A Hayling Island Sailing Club weekend: where to stay at Sandy Point

Hayling Island Sailing Club sits at Sandy Point, on the south-eastern tip of the island where Chichester Harbour meets the Solent. It is one of the best-known dinghy and keelboat venues on the south coast, and its calendar runs from spring training through to autumn open meetings.

If you are travelling to sail — or supporting someone who is — the practical question is usually the same: where do you put a crew, their kit and their weekend without spending the whole time in the car?

Where is Hayling Island Sailing Club?

The club is at Sandy Point, at the eastern end of the island. It is the last stretch of road before the harbour entrance, which is why the water off the club gets used so heavily for racing.

Wittering Sands is on Wittering Road, a few minutes' walk from the same spit of land. That proximity is the whole point: you can walk to a briefing, walk back for lunch, and walk down again for an afternoon start.

Can you stay within walking distance of the club?

Yes. Sandy Point is residential, and a small number of houses sit within an easy walk of the club gates. Wittering Sands is one of them — a four-bedroom, whole-house let sleeping up to nine across five beds, with 3.5 bathrooms and three bedrooms ensuite.

For a sailing weekend that usually means one boat's crew, or two families, under one roof rather than split across rooms in Havant or Portsmouth.

Check dates on the direct booking calendar.

What makes a house better than a hotel for a regatta?

A few things that matter more than they sound:

• Drying and kit space. Wet gear, boots and buoyancy aids need somewhere that is not a hotel bathroom. There is a boot brush by the back door and outdoor space to hang things.
• Off-road parking. Useful when there is a car, a trailer and a roof rack in the equation. If you are arriving with more than one vehicle, tell us in advance.
• A real kitchen. Early starts rarely line up with breakfast service. Self-catering means you eat when the tide and the race officer say so.
• One big table. Debriefs, tactics, and the evening after — easier around a dining table than in a pub queue.

What else is there to do if not everyone sails?

Plenty, and most of it is on foot or a short drive. The shoreline, the lagoon walks, Chichester Harbour, and the wider island are covered on our activities page. Non-sailing members of the group tend to end up on the beach or walking the harbour edge rather than waiting in the dinghy park.

When is the club busiest?

Summer weekends and open-meeting dates are the pressure points, and accommodation at Sandy Point is limited by simple geography — there is not much of it. If your event date is fixed, book the house before you book anything else.

How do I book?

Availability and dates are on the booking calendar.

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Check event dates and sailing arrangements directly with Hayling Island Sailing Club — we are a neighbour, not the organiser.