Many of our members already enjoy taking part in our dinghy racing. And we'd be very pleased to see more people joining in - there's lots of room on the lake. If you haven't tried it before, why not come along and see how you like it? If you're anything like most people, you'll wonder why you didn't start sooner.

Club races are open to all our members, young or old, and there's nothing extra to pay. You don't need to be an expert sailor – if you've just passed your RYA level 2, that will be plenty good enough (or Stage 2 for younger members). And you don't need to be super-fit, either – after all we spend most of the time sitting down. Don't let people worry you with stories about difficult racing rules: you probably know the important ones already, and you'll pick up the others as you need them.

Racing's great fun, and it helps you understand how to get the best out of your boat. You may start off going around the course with the slower sailors, but that's all to the good: you can enjoy having a private race with people at your own level, and never mind the speedsters who disappear into the distance. And you know, chances are it probably won't be very long before you're among the faster ones yourself.

So why not give it a try? Come with your own boat if you have one, or, with a pass, you can use a club boat. And you don't need a tricky fast boat; we use the RYA's handicap system, so you can even win with a slower boat like a Bosun or a Topper.

All you need to do is get your boat ready in good time, turn up at the start of a race – any normal club race – let the Race Officer know you are there, then sign on, listen to the briefing, and away you go. Good luck.