A small sailing club near Moscow
Halyard Yacht Club was founded in 2014 on the eastern shore of the Pestovo reservoir, about forty kilometres north of Moscow. Around seventy members keep dinghies and small keelboats here. There is no restaurant and no swimming pool — there is water, thirty-four berths, a heated winter shed and a workshop where you can take a drivetrain apart without booking a slot.
Visiting
Six guest berths are available for stays of up to three days, by prior arrangement. Depth at the guest pontoon is 2.3 m and the maximum length is 9.5 m. Power and fresh water are available on every finger. Call the duty officer a day ahead; the number is on the contacts page.
Racing
Club races are held every Sunday from May to October, two or three starts a day, scored separately for dinghies and keelboats. Racing is free for members; guests are welcome to join after a word with the race committee. Results are posted on the noticeboard at the pontoon, not online.
Safety
Lifejackets are worn by everyone on board, without exception. Every departure is logged with the duty officer, and so is every return — if a boat is an hour overdue, the safety boat goes out. The water is fourteen degrees in September, which is the whole argument.