Back on the Water at Prestwick Sailing Club
by Neil Beveridge 8 Jun 2020 10:19 BST
Back on the water at Prestwick Sailing Club © PSC
At last, we are back on the water...
Fantastic news that we have been able to get back on the water doing the sport that we all love, albeit in a very limited way, but it's a step in the right direction.
It's only now that the lockdown is relaxing that I have realised how much I have missed it.
Sailing is a remarkable sport, and there are few that can match it. There are not many sports that can be done at any age, we have members from 5 to 88 years of age, and once you have mastered the basics, it is a skill for life.
The physical and mental benefits of sailing are well known:
- Great exercise but you don't need a high level of fitness.
- Fresh air and fun.
- Great for stress relief.
- Unplugged you can't take your phone with you.
- Potential Life Long Opportunities.
And at a competitive level, sailing is a unique mixture of skills. Having said that, once you have learned the basics, you can start to race immediately. There can't be many sports where anyone can compete at national level events, and easily find themselves chatting to, and competing against Olympic athletes. If I played tennis, I don't think I would be playing against Andy Murray, but many of us have sailed against Ben Ainslie, Giles Scott and a host of other Olympians.
There is almost unlimited opportunity for young sailors either in competition or for employment. Just amongst the youth sailors in Scotland that I sailed with there ended up being an Olympic Gold medal winner, the Olympic Team Manager, a record-breaking round-the-world yachtswoman, a world dinghy champion, and multiple UK champions. These opportunities are still there and they all started at their local clubs mucking about in Toppers, Oppies and Mirrors, just like our cadets today.
But even if you just love getting out on the water, sailing can be a lifelong passion. I have been sailing for more than 45 years, and it has meant so much to me. Just getting out on the water is always a thrill, racing has that extra edge, but probably most importantly I have met and made a lot of lifelong friends.
I live well outside the current 5 mile travel limit so I'll have to wait a little longer, but hopefully we can all be back on the water soon.
Neil Beveridge
Commodore Prestwick Sailing Club