. This year we plan to have the race teams covered by the sailors, so we are asking everybody who is planning on sailing...
Competitive Sailing
With a competitive dinghy racing series running Wednesday evening from and Easter to late summer and Sunday from Easter to New Year’s day and social sailing on Friday evenings, we have something to offer all levels of sailors.
Competitive Remote Control Laser Sailing
With a competitive racing series running pretty much all year round on Wednesday and Friday mornings.
RYA Sailing Training
If you are looking for formal qualifications, we run RYA training on many Saturdays throughout the season and most courses are included as part of your membership fees.
Our clubhouse enjoys stunning Vistas over the rolling countryside towards Manchester. With Bank Top beer in the Bar and Carrs Pasties in the Galley it is a great place to relax after a good days’ sailing.
Sailing Fun for All the Family
Our regular sailors range in age from 5 to 80+. Often with many generations of the same family racing with each other, so sailing really is the hobby that the entire family can enjoy together.
The club also hosts numerous social events for families and friends, throughout the year, and of course a Christmas party for the cadets.
Pop down to our Sailing Club and have a chat
If you would like to see what we are all about, please pop on down, any time we are sailing, and speak to the members about how you can join our fantastic club. The bar opens once the last boat is off the water!
Alternatively, drop us an email and we will see what we can do to help give you a taste of sailing at Delph.
Contact us for more information on Taste of Sailing!
We look forward to meeting you soon.
Interested in Sailing? Why not give us a try?
The History of Delph Sailing Club
Delph reservoir was completed in 1924, to provide a 78-acre source of water for domestic/industrial use and to supply extra, cleaner water to improve the River Irwell via Delph Brook.
The Sailing Club in Bolton was founded in 1962 when permission to sail on the water was granted.
The Club started modestly with two preferred dinghy classes – Fireballs and Enterprises. We used a wooden garage as the Clubhouse. This building still exists as storage, now known as the Bosun’s Hut. There was no electricity, and lighting was by bottled gas! A garden shed on stilts served as the race starting box.
Membership grew, and to the original fleets was added a Handicap fleet.
Then grew a Scorpion Fleet, Mirror Fleet, a Laser Fleet, and more recently the Solos separated from the Handicap Fleet to have fleet status of their own.
The Miracle Fleet evolved in a similar way, also RS200s. The Fast and Slow Handicap Fleets accommodate craft which has insufficient numbers for fleet status.
Current Fleet status now belongs to Lasers (ILCA 6/Radials), Solos, Miracles, Fusion and Fireflies. The Fast Handicap has Phantoms, RS400s, Scorpions, Fireballs, Supernova’s etc. And the Slow Handicap, Graduates, Streakers, Byte C2s, Toppers, etc.
If you’re a new member and don’t yet have a dinghy it’s a good idea to think about buying within one of the recognised fleets. That way there is specific help and advice always available.
Get in Touch
We are run by our own members with familes. So sometimes it might take us a little time to get back to you. You are important to us.