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Mengeham Rythe Sailing Club was formed in 1950 by Dr. Alec
Brennan, the Island's local Doctor. He was a very keen sea
angler and kept his motor launch in Mengeham Creek on moorings
rented from Cole Bros. of Salterns Quay. He called a meeting
of other creek users with the idea of forming a club after
first ascertaining that the vacant timber building, ( the
clubroom of Hayling Island Sailing Club before they moved
to their present premises at Sandy Point in 1936) was available.
Its use in the mean time had been as a Holiday Bungalow.
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The meeting agreed to form a club to be called The Mengeham Rythe
Fishing And Sailing Club and be open to interested boat owners of
moderate means. The first commodore was Dr. Brennan with the owner
of the property, Rear Admiral Ralph Fisher D.S.O., accepting the
position of President. The annual rent was £50.00.
After ten years or so the fishing side was dropped as more people
came into sailing. About the same time Rear Admiral Ralph Fisher
decided to move from Hayling Island and the club was offered the
Building, Coles Quay and buildings, (Cole Bros. having retired),
sixteen acres of marshland, including old Oyster Beds, for the sum
of £6,000.00. By raising loans from members and the bank,
the property was purchased.
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This water colour of the old Clubhouse, made in 1972 by Les
Hudson from the upstairs window of a house on Marine Walk,
shows the open pasture aspect of the area, with ponies
grazing on it, and the number of boats, both ashore and on
the chain moorings. The original can be seen in the Snug of
the new Clubroom.
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In 1973 a new and larger timber building was erected by the club
members on the same site to cater for the growing membership. Then
the club was offered the chance to purchase the Tidal Mooring areas
of Mengeham Creek plus Mudland bordering the club boundary from
the estate of the late Capt. Ivan Snell, a fine supportive family
to the island. We were pleased to purchase these tidal areas as
it gave us protection and secured the future and safety of our seventy
or so moorings for our Cruisers and Dinghies.
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This photo of the recently replaced Clubhouse taken from the rythe at high water, with a few dinghies, a light Easterly, and a small crowd on the patio, is evocative of many great Summer days shared by members of the Club.
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The burgee for the club depicts the green ground of Tournerbury
Woods opposite the club where an ancient encampment is known to
exist. The Heron in flight is because of the heronry in the woods
reputed to have been mentioned in The Doomsday Book. The Oyster
management and salt panning carried on here as well as an experiment
to extract gold from the sea water can be found in the books "The
King Holds Hayling " by Major Thomas and Longcrofts "Bosmere
Hundreds". In spite of all the improvements that have gone
on since 1950, the Club still holds dear the founders wish "A
Club for all of moderate means".
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