midland yacht club

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Leadership, teamwork, self confidence, develop a love for a new sport.

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WHY SAILING

At its most basic, sailing is about learning to make the wind and waves work for you. Becoming a sailor helps children gain confidence as they learn to be self-sufficient and make informed choices. Children who go beyond basic sailing will learn to race sailboats. They will learn other skills such as honouring the racing rules, competing against others fairly, using tactical situations to make quick and responsible decisions, and developing teamwork skills as skipper and crew learn to work together. The Midland Bay Sailing Club has been introducing kids of all ages to the joy of sailing for over 40 years and holds a very special place in the hearts of its sailors.

CANSAIL 1-2

Cansail 3-4, chutes & wires.

“I’ve been a camper at MBSC for 7 years. Since the minute I could join! It has always been the highlight of my summer, and I have learned a ton about sailing. The instructors are super fun every year, and thanks to them and the camp,  I have developed a great love of the sport. I hope to one day come back to the camp and instruct sailing myself.”

Midland Bay Sailing School is well run. The instructors are knowledgeable, friendly, and make the experience fun for the campers. They did a great job of making sure all the kids felt welcomed, included and safe. We plan to return year after year.

We had an awesome time learning how to sail. The way your staff taught us made it so easy to learn and apply to our sailing. All six of us had an amazing time and will definitely revisit next summer!!

Midland Bay Sailing School was a wonderful experience for my daughter. When she started camp she had no formal experience on the water. At the end of every day she was thrilled to share her experiences and couldn’t wait to return the next day. Thank you.

The Midland Bay Sailing School has become a part our kid’s summers that they so look forward to. Having been surrounded by various sail boats at our cottage it was only natural we’d like our boys to learn to sail; having them fall in love with sailing has been icing on the cake. MBSS gives kids of all ages the best of all worlds, knowledgeable and friendly instructors who motivate their kids, a variety of boats to sail, and an environment enviable to most other sailing clubs. Who doesn’t want to sail Georgian Bay?! Thanks again and we will be seeing you for many summers to come.

What a wonderful way to spend your summer! As soon as each of my three kids turned nine, they were enrolled in sailing school at MBSC. It’s hard to believe the kids have spent the last 7 summers on the boats at MBSC! For me, sailing offers so much more than a fun time on the water in one of the most beautiful spots in the province! I have observed my children gain so much confidence in and around the water through learning to sail. They are practicing their problem-solving skills everyday, working together with other kids to safely make a boat go! Year-over-year, I have always been impressed by the level of skill and attention to safety the instructors possess, and feel confident that the kids are in good hands. I am so glad that sailing is a skill that the kids will have as they move through their life.

MBSS Welcome Letter

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MBSS Disciplinary Process

MBSS Notice, Privacy and Sports Injury Waiver

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159 Marina Park Drive  Midland, Ontario

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• About Midland Sailing Club
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Midland Sailing Club was 125 years old in 2019

A history of midland sailing club – part 1, the beginning of midland sailing club on edgbaston reservoir..

In the early 2010’s a statement in the club magazine “Mainsheet” lead one of our most long-standing members, Alan Birch, to do a little research. The statement was that in 1894 Midland Sailing Club was “only open to the great and the good (our first Commodore was the Earl of Dudley )”.

Alan says that after reading this statement in Mainsheet he “was intrigued” because when he wrote the historical notes for the opening of the new Club-house in 1967 he found the following in the first minute book of the club: “On the 11th. June, 1894 at the offices of Mr Cecil Crosskey at 32 Waterloo Street Birmingham Dr Kauffmann proposed “a sailing club be formed with headquarters in Birmingham” and it was seconded by Mr J.Storer. The founder members present at that meeting were : Mssrs. C. Crosskey; J. Storer ; J. Osler; J. W. Ryland; Dr. Kauffmann ; L.W. Mathews; L.B. Chatwin.” Following is the first of Alan Birch’s History of the Sailing Club.

Following is the first of Alan Birch’s History of the Sailing Club.

