A SAILING club will be holding an open day and free taster sessions as part of a Royal Yachting Association initiative called Push the Boat Out.

The Push the Boat Out day will be taking place from the Stour Sailing Club, in Quay Street, Manningtree, on Saturday, May 18.

The event will start from 10am when the tide will be coming in until 1pm when it will be going out again.

Taster sessions will include dinghy and cruiser sailing with experienced club members, kayaking, taking a trip on the estuary in a powered craft and rowing as part of a crew in a coastal rowing boat.

The club will provide any equipment needed and will offer a warm welcome and refreshments.

The event is open to all and children are welcome to come along with a responsible adult.

You can just turn up on the day, but pre-booking will help organisers to plan the day and the activities on offer.

Stour Sailing Club commodore Sarah Howlett said: “The Stour Sailing Club is small, friendly club based in Manningtree in a lovely location on the Stour Estuary which is best appreciated from the water.

"The club plays a very active part in the local community and this is a great opportunity for people to come and see who we are and what we do and to enjoy having a go at range of free activities on the water.

"We have put in an order for sunshine and our members will be ‘pushing the boat out’ to make sure that our visitors have such a great day that they will want to come back for more."

The Push the Boat event is only the first public event of a busy summer season.

Other highlights include our Rowing Festival on June 15 and 16 and the Sailing Regatta July 20, which includes fireworks on Saturday evening and the famous muddy tug of war on Sunday morning.

The Royal Yachting Association is the national body for dinghy, yacht and motor cruising, all forms of sail racing, sports boats, windsurfing and personal watercraft.

For more details about the day or to sign up visit the Club website www.stoursailingclub.co.uk