Why Learn to Sail?

Sailing is the art of controlling the speed and direction of a boat by altering the rigging, rudder and centre-board to force wind into the sails. As both a sport and a pastime, sailing is a wonderfully enjoyable and satisfying experience that many people across Britain and world practice. But what is it that makes sailing stand out in the world of sports and recreation?

First and foremost, sailing is for everybody; the able-bodied and disabled, young and old, competitive sportsmen and pensioners alike can easily learn to sail . Sailing has been around for thousands of years – the earliest representation of a ship under sail appearing on an Egyptian vase from about 3500 B.C. – so it should come as no surprise that many sailors find it to be a sport for like. Starting out as a crew member, even the youngest sailors soon progress to helming their own small vessel, allowing them to take their family out on the river or on a sailing holiday when they get older! As time progresses, the type of sailing that most appeals to you will change, but rest assured that there is always a type to suit you; from single-handed dinghies to a hulking yachts manned by a dozen people, the variety of options within sailing makes it a truly versatile sport.

What’s more, sailing really isn’t as expensive as it is made out to be. Small dinghies for river sailing and membership to sailing clubs are not hugely pricey; at around £100-200 for whole year of family membership, they allow unlimited access to facilities and storage, as well as boat hire (for an additional fee). The amount of equipment needed for the casual sailor is also very small and most of it can be picked up from supermarkets and budget outlets if your budget is really tight. Of course, sailing can be incredibly expensive if you let it – but so can any sport; you do not need a £250,000 yacht to start sailing, just like you do not need £500 of training clothes to be a good runner.

So we’ve established that sailing is affordable, fun and for everybody – so what’s stopping you? If you are anything like I was before I started sailing, you may be partly put off by the chore of learning to sail; everybody that I knew had been sailing from childhood and I assumed that there was a very long process involved. But this isn’t true at all! Although the fine art of sailing is something that will take your entire lifetime to master, the basics to sailing can be learnt in about a week of lessons that will have you competently tacking up and down the water with ease! How many other sports can boast that anybody can learn them in a week, whilst also offering a lifetime of challenges and experiences? On top of that, the opportunities to meet many new people are vast and, as we have established above, it really won’t cost you that much either!

There are loads of sailing courses available for you to start leaning to sail today! Summer is just round the corner; if you learn now you’ll be well at ease on the water by the time the holidays roll around!

About the Author

John Harper is a sailing instructor on Rutford water. For more information about sailing courses, Please visit http://www.endeavoursailing.co.uk

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