Groupe de Croisière des Bancs de Flandre
The Groupe de Croisière des Bancs de Flandre (GCBF) is a volunteer-run cruising sailing club of more than 50 years' standing, based in Watermael-Boitsfort in the heart of Brussels and a member of the Fédération Francophone de Yachting Belge (FFYB). It is the only Brussels club that provides its own club yachts to members and offers practical training under the guidance of 15 experienced skippers (chefs de bord). Theory courses prepare for the federal navigation certificates (restreint, général, yachtman) and the ICC; practical exams take place on board Phenix IV in Nieuwpoort. Besides weekend sailing in Zeeland and the North Sea, the club organises multi-month chain cruises (BEC) to destinations such as Norway or Galicia.
History
In autumn 1969 a small group of former Glénans sailors met to organise North Sea weekend outings – without money, without their own boat, only with the will to sail. They first joined existing organisations: A.B.R.A.V. with 470 dinghy outings at Keerbergen and A.N.B.Y. with boats in Ostend. In the first year they completed 26 half-days on dinghies and 700 nautical miles in 29 sea trips. By the end of 1970 the group already numbered 80 people. In 1971 followed winter courses in Brussels, boat maintenance in Ostend, a week-long IJsselmeer cruise and Easter and Whitsun weekends to Breskens, Calais and Ramsgate. Because of the growing membership the non-profit association «Groupe de Croisière des Bancs de Flandre» was founded to make cruising sailing accessible to more people in Belgium. For more than 50 years the club has been run exclusively by volunteer sailing and sea enthusiasts and is a member of the FFYB. Today the club owns two boats – Phenix IV (Sun Odyssey 39i) in Nieuwpoort and Grain de Sel (Dehler 32) in Colijnsplaat/Zeeland – and has more than 200 members.
Information
Youth section
Reduced membership for under-25s; theory courses and practice on club boats open to all experience levels
Boating license training
Available: 1
Modules I and II: 16 lessons; Module III Yachtman: 12 to 13 lessons; diesel course: 2 days; VHF/SRC: one morning