SAILING PORT ELIZABETH
KEELBOATS
There are some exciting developments on the front of teaching sailing in Keelboats. Our aim is to start on the first weekend of September with an introductory session for aspirant keelboat sailors starting at 14H00 down at the ABSM Marina. We plan to host this as an ongoing event on the first Saturday of the month through until the end of the summer sailing season at the end on April 20129.
All PE citizens are more than welcome to pop down and see what it’s all about.
Sailing is also one of the few sports that can truly be enjoyed by the whole family, from the youngest child to grandparents, and it’s a great sport for parents to enjoy with children, whether it be sailing together in a double-handed dinghy, in single-handed dinghies, or as a larger group on a yacht.
Our Keelboat Sailing academy is in the infancy and busy been established. We will cater for both junior and senior prospective sailors to learn and be introduced to the sport of sailing in a safe and non-intimating environment.
The Sailing Academy is open to all people with the only requirements being that the student is able to swim and has a genuine desire to learn to sail.
The emphasis of the sailing academy is on practical sailing and students are expected to acquaint themselves with the theoretical aspects of the sport in their own time.
You do not need to own your sailing yacht as the use of owner boats will be made  boats is available to students as part of their training.
Sailing on a Budget
One of the sport’s biggest myths is its expense. Yes, you can spend lots on a luxury yacht, but a second-hand dinghy and local sailing club membership can be very inexpensive indeed. Second-hand boats are continuously available and can be purchased easily via sites such as Gumtree (http://www.gumtree.co.za/).
Learning Sailing
The basics of sailing can be learnt easily in a week or over a number of sessions, it doesn’t take long for you to be able to sail around a triangular course on your own. To begin with it’s about getting to grips with sitting in the right place, steering, changing direction and trimming the sails. As you progress you will learn to do these more quickly and efficiently to get the most out of the boat. From there, however, there is a lifetime of learning and progression, which will always provide you with new challenges if you choose to take them.
Racing
Having learnt the basics, many people progress into racing. Organised by clubs and classes across your country, racing round a course is a great way to improve your skills and have a lot of fun along the way. For most people racing is not about going to the Olympics, although there are plenty of opportunities for talented youngsters to progress through to top-level competition. Racing at a local sailing club usually involves a variety of classes of boat and a huge range of abilities and experience across a wide age range.
As you gain in confidence you may choose to travel to open meetings at other clubs, or to regional or national championships. There are also many regattas during the summer which welcome families to some lovely holiday destinations where a week on a sandy beach can be combined with sailing during the day, and barbeques, parties and even firework displays in the evenings.
For more information on Bay Sailing Academy please contact the Sigi Bailes on 082-552-6467Â
