Weymouth
Sailing
Club

Theme Park or Marine Community? A future for Weymouth Harbour. 

I write in response to the front page article and linked editorial in last Thursday’s Echo which examined some of the options proposed for the future of the harbour being put forward by Marine Development Manager Julia Long and Business and Planning Performance Manager Roger Hogbin to Weymouth and Portland Council.

• It appears that there was a 10% drop in the numbers of visiting yachts to the harbour last year. This seems to form the basis of the argument for the consideration of some radical plans which include a floating casino, restaurants and “themed attraction?”

• This simplistic analysis fails to appreciate that it is the old world charm of our harbour combined with good local restaurants, pubs and conveniently situated sailing clubs that attracts visiting yachtsmen in the first place. Visitors to Weymouth flock to the harbour side to soak up the atmosphere of an historic working port and enjoy a drink or meal overlooking the marine spectacle.

• A casino, floating restaurants or some themed attraction in Weymouth harbour will destroy the very jewel in the crown that attracts visitors in the first place. I admire the Sealife Centre on Lodmoor but to even consider locating a 300,000 visitor a year “themed” attraction in the harbour is ludicrous and takes no account of logistics, local businesses or harbour users. Our charming local harbour side restaurants and pubs draw visitors to the area and I fail to see how competition from floating restaurants would help the local economy or provide additional visitor attractions to an already saturated market.
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• We need to look behind the headline figure to a 10% drop in visiting yachts to the harbour last year. Echo readers will understand that last year was the worst summer in living memory and not surprisingly many yachtsmen cancelled their summer cruises!  It is also reported that the average size of yachts visiting Weymouth reached a record last year. As yachts pay by the meter larger yachts pay more to the council to moor in the harbour. In addition larger yachts bring more visitors into the town. Interestingly the number of visiting yachts reached record levels over the first May Bank Holiday this year when Weymouth was the destination of a yacht race from the Solent. These sailors were attracted by the old world charm of the harbour and the excellent facilities provided for them in the evenings by Weymouth Sailing Club. Strangely none asked me where they could find the local casino.    

• There appears to be concern over the competition from the new marina in Portland Harbour and the proposed new Howard Holdings Marina on the Pavilion site. However the Council themselves in part have created the potential oversupply of berths for visiting yachts backing the new proposed marina at the mouth of the harbour. Visiting yachts come to Weymouth Harbour precisely because it has old world charm and because it is not a marina, a facility with which they are most familiar!

• It’s curious that it is suggested to counter the decline in the visiting yachts to the harbour; negotiations should take place with Weymouth Sailing Club to relinquish water on which they hold a long term lease to provide yet further visitor berths. This is then inaccurately reported in the Echo editorial as a proposal to relocate Weymouth Sailing Club which in fact owns the freehold on their premises! Weymouth Sailing Club has been a long term source of income to the council from the leasing of mooring space since 1913! These club moorings are used by local people and are occupied 365 days a year and not just for the summer season. How any such small increase in berths for visitors from this source in an already saturated market could some how rescue the council finances is beyond comprehension.

• Weymouth Sailing Club in conjunction with the other local yacht clubs attract large number of visiting yachtsmen and dinghy sailors to the area, who in turn provide valuable revenue for the harbour and town alike. They have worked with the council to promote a new festival, The Spirit of the Sea, which will attract many visiting yachts to the area to complete in our local sailing regatta this year. Weymouth Sailing Club runs regular Open meetings for dinghies and next year will host the Squib National Championship which will see 100 boats moored in the harbour for a week.

• Weymouth Sailing Club is a Community Amateur Sports Club which promotes sailing in the port of Weymouth to adults and young people alike. It is an open access club which enables local people to enjoy the sport of sailing. The club also actively promotes youth sailing and has a fleet of dinghies for cadets sponsored by local businesses. The club also works with local group such as Weymouth and Portland Housing Association to promote sailing for local youngsters. The club will play a pivotal role locally in the run up to the Olympics in 2012 and will help ensure a lasting legacy for local sailors.

• The harbour has a vibrant future but not as a Casino exploiting false materialistic dreams fuelling devastating long term gambling addictions and the inherent late night noise. Nor is there a place for themed attractions or floating restaurants to cripple long term local businesses. I ask the Council and harbour users to reject the proposals put forward Julia Long and Roger Hogbin.  

• There is another way forward for Weymouth Harbour! Let’s work together to enhance what already works and proves so popular. Fishing, diving, sailing and rowing all are thriving activities in the harbour. We need to work with these respective groups to enhance their attractions and make Weymouth a centre of excellence for marine sports. Let’s look at the harbour side and think about more pedestrian only zones with pavement cafés and bars. Weymouth has a vibrant music scene and this could be further promoted as a visitor attraction.  Let’s see families with crabbing lines, not gaming tokens.

Mark Bugler,

Weymouth Sailing Club,

Nothe Parade,

Weymouth