VVW Turnhout vzw
VVW Turnhout is a Belgian sailing club located at De Melle near Turnhout and operates as a local association within Wind & Watersport Vlaanderen. The club offers an accessible programme for children, teenagers and adults, with a focus on training, shared sailing and regular activities on the water. The website content names training pathways using Optimist, RS Tera, Splash and 420 classes, complemented by monthly race formats such as the Splash Cup and the First Sunday race day. The club presentation emphasizes its development from family-oriented instruction since the 1970s to a structured youth programme with recurring training sessions, events and volunteer support.
History
The club story starts in 1971 with the first meetings of sailors from Turnhout and the formal founding of the Turnhoutse Zeilclub on 4 November 1971. In 1972 the association was accepted as the 14th club within Vlaamse Vereniging voor Watersport and adopted the name VVW Turnhout; shortly afterwards it was allowed to use the De Melle sand extraction lake. During the 1970s the club already organized early regattas, grew its membership and developed core infrastructure such as a clubhouse and a first boat shed. In 1979 the sailing school started with Optimist boats, and the training offer was expanded in the following decades. From the 1980s to the 2000s the club added new facilities, renewed fleets and a stronger focus on youth development. Since 2007 the youth section has been maintained as a dedicated pillar with recurring training, additional boat acquisitions and seasonal events.
Information
Youth section
Active youth section with biweekly youth activities, monthly youth board meetings and additional events such as night sailing and MEOSS.
Parking
Yes, parking directly at the site