History
The club was founded in 1956 as the AWRE SC (Atomic Weapons Research Establishment Sailing Club). The club was principally a sea cruising group with a few dinghy sailors. Having few dinghies and no sailing water, a deal was struck with Pangbourne College, so that members were able to sail in Pangbourne's Firefly dinghies on the Thames.
In 1957 the club became recognised by the RYA and established itself on a small lake in the hamlet of Pingewood in the parish of Burghfield.
During the infamous winter of 1963 ice yachting took place and later in the year, Peter Hemment became the club's first National Champion winning in the Zenith class.
During the mid - late 1960s inter club team racing became very popular with as many as 9 matches, home and away, being held a year.
In 1969 the club became one of the first in the country to hold a personal handicap regatta, the Cock o' Burghfield, with sponsorship being provided by the local Courage Brewery.
In 1972 the club became independent of the AWRE and became Burghfield Lake Sailing Club.
In March 1977 the club moved to the nearby, and very much larger, Theale Lagoon. The club subsequently dropped 'Lake' from its name. The name Burghfield is pronounced 'Bur Field'.
Read more about this topic: Burghfield Sailing Club
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