Dr Kauffmann (1863-1934) was appointed Hon. Physician to out patients at the Queens Hospital in 1892. He later had a very distinguished medical career becoming Professor of Medicine at Birmingham University.

L.B.Chatwin (1872-1933) was educated at K.E.S. Birmingham and went to Merton College, Oxford. He trained as a solicitor at Ryland Martineau (now Martineaus). At Oxford he had been a member of the Oxford University Yacht Club. After the First World War he was a founder member of Barnt Green Sailing S.C. He was very keen on amateur dramatics. He is the grandfather of travel writer Bruce Chatwin .

Cecil Crosskey (1859-1945) was also a solicitor. He was the son of the Minister of the Church of the Messiah and had been articled at Ryland Martineau. He had served in the South African War and presumably had only just got back. He later became a Lt. Colonel in WW1 and received an OBE in 1919.

It was difficult to find much about James Storer, although I know from other sources that he was still active in the Club in 1922. An 1881 census search found only 2 James Storers in Warwickshire, one of whom was“boarding” in Ladywood, aged 23. He was described as a butcher. I think that was him and believe he probably was “in trade” in Edgbaston by 1894.

J.W.Ryland is the main conundrum. There was such an initialled prominent Birmingham manufacturer, who was into everything although he lived at Rowington. He died in 1896. He was Chairman of Llewellyn Ryland of Balsall Heath, paint manufacturers. He would have been very much older than the rest. I can find mention of a William Ryland who also worked for Ryland Martineau but not a J.W. Ryland. Perhaps J.W.Ryland is William Ryland.

It was on 25th, February, 1895 at the first AGM that the Earl of Dudley was invited to become Commodore. I suspect that this might have been because he was Chairman of the Birmingham Canal Navigations , the then owners of the Reservoir, but in the time available I couldn’t substantiate this. However I did discover that he was a keen yachtsman and regularly sailed with the then Prince of Wales, later Edward VII, in “big boats”!

There are two other interesting themes that presented themselves. A number of the founder members were Unitarian Church of the Messiah in Broad Street. Secondly all, except Storer, were part of the closely intermarried Birmingham industrial and professional classes of the day. They were not great, like the Earl of Dudley who was later Governor General of Ireland and later Australia, but their families were good and Birmingham owes a great deal to the parents of our founder members. And, of course, we the present members owe a great debt of gratitude to Kauffmann et al. for starting our Club.

A history of the MSC – Part 2

First races..

According to an article in the “Helm” in 1922, written by founder member, James Storer, racing took place at 6pm on Friday 18th May 1894 and that there was a strong breeze from the north north east. There was race on the following Tuesday, 29th May 1894. In what you might ask!

I already knew that Salters of Oxford, known by “googling” to be a firm still in existence, had a concession on the Tower Ballroom side of the Reservoir and wondered whether they could throw any light on this question. Amazingly an e-mail produced a reply by return stating that my query had been passed onto a Simon Wenham who is writing a thesis on Salters for his history Ph.D.

He also said that the records show that there was a severe drought in 1893 and Salters obtained a reduction in rent from the Canal Co. and in the 1894/5 winter the Reservoir froze over and payments were made to charity from the fees taken. Some problems never go away!!

Armed with this information I returned to Birmingham Central Library’s archive department and sought information on the “Rez” and Salters. To my amazement an original copy of Salters 1899 programme was produced. Unfortunately I was not allowed to copy all of it because of the Copyright Act but the archivist allowed me to copy a double page which shows that boats were available for hire; a picture of one such sailing boat; and mention that the “Rez” was home to the Birmingham Rowing Club (founded 1893) and the Midland Sailing Club. There is also a copy of the 1900 programme in a series of articles about Birmingham which has a photo of the skating rink and details of events in that year.

A third race was held on Thursday 7th June but the names of the boats taking part are not mentioned.

After the initial meeting on Monday 11th June 1894 things moved on quickly. At the first meeting of the Committee four new members were invited to join the Club and the design of the Club Burgee was decided upon. The subscription was fixed at 2s. and 6 pence from each member and the Secretary was asked to draw up racing rules based on those of the Royal Canoe Club.

