Best U.K. beaches: Where can I sail?
Beaches are best. Though Miniyachts can sail on a variety of surfaces, including tarmac click here to view our Inland Sites advice.
- When visiting a new beach, look for signage. If landsailing is banned, signs should say so. Be aware that Windsports include windsurfers and kite surfers, and Wheeled vehicles include 4wds and motorbikes.
- If you are confronted by an Official, be polite, stress that you are insured, try explaining the foregoing, emphasising the difference in size of the respective craft, and promise to check with the Official later.
- It might not be wise to ask your local Council for permission to sail on a specific beach without giving careful thought as to how you are going to word the question first, as the easy answer to the question is No … which can create a precedent, and cause problems for others later.
- If you are going to ask for permission, you should stress that you have insurance to cover you on other beaches that you regularly use with the land owner's permission, and all you need is for the Council's permission for your insurance cover to be valid on their beach.
- If you are going to try sailing on a beach where landsailing might be banned, it may help you to know that the tragedy at Lytham St Annes in 2002 - which resulted in sailing being banned on many beaches - involved a Class 3 Landyacht taking part in an International race event. There are barely 15 Class 3 yachts in the UK, and they are the Formula 1 of the competitive sport of Landyachting. They are 3 x the size of the Miniyachts, and almost 3 x as fast. Miniyachts are - by comparison - a child's toy, and therefore very safe, for everyone. The Miniyachts only became popular after the tragedy, so surely the intention of any ban was to prevent a repeat of the Lytham tragedy, not prevent harmless fun.
Starting at the tip of Cornwall & going clockwise round the country ...
Key:
- Great beach for Sailing!
- Beach is Sailable though it may have hazards, or restrictions please review the description.
- Beach maybe Sailable but little to no information is available!
- Sailing is Banned on this beach.
Tip of Cornwall clockwise:
Gwithian
2 or 3 miles of NW facing beach, definitely sailable & good for sailing. Can be too crowded during tourist season.
Perranporth
Sadly no landsailing is allowed.
Westward Ho!
2 miles of WNW facing sand, with sandyachting permitted at the northern end. Restrictions may apply.
Saunton
4 miles long & perfect for sailing, but privately owned & landsailing is banned.
Berrow
3 miles or so of west facing sand/mud. Definitely sailable, but the locals are not keen on anything other than dog-walking.
Brean
Bordering Berrow this west facing 2 mile stretch of sand/mud is home to the Brean LYC, but do not turn up in the hope of sailing as the beach is very tightly regulated & you cannot sail there unless you are a member of Brean LYC.
Uphill, Weston-super-mare
Barely a mile long, this beach is used for all sorts of sports. It is home to the Weston Windsports Club (Chris Moore, BLSA Blokart Club). Very tightly regulated & not an option for non-members.
Kenfig
On the map there's a good 3 miles of sand south of Port Talbot, backed by dunes & the steelworks, which should be fantastic for sandyachting, but access is via a long footpath (30 minute walk) & it might be a nature reserve.
Aberavon
2 miles of SW facing sand at Port Talbot, so very busy during the summer, but seemingly unregulated so anyone can turn up & sail. No sailing in front of the promenade - use the west end only.
Rhossili
2 miles of west facing beach, backed by high hills. Definitely sailable, but the owner is unknown so you'd never get written permission to use it. The North end is used by mutual consent. Access is through a campsite.
Pembrey / Cefn Sidan Sands
7 or 8 miles of sand & arguably the best beach in Europe for landsailing. Only the Northern 5 miles are usable, by members of the Carmarthen Land Sailing Club only.
Pendine
7 miles of south facing sands, closed during the week for munitions testing, but usable at weekends by members of CLSC - see above - only.
Tenby
Sailing is not allowed by the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority. Also, it's busy, and soft.
Newgale
2 miles of west facing hard flat sand, unregulated & perfect for windsports, but busy during the tourist season as there are 3 beachfront car parks.
Newport
Barely a mile long, this westfacing sandbar enjoys vehicle access & is sailable, but is probably too small & too busy for landsailing.
Borth
Sailing is allowed, as long as you set up North of the red brick building.
Harlech
Sailing is seemingly allowed. Access is through the golf club & across a fairway.
Shell Island
Sailing is allowed, but you must have proof of insurance.
Porthmadog - Black Rock Sands
Definitely sailable, but is warden controlled during the summer months, so restrictions may apply.
Porth Neigwl - Hell's Mouth
At the end of the Lleyn peninusla - sailable, but no information known about any restrictions that may apply.
Anglesey - including Rhosneigr
Some of the beaches are definitely sailable, but no information known about any restrictions that may apply.
Penmaenmawr & Conwy
Sailable (footage on youtube), but no information known about any restrictions that may apply.
Prestatyn
Allegedly - but rarely - sailable. Probably not worth trying.
Hoylake
Home of the Wirral SYC. The beach is used by club members only.
Ainsdale
A small defined area is usable by anyone with a permit obtained from the local council. The rest of it - Crosby, Formby, Southport - is a Nature Reserve & sailing is banned. Rangers patrol the area.
Lytham St Annes
Home of the sport in the UK, but landsailing is currently banned. Hopefully for not much longer ...
Cleveleys / Rossall
A wet beach, used by buggies & boarders at low tide only
Knott End / Pilling
Definitely sailable, but no information.
Heysham
Sailable. 3 caravan sites nearby, so can be busy. Fine sand, can be soft after rain.
Bolton Le Sands, Morecambe
Popular beach with kite buggiers - Camping, snacks & parking at Red Bank Farm by the beach.
Bardsea
Rarely sailable - signs may now say No sailing.
Barrow in Furness
Rarely sailable. No information.
The following beaches are sailable, as evidenced by footage on youtube, but no information is known about any restrictions that may apply:
Silecroft
Not on youtube
Seascale
Allonby
Not on youtube
Southerness / Portling
Sandhead
Troon
Tiree
North and South Uist
Sailable, and possibly unrestricted
Dunnet
Sinclair Bay
Subdivided into two by a river. Both ends sailable, but narrow, and backed by 20 - 30m cliffs
Dornoch
St Andrews
Holy Island
Not sailable and Restricted, as are Bamburgh and Beadnell, as they are Nature Reserves etc.
Druridge
Redcar
Sailable & actively used.
Whitby
Sailable North of Upgang Lane towards Sandsend - effectively where the promenade ends and the golf course begins - in E or NE winds only.
Filey
Sailable - Restrictions may apply during the tourist season - March to End September.
Bridlington
Sailable, but restrictions may well apply in the summer months
Fraisthorpe Beach
Just below Bridlington is a designated wind zone, from the Royal Yorkshire Yacht Club dinghy park near the Park & Ride car park, extending south towards Fraisthorpe. Access to the southern portion is down narrow lanes - very remote.
Cleethorpes
Antonys Bank at the southern end of Cleethorpes nr Humberston Fitties, has a small area set aside by the council & marked out for wind powered vehicles.
Mablethorpe
Sailable. Home of the Lincolnshire LYC, but landsailing is subject to seasonal restrictions.
Skegness
Sailable - as per youtube footage - but restrictions are likely to apply.
Old Hunstanton
Land based windsports are permitted North of the Golf Club.
Brancaster
Sailable - as per youtube - but restrictions may apply.
Holkham
Owned by NT - landsailing banned.
Greatstone on sea
Home of the Kent LYC - no restrictions.
Camber
Sailable, as per youtube footage.
East Wittering
Sailable, as per youtube footage.
* Notes - The foregoing information is intended to be helpful, but it might be wrong.
