Cumbrae Watersports Centre Closing...

[ctva]

Following on from the Blairvadich Centre closing, we now have this confirmed...

HOT OFF THE PRESS .... SPORT SCOTLAND TO PERMANENTLY CLOSE CUMBRAE WATERSPORTS CENTRE FROM 30TH SEPTEMBER 2020. MORE INFO TO FOLLOW AS AND WHEN WE GET IT.

from their Facebook page.

Not a surprise but a real shame. I’ve spent many weekends there on conferences (RYAS conferences are on the water ones unlike those down south), running and assessing courses and doing exams.

 

[Deleted member 36384]

That is such a shame, quality people working there.

 

[ShinyShoe]

So will there be any residential centre in Scotland that delivers sailing training?

Surprised it isn't profitable. Has sports Scotland been subsidising it?

 

[dimdav]

Really sad and disappointing news. I've done a few courses there including sail training on 1 of the many Somerleds had a great time every time.

 

[FlyingGoose]

Many fond memories as a school kid and college going here ,

 

[Mark-1]

Surprised it isn't profitable.

Me too. How can that set up possibly be losing money, demand must be huge. Or is the problem long winters?

 

[FlyingGoose]

Me too. How can that set up possibly be losing money, demand must be huge. Or is the problem long winters?

There has been a lot of schools opening up along the Clyde and based out of all the Marinas , these guys offer all the RYA courses , out with Dinghy and Windsurfing , which I guess is for schools and colleges , pure supply and demand ,

 

[ctva]

Outdoor education just Does not fit the pc lbgtqi priorities of funding these days so only the smaller specialised commercial operations will survive where better off parents will send their kids or motivated adults.

Short sighted but the cycle will reverse at some time.

 

[JumbleDuck]

Outdoor education just Does not fit the pc lbgtqi priorities of funding these days so only the smaller specialised commercial operations will survive where better off parents will send their kids or motivated adults.

Please don't let's get Lounge-y about it. I run residential holidays at two outdoor education centres, one local authority and one private. We have numerous people who identify as LGBT+ on the staff and numerous LGBT+ attendees and they are just as enthusiastic as anyone else.

If anything is soaking money away from outdoor education it is the relentless emphasis of classroom rote learning for tests, and that is hardly a hobbyhorse of the left, regardless of identity.

 

[Romeo]

So will there be any residential centre in Scotland that delivers sailing training?

Surprised it isn't profitable. Has sports Scotland been subsidising it?

I think SportScotland will use Inverclyde, its centre for hockey etc, which is just a couple of miles from Largs Marina.

Shame for Cumbrae, especially when they lost the Marine Research Centre just a wee while ago.

 

[JumbleDuck]

So will there be any residential centre in Scotland that delivers sailing training?

I'm writing this within a couple of miles of one (the Galloway Activity Centre) and I expect there are many others delivering the RYA dinghy syllabus. As far as yachting goes, a quick Google turns up 12 RYA syllabus sea schools on the west coast alone. I'm not clear why we need a centrally subsidised alternative. That's not to doubt the quality of provision or the merits of the staff.

 

[JumbleDuck]

Shame for Cumbrae, especially when they lost the Marine Research Centre just a wee while ago.

Luckily the Field Studies Council rescued it after the universities pulled out: FSC Millport – Field Studies Council

 

[Deleted member 36384]

Luckily the Field Studies Council rescued it after the universities pulled out: FSC Millport – Field Studies Council

Indeed, my son has been there a few times as part of his Marine and Fresh Water Biology degree course, last time was in August last year.

 

[pagoda]

A great pity. I did Coastal Skipper with Cumbrae. My wife (when teaching) took a few groups of non-sailing kids there. They had a great time. While there are other RYA "sailing schools" with commercial roots around, few would be able to match the introductory rib trip from Largs to the island opposite! From a 14 year old perspective anyway!

 

[ctva]

Please don't let's get Lounge-y about it. I run residential holidays at two outdoor education centres, one local authority and one private. We have numerous people who identify as LGBT+ on the staff and numerous LGBT+ attendees and they are just as enthusiastic as anyone else.

If anything is soaking money away from outdoor education it is the relentless emphasis of classroom rote learning for tests, and that is hardly a hobbyhorse of the left, regardless of identity.

I was not referring to the attendees, only the holders of the purse strings.

 

[Uricanejack]

Unfortunate.
My sister girls have both been through programmes there starting with oppyies through to lasers.
I suppose government funding is getting tighter, without the EEC.

 

[Mark-1]

I suppose government funding is getting tighter

I'm amazed it needs funding. I find it really hard to believe it's not making money hand over fist. Our sailing club junior week sells out in a couple of minutes and is over subscribed many times. (The application process is like applying for concert tickets, first come first served via the web site, you hit refresh on your browser over and over at the stated time and hope you typed faster than everyone else.) Residential watersports on a Scottish Island ought to be way more desirable than our youth week. Largs is a short bus ride from Prestwick Airport I can't see how a bit of advertising in the right places wouldn't supply more punters than they could handle.

Mind you, it's closing, so I must be wrong, the people running it will know what they're doing. Lots of local competition plus dinghy sailing courses/holidays abroad with guaranteed wind and sun take their toll, I guess.

Just googled, I wonder if the prices are a bit low:
| National Centre Cumbrae

£270 for a residential watersports week in August? Our club junior week is run 100pc by volunteers and parents, is non-residential and still costs half that with most of the kids in their own boats. A week's day time childcare *alone* costs me more than that!

Tragic loss. I hope someone runs it as a hotel or something with a few hire dinghies at least.

 

[Deleted member 36384]

I'm amazed it needs funding. I find it really hard to believe it's not making money hand over fist.

My view was the exact opposite, they needed funding and how much of a loss did they make. Both Cumbrae and Blairvadach offered subsidised courses. That was almost their whole reason for existing.

 

[dunedin]

Huge shame. Masses of kids learnt to sail there - and many developed great sailing and life skills doing the junior squads at the Centre. Weekend stated pulling the Oppies or Toppers onto the ferry on their launching trolleys, with all the sailing and weekend gear piled on top. And the same in reverse on Sunday evening.
Quite a few of our Olympic sailing squad learnt their skills there.

 

[Mark-1]

Both Cumbrae and Blairvadach offered subsidised courses. That was almost their whole reason for existing.

I didn't appreciate that, fair enough.