On Wednesday 22nd. November 1894 the first annual dinner took place. Seems they had a busy time! There was a lot of discussion to determine if the Club should have a one design class. Eventually seven boats were ordered from Mr Henry Holford of Gloucester and delivered for the 1896 season. They were 12ft oa., beam of 4ft. 6″ and cost complete on rail at Gloucester £13.5.0 each. Storer states that since the Club now had enough boats, hiring was discontinued and the race day changed to Saturday.

This may have been so because a postcard taken in 1905 clearly shows the hire craft and they have a different una rig. Storer states there were a number of other boats as well, mainly sharpies, and that by 1905 there were often 15 boats on moorings. So by then, the Club was well established and it was time for the building of a Clubhouse, not where the Club is now, but on the bank on the far side to the left of the Ranger’s Office near Reservoir Road.

A history of the MSC – Part 3

Peter Waine sent me this copy of the menu for the 1901 Annual Dinner. It illustrates two notable features of the early years, apart from the sumptuous menu which must have cost a fortune.

Midland Sailing Club then was like a “holding company” with three branches, Edgbaston, Norton and Barnt Green. Amongst the records which were lost, I remember seeing Club Books which were headed according to the Branch, particularly the Norton one which contained the names of many prominent Walsall burghers of the day. Bernard Lee’s history of Barnt Green Sailing Club also acknowledges that sailing took place at Bittell before the First World War, but does not indicate that it was part of the Midland Sailing Club! In fact L.B.Chatwin, one of our founder members, was also heavily involved in setting up B.G.S.C in the 1920s.

Second the records indicate that the Norton boats were Southampton Sailing Club’s One Design Sharpie Class and they cost £13.00s.0d. each on rail at Southampton.

Peter Waine recalls his father telling him that if a boat was delivered by a member to Icknield Port Wharf, it only took a few hours for it to be transported by barge and offloaded at Norton. This illustrates why Midland was divided into three. Very few cars existed. Travel was by boat (freight) or rail (passengers and freight) tram or bicycle. Thus the main Club meetings were social events held in Birmingham, to which members travelled by train, but the sailing meetings were at the Branches.

Edgbaston Branch for a time used the old shed vacated by the defunct “Bohemians” but plans were drawn up to have their own Clubhouse. Members were asked to give 5 guineas (21 old shillings) apiece. It was designed by George Cox, an architect member, built by Harrison Smith Buildings of Vauxhall ; and at a cost of £119.7s.6d. Salters kindly donated £50.00.0 towards the cost. If you look at the architect’s sketch you can clearly see the door which was marked “cycle store” on his original drawing.

Members either cycled there or caught the 33 tram which ran along Ladywood Rd. and into Icknield Port Road and took a short walk or, if they were well to do, no doubt they were driven in cabs by their grooms from the larger houses in Edgbaston.

A history of the MSC – Part 4

1917—1930, just after the great war..

From 1919 until 1922 the Midland Sailing Club prospered very well. Fortunately some photocopied extracts remain of the “Helm”, a forerunner of the Mainsheet, which was professionally printed just after the War. They give a fascinating insight to what the Club was like in 1921—2.

The Regatta was obviously quite something. But by 1923 the post-war boom was over. Membership numbers, energy and participation flagged. The original members were drifting away (L.B.Chatwin set out to be a founder member of Barnt Green), or becoming less mobile. The economic situation did not help and the boats were heavy, relatively expensive and kept on moorings (as shown in the postcard below).

Membership dropped to about 40 and stayed at that level until the 1930’s. Racing still continued and an annual feature was a series of matches against Barnt Green and Sutton Sailing Clubs.

What would the 1930’s bring?

Do not copy or reuse any part of this work without permission of the authors. Postcard of Edgbaston Reservoir courtesy of Mac Joseph www.oldladywood.co.uk . Kindly do not reuse on any website or other publication without the permission of Mac Joseph.

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