Civil Service Sailing Association - A very brief history
The Civil Service Sailing Association began to exist in May 1957 at a meeting of over 100 interested CSSC members convened to discuss the formation of such an organisation,
following publication in the CSSC Journal of a letter headed “Wot, no sailing?” submitted by a young Miss Ann Kahn.
Ann Kahn First Honorary Secretary of the CSSA In July, the inaugural meeting, attended by some 250 people, approved a draft Constitution together with draft programmes for cruising, dinghy sailing, and shore activities. A CSSC loan of £10
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was gratefully accepted towards the cost of stationery and postage. By 30th September, there were already 482 members signed up. Two one-week cruises for beginners took place in September and a programme of talks and lectures was arranged for the winter. An immediate task was to find water near London suitable – and available - for dinghy sailing. This was achieved by the end 1957, and agreement reached with the owners of a gravel pit near Chertsey for use of the water for sailing at weekends, and for some land on which to store some boats.
So, Littleton
Sailing Club, CSSA,
came into existence early in 1958. When all the ballast had been extracted, the CSSC purchased the lake for use by the sailing club (and for fishing from the shoreline by the CS Angling Association) - and essentially recovered the cost from compensation for the loss of a small part of the lake to the M3.
Littleton Sailing Club Regatta Day 1960 The club built several clubhouses over the years but for many years now has had a fine, well equipped, two storey clubhouse built by members, overlooking the lake. On the east side of Southampton Water was a small sailing club run by and forlocal Post Office staff. Its members were persuaded of the benefits of joining the CSSA, growing their membership by admitting anyone
