This time of year, you wrap up warm, if it's not too windy, you, probably won't go swimming, if you go swimming, it will be cold.  Afterwards you'll (hopefully) have an nice warm shower and it will all be worth it.

I assume you are going on a sailing course somewhere, so they will tell you all.

It would be a difficult process to describe on a forum like this - without writing a a "shoe to learn to sail" book and there are more than enough of them around.

Just go, expect to get a little wet and cold, but enjoy it.  

Hi,

If you are learning to sail this isn't the best time of year to learn because you need to spend a bomb on equipment to keep warm and in strong wind's thing's break easier on boats.

Not many clubs run training in the winter except if you are in a zone or something like that !!!!

Learning in the summer is much more fun otherwise the winter wind's might put you off especially when you go for a swim !

Although you may find that the summer brings a hell of a lot less wind !

I'm impressed you took my advice so thoroughly - but that Garry knows what he's talking about too. 

What I would like to say is that sailing is a tremendously challenging sport.  You have to learn to do so many skills intuitively so that you can then use your brain on the many decisions you have to take as well, especially if you are racing.  Also there are no rules which say a boat must be easy to sail so in consequence some are very difficult to control (but fast).  If you watch people sail a RS300 or Moth, Laser 4000, RS800 or 49er (and many others) they can make it look easy.  It isn't but that is part of the challenge.  You control a machine which is difficult and in environment which is forever changing and then you try and race and do it better than all those around.  It can take a lifetime to get it even reasonably good.  Finally I say fast and then maybe you ask how fast is that - say 12 mph and you probably think that is nothing.  Wait until you race a boat and find yourself doing that sort of speed alongside your competitors - it feels a lot faster than anything you'd ever achieve in a car or on a motorbike.  You'll have a lot more crashes too - but fortunately they won't kill you, but that doesn't stop them from frightening you silly.  I love it.

Some very good advice there,

Useless Eustace,

If you come down to Chew either tommorow or contact me to find a time that suits you, i will show you what all the sail control's do and take you out to show you the basics if you like.

Some other thing's that you can look out for when you arent actually sailing is familiarising yourself with how you can tell if a gust is coming because gusts (short spell of strong wind) and lull's (a short spell of not much wind) can cause you to cpasise and unless you have the right gear capsising in this weather isnt much fun.

After say 2/3 capsises you will most likely feel completely knackered after pulling yourself onto the daggerboard and when you do feel exhausted you are more likely to make mistakes and capsise again so GO IN !!!

If you are going to sail this time of year you need quite a bit of specialised clothing - I'd suggest you wait until after Easter and then you'll need a long john wet suit, some sort of water and wind proof top and something on your feet that won't get compleltely ruined by being wet.  I'm sure you can improvise the water proof top and the foot wear and the long john will cost you about £60.  I should go without saying that you need some sort of bouyancy aid which at first you can probably borrow.  Don't wear a life jacket - too bulky.

If you are tempted to go out in this weather and you're only wearing what I have described, then don't, it could kill you.

Centerboard - Retractable board which pivots up and down below the hull, acting as a keel helping to reduce sidewys drift - Daggerboard is wery simlar but lifts up n down,

i would have added a picture but stupid p.c. wont let me,

I'll tell you tommorow but you would have to join sharpish because the sailing season starts at  BASC next weekend!

Although when you are a bit more exprienced and no what your doing join a Champion club..................there's two near Bristol (Axebridge and Chew).............personally i prefer Chew but Garry sail's at Axebridge....................by the way im going to Axebridge for a Topper event  soon so i hope theres more wind than last time !

Lol,

In clevedon the tide is very strong and you drift miles !!! Also it get very choppy in fairly light airs and you have to sit on the transom to stop pitching 

Anyone else got any comments about Clevedon?

Lol yeah,

I'm going dry skiing/snowboarding near weston-super-mare next week...................last time i nearly broke my finger