SOS for Herefordshire Sailing

LEFT holding paddles, but without a creek, Herefordshire’s sailors are leading a campaign to reopen and run Bodenham Lake themselves. With the closest sailing lake over now an hour away, Steve Lloyd is heading up the project to ensure youngsters throughout the county have a centre where they can try the sport. Bodenham Lake, the county’s sailing centre, fell victim to Herefordshire Council budget cuts in April. But Mr Lloyd, along with around 12 other local boat owners, wants to reopen the facility, using their own boats to make sure the next generation of sailors are not left in the doldrums. He said: “I’ve got a very good response from people around the county, and people are now getting into talks with us. “We are all very interested in sailing – many of us are experienced sailors – and we all have one aim; we really want there to be sailing locally.” Those talks could see a not-for-profit group take over the running of the 21-acre site on behalf of the council, similar to the New Leaf proposal at Queenswood. However re-launching sailing at the lake would require several upgrades after the council sold off the county’s boats; top of the list is a rescue boat that would cost around £10,000. The teaching boats would be provided by the volunteers, 12 of whom have already offered their boats for use. Mr Lloyd’s boat however would not be appropriate for beginners. The engineer was the victim of a hit and run on the Kinglsand to Hereford road that broke five vertebrae, leaving him disabled. However, he was able to continue sailing by carrying out modifications to his boat that allow him to control it from a set position. He regularly makes the 37-mile trip to Llangorse to sail, but hopes to soon have a shorter commute to the water from his home in Leominster. Until it closed, Bodenham Sailing Centre was able to accommodate up to 40 boats, and hosted groups from schools, Scouts and Guides. However it is now closed down, with its two cabins left abandoned. As a sport, sailing received a boost in popularity with Ben Ainslie’s gold medal-winning performance at the London Olympics and it is still among the best-funded at elite level by UK Sport. Mr Lloyd’s plan aims to harness that and provide both a local centre for leisure cruisers and a starting point for the next generation of Ben Ainslies.