The club was formed in 1980 by enthusiasts who went windsurfing on the lakes between Rickmansworth and Hillingdon. The club was affiliated with Hillingdon Sailing Base (HSB) and its lake between Rickmansworth and Denham. HSB became the Hillingdon Outdoor Activity Centre (HOAC). The River Colne runs through this shallow valley alongside the Grand Union canal and was the origin of the club's name. Click for a map of the lakes
Races round the lake soon became a popular feature and a regular series was started with races every Saturday morning followed by lunch in the White Horse pub in Harefield. Because HOAC is run as an amenity for the community, many school and youth clubs make use of the water. This could be an occasional inconvenience and the large railway embankment at the Southern end of the lake was a permanent inconvenience, creating a huge wind shadow for any wind with a Southerly component. These reasons prompted the club to seek a better location.
In the early 80s, the club reached agreement with Rickmansworth Sailing Club for the use of Troy Lake on Saturday mornings. This proved to be a very satisfactory position for several years. The Saturday morning races continued on a regular basis in all weathers. Exceptions were made for occasional hazards such as ice on the lake in winter. In the summer, the club negotiated the use of the lake on Wednesday evenings for racing or sailing as members wished. The White Horse prospered, no-one suffered (permanently) from its giant Deathburger and the landlord presented the club with a trophy to be awarded at an event of our choice. The White Horse open event was held every year, bringing competitors from some distance.
Declining membership and increasing financial demands from the sailing club finally led to the club's departure from Troy Lake (and the White Horse). The club relocated to Ruislip Lido which was a successful move but membership remained a problem. It was decided that the club could no longer afford its own base and at the final Extraordinary meeting it was decided to endow all active members with membership in perpetuity and use the remaining funds on annual dinners.
