Club initiative offers invaluable learning experience combined with fun
by Sarah Johnson 9 Sep 2014 08:19 BST
9 September 2014
HISC volunteer mentor Mike McIntyre briefing GRC participants © HISC
The new HISC Get Racing Club is proving to be a highly successful initiative offering a unique learning experience combined with an afternoon of fun racing. Launched at the start of this season the club relies on experienced member volunteers to assist those sailors keen to have a go at racing by offering tips, skills and coaching as well as putting on a series of informal races on selected Saturdays.
August saw a growing number of enthusiastic participants take part in two windy sessions with some immensely experienced mentors, including Olympic champions, giving on-the-water advice as well as detailed pre and post-race briefings.
Conditions for the first of the August sessions were challenging with gusts of Force 5, but the mentors, Greg Wells, Mark Darling, Simon Childs and Caroline Wells, used it to their advantage to assess the twenty participants' heavy wind sailing techniques. All the sailors were given an invaluable debriefing session on shore where the biggest lesson learnt was the ability to balance the rudder against the sails to avoid fighting the rudder in strong winds.
The second of the August sessions was also breezy with force 4 gusting 5 and a variety of boats taking to the water including RS Ventures, Lasers, 200's, Q'ba's, Wayfarers and Laser 2000s. The mentor team of Mike McIntyre, Rob Hack, Simon Childs and Melvyn Cooper managed to put on 3 back to back races on a triangle/sausage course. The participants included a mix of people who had raced before but wished to build their race confidence and others who were racing for the first time. Amongst the productive feedback in the debriefing was a discussion on the importance of teamwork when racing.
Tracey and Roger Castle have taken part in the Get Racing Club since its inception in April racing in the club's RS Ventures; Tracey commented, "We wanted to participate in a sport we could do together and as beginners to sailing the Get Racing Club concept has been just perfect. We have learned so much from the racing and Roger helmed his first ever race today!"
It's not too late to get involved; for more information and dates for the next events please visit the HISC website at www.hisc.co.uk or contact Leah at to register your boat.