Dinghy and Small Boat Sailing
Dinghy sailing is so often a family sport, perhaps a parent teamed up with a youngster, or the adults sailing together whilst the younger members of the family “do their own thing”. Membership of a sailing club brings with it the watchful eye of a rescue boat so Mum and Dad can be reassured. You will need to find the club that suits you best – there is certain to be one locally and many are family orientated, sensibly combining sailing in family boats with classes for the more athletic. And dinghy sailing is not expensive, as you will see.
- Where to get started
- What will it cost?
- What about equipment?
- Do I need to buy a boat?
- What about courses?
- Can I start racing soon?
- What if I don’t want to race?
- Special interest clubs
There are dingy sailing clubs on inland lakes and rivers and all around the coast. You find a list of them organised simply by region on the Royal Yachting Association web site at www.rya.org.uk. Dingy clubs are always keen to have new members particularly family members with children. Ring the secretary or walk in on a sailing day and you will find them both welcoming and friendly.
Club fees vary depending on the facilities they provide but an ordinary dingy club with good facilities at a nice inland lake will cost around £100 to £150 a year for a family, and that may include the cost of a dingy parking place. Young people joining on their own usually pay much less, £30 to £40 for the year might be about right. There are no fees to use the water but you will have to insure your dinghy - always a club rule - which might be another £50.
So we have an all up cost for a family of three to four pounds a week – just the cost of hiring a DVD!
Two items are “must have”. The first is a buoyancy aid (or a lifejacket for a young child) costing around £35, and a pair of non-slip shoes – that is non-slip when wet. Trainers will be fine to start with although special dinghy boots are better because they protect the upper part of the foot. A waterproof is needed for wet or splashy days in the summer and a wet suit (or dry suit) is absolutely essential for anyone sailing in the winter. For the rest – an old pair of shorts, two or three “T” shirts, a towel and a change of clothing is all that is needed. Add a couple of lightweight woollen (not cotton) sweaters for warmth on colder days – better than one thick one – and you are kitted out.
In the long term the answer is “yes”. Some clubs will lend you a boat perhaps for a season and a sailing centre will provide a boat as part of a course fee. In sailing clubs it is perfectly normal to start with a really old boat especially if you are on a tight budget. There are always older boats for sale, usually for a few hundred pounds. You can get started for less than £500 if you are prepared to use a paintbrush. After a few months you will want something better, or you might move to a different boat and this might be the time to buy a new one. Alternatively you might buy a new boat to start with – but always check first that it is a class regularly sailed at the club.
Dinghy sailing is taught by RYA qualified instructors to a well established curriculum which includes beginner’s courses for adults and a separate series of courses for young people. One course “bolts on” to the next so that you can make start this year, and go on with the next step later and in a different place, perhaps on holiday. The courses are also designed so that the skills you learn in one boat are readily transferred to a different boat. Many sailing clubs have RYA qualified instructors and readily teach newcomers to sail.
You can also do your RYA course on a sailing holiday with your family, companies like Neilson Active Holidays!
Of course you can. I is not long before you will be joining in with the club fleet. In fact most clubs run novice races for just that reason. You will have had to learn to handle the boat - and you will need to know the basic racing rules, but those are readily learned, leaving the “tricky stiff” until you have more experience.
Lots of people want only to cruise. Some sailing clubs welcome cruising sailors and there are owners clubs for groups of people who simply want to sail in company as they explore new waters.
Small boats for cruising are a little different because they are usually not as extreme or “athletic” as the racing types. They are designed to be comfortable and easily handled in all weathers especially when they are sailed away from home and there is no watchful rescue boat. The larger and heavier dinghies are usually known as day boats. Once again you will need the basic skills so a course is, if anything, more important for the cruising sailor.
To find out more about the sport contact the RYA thorough their web site at www.rya.org.uk or telephone 0845 345 0400.
Follow the links for more detailed information on other clubs, and in particular special interest clubs for adults and children.
