On Saturday well over two hundred visitors took the opportunity to try sailing for free at Sutton Bingham Sailing Club just outside Yeovil. The come and try it day was part of the annual Royal Yachting Association’s Push The Boat Out initiative in which hundreds of sailing clubs up and down the country throw open their gates to give local people the chance to try this brilliant sport.
It was a perfect day with a good breeze – almost too much at times and bright sunshine most of the day. Experienced club sailors took adults, children and families out on the water in the clubs fleet of Comet Trios and Raider keelboat, all reefed down to smaller sails to make them safe and manageable for the prevailing conditions.
Club Commodore, Phil Bailey commented, “Our sailing club was delighted to host Push The Boat Out which encourages interest in sailing. The event was a great success with such a fantastic response from the public, many of whom experienced sailing for the first time. Club members loved showcasing our sport and I am sure that everyone who visited the club enjoyed their introduction to sailing. New members to our club will be assured of some great training opportunities and a very warm welcome.”
During the trial sails most participants had the opportunity to take the helm during their 40 minute sessions on the water. Neil from Sherborne enthused, “Yesterday I sailed with an instructor called Julian and a young lad with learning difficulties. I thought Julian was fantastic keeping us both involved in the session.”
Marcus, who joined the club just a few years ago said, “Many people assume that sailing is an expensive sport to get into, as did I, but actually starting out can be a good deal less than your average gym membership. If I’d realised this I would have got into sailing much sooner.”
For those that enjoyed their sailing experience there are plenty of ways to get involved. David Thomson, the club’s Training Principal explained, “The Club runs training courses for youngsters and adults at all level from beginners to people who want to improve their skills or get into racing. We’ll be following up with everyone who expressed an interest in learning to sail. If you weren’t able to make it on Saturday you can find out about our RYA accredited sailing courses under the “Learn To Sail” section of this website. Alternatively, come up to the club on any sailing day and chat to our members. The best times would be Thursday evenings, 5.30pm-8pm or 10.30am-4pm on a Saturday or Sunday.”