Early Days of the Club

A model yacht racing club was started at Setley Pond in the early 1970's, but then moved to one of the gravel pits north of Ringwood. Difficulties in launching boats at Snails Lake prompted a return to Setley Pond (ref. Graham Coombs) and the Solent Club was formally started as a yacht racing club in 1978.

The early club members used a mechanical digger to clear the bottom of the pond, forming the "island", and created a launching area behind a plank "quay" on the western bank (photo right). One section of those planks still remains.

In these early years it was possible to drive and park along the tracks around the pond and "race control" was in a caravan above the launching area (photo left). The photographs shown come from a collection of photographs from this period obtained by Graham Coombs.

The winter photograph (right) is from a further set of photographs which possibly date from the late 1970's or early 1980's. By the time these were taken the present day car parks had been established with wooden posts and rails preventing cars driving to the pond edge.

The Scale Section of the Club was formed a short time after the Sailing Section. The photograph (left) appears to date from a hot summer when the pond level was low. The photo is one of a collection of photographs from the late 1970's provided by Ken Dyer. The first Highcliffe Charity Exhibition was held by the Scale Section in 1988.

Comparing the views of the pond "Then and Now" shows significant changes along the banks of the pond.