First Try Sailing Session at Sutton-in-Ashfield Sailing Club

by Dale Clarke 3 Jul 2016 11:36 BST 25 June 2016

On Saturday 25th June, Sutton-In-Ashfield Sailing Club held the first of six Saturday morning 'Try Sailing Sessions' in conjunction with 'The Mill'.

At 9am the sun was out but there was little wind in evidence. The budding volunteers rig a few boats in anticipation although latest news (Wednesday afternoon) was that no one had signed up.

9:30am news from "The Mill" seven names where on the booking list so at least we would not be sat twiddling our thumbs, or worse listening to sailing stories from our most experienced volunteer...

10am, First of the mornings guests arrives, then the second, third, fourth, fifth, six, seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth they just kept coming. I was looking for the coach in the car park.

We needed more boats! And we also had a damsel in near distress in the club house, the tea urn was running dry and it was standing room only.

Luckily, for once, we still had very little wind so let's get the young ones out in picos, Pete's taxi's started to run a round the res service for the older & less bold with John operating a rival service in a cobble loaned from The Mill. Not sure who made the most in fares but everyone appear to be enjoying the experience.

11am, young ones in Picos where having a ball, everyone was either on the water or waiting their turn, the pressure was abating & the sun was still out.

12am the diehards where still on the water, some had gone out for more, both water taxi services where still competing to see who would get the most in fares. The numbers where dwindling so we started to get the boats in

12:30 copying a famous quote "they think it's all over, it is now" we packed up to the distant sound of thunder, the rain had held off for what turned out to be a really good / positive morning for SASC, with around 20 people experiencing some form of sailing in the two & a half hours that we operated.

What did we gain?

• One completed membership application
• Numerous requests as to what they could do next
• Interest in October sailing course
• Quote of the day "Can we come next week Mr?"

I was expecting today to be a starting point with the sessions building from here through word of mouth and returning participants, but we appear to have started with a bang and if the sessions become more popular we are going to need more bodies on the ground than those that attended today. If there had been anymore wind we would have struggled to operate with the help we had today.

A big thank you to Jenny, Pete, John & Anthony.