Yachting

You will find the yachting facilities in the complex of the Yacht club Slavoj at the Bezdrev pond.

The origin of yachting in South Bohemia

Origin of yachting in South Bohemia dates back to the 1920s, precisely at the time when water tourism began to develop in the region. During this period canoeists were trying to ride canoes and kayaks with sails. Josef Rössler, the pioneer of water sports and skiing in the Czech Republic, as a former chairman of the Prague Czech Yacht Club, founded a subdivision of the club in České Budějovice in 1928. This club owned a boatyard on the blind arm of the Vltava river in the old mill, until it burnt down in 1929. Afterwards, a new boatyard was built a bit further, on the former Střelecký island. Canoeing and water tourism were the main activities of the club -  members participated in canoe racing and were going down wild rivers.

In 1931, a few members, enthusiasts, started to sail on canoes and kayaks with sails. However, at that time, water sports were strictly prohibited on ponds, so they were often reported to the police.

During the World War II, there was a large decline of water sports. Yachtsmen moved to rivers, where they were out of direct sight of the Nazis. During the war, camping was prohibited and transportation was very difficult, so canoes were transported on handcarts and only day trips were possible.

Bezdrev pond and first rides
After the revolution in 1948, yachting fans were allowed to do their favourite sport again. They started to sail on the prohibited Bezdrev, from where they were often expelled. This was until 1950, when sailing was officially permitted on Bezdrev. At the beginning, boats were anchored to buoys in front of the cottages at the restaurants, in autumn they could be stored in the yard of the bastion, until the club acquired land and permission to build a new boatyard.

Establishing of the Yacht Club Slavoj
The inaugural meeting of the yacht section took place on the 15th November 1950, when he was named as the "Yachting Club Sokol of Joint Municipal Corporation of the Unified National Committee", abbreviated Yachting Club Sokol SKP JNV.
In the same year the club got an agreement to lease land on the banks of Bezdreva and by the end of the year, a wooden boatyard was built with great efforts of all members.
In 1951 Jaroslav Řezáč finished first ice yacht and tested it successfully on frozen Bezdrev in winter. The following year, the old boatyard in České Budějovice was taken apart and moved to the place of the new boatyard at the Bezdrev pond. In April, the instructors Pavlousek and Böhm from Prague were invited to train the club members, who could therefore start their full raicng preparation.

Would you also like to experience the magic of yachting? You will for sure enjoy it with today's instructors and fully fall for water sports. Bezdrev is located near our hotel and is easily accessible by car, bike or you can even take a longer walk through charming nature.

When taking part in the yacht training, we will be pleased to accommodate you in our hotel. After your training, you can relax in our wellness centre, take a massage or walk to the nearby ZOO Ohrada.