Junior Sailing - The Mirror Option
by Rob Bellfield 11 Dec 2013 09:49 GMT
11 December 2013
How do I introduce my children into sailing - without putting them off? A question that many parents of 7 to 10 year olds ask themselves. The answer may lie with the junior section of your local sailing club, or maybe what friends do, or what boat you started with. There are so many options. Should you teach your own children, put them onto a course, or teach them to crew to start with before learning to helm.
One option is the Mirror Dinghy. Thousands of young sailors started in the Mirror in the 60s, 70s and 80s - probably in a wooden boat with the unique gaff rig, having to lace the mainsail, with the option of oars and an outboard on the back - with lunch in the locker.
However, the Mirror has changed! The Winder-built foam sandwich boat is light, stiff and low maintenance - the rig is now one piece, with a centre mainsheet and all the controls expected on a modern boat. But what the Mirror really offers is a boat that can take a wide range of weights with juniors crews sailing on a level playing field with parent and child combinations. A deep, safe cockpit, that you sit in and not on, is great for younger children and plenty of space and easy to use controls make it an ideal boat teach young crews to sail and race. If they get the bug, then there are regional and national squads that provide top class training as part of the pathway to the RYA Youth classes - the 420 and 49er. There are local Open Meetings, National, European and World Championships - all administered by the UK Mirror Class Association.
Many recent top sailors such as Ian Walker, Angus Hemmings and Andy Smith have introduced their children into top level competition through the Mirror. More information is available on the Mirror website on www.ukmirrorsailing.com or e-mail Sarah Richards, the Class Secretary, .
Come and join, or re-join, the Mirrors for 2014 and take part in the Nationals and Europeans in Brixham 13 - 22 August.