No ExcusesIn the first of a new series Rupert Holmes breaks down some of the barriers that stop people getting afloat.1 IntroductionThere are so many different aspects to sailing and racing that they could almost be considered different sports 2 "But I don’t live near the sea"Many people are not more than an hour’s travel from a variety of sailing opportunities 3 "But it must take ages to build enough qualifications and experience to become competent and safe?"All clubs have safety boats of some type that provide rescue cover 4 "Surely sailing is very expensive?"There are also thousands of people who race dinghies worth only a few hundred pounds 5 "But what about the time commitment — it dominates the lives of all my friends who sail?"It’s true that the lives of many sailing enthusiasts revolve around their sailing commitments 6 "Isn’t racing only for the super-fit? I don’t have the fitness or coordination for it!"A wide spread of ages, physiques and even disabilities are often able to compete on level terms 7 "l’d really like to give sailing a try, but don’t want to be put off if my first experiences are bad weather and cold water."There are an ever-growing number of companies offering watersports package holidays |
