SAILING
Sailing used to be considered a sport for the rich and although that still may be the case with luxury yachts, dingy sailing is available to all. It is not difficult to find a club or centre where the basic sailing techniques can be learned in a safe environment. These basic skills may be learned in a few days. However the mastery of sailing a boat in varying weather conditions will take considerably longer but is well worth the time and the effort.
Sailing is becoming much more accessible to disabled people with new boat designs, a better understanding and recognition that outdoor sports should be available to everyone.
Listings for Sailing and Windsurfing
Sailing is a sport that can range greatly, from small to large vessels. The two main ones being racing and dinghy sailing. Dinghy sailing is a great way to get started and possibly the least expensive way to get afloat, as it involves using the smallest of vessels available. For the more advanced yachtmans there is sailboat racing, which can vary from small keelboats and sports boats to super maxi ocean racer. Sailing is the art of controlling a sailing vessel by changing the rigging, the rudder and the centre board while managing to force the wind on the sails in order to change the speed and direction of the boat. It is not only the physical aspects of the sport that are important but to have the experience as well, knowledge of sailboats and of the wind and sea conditions are also vital.
WINDSURFING
Many of sailing clubs are also windsurfing clubs indeed windsurfing does use many of the sailing techniques. It is a windsurfer who holds the world speed record for a sailing craft.
Windsurfing is a fantastic sport that combines both sailing and surfing. It is a surface water sport using a windsurf board (also known as a sail board), they are the fastest sailing craft a float. As well as being fast, the board also as a lot of agility, allowing the surfer to perform jumps, inverted loops, spinning manoeuvres and other freestyle moves. This is why its such an exciting and versatile sport, it provides everything from racing on flat waters to wave riding. The craft is usually two to five metres long and powered by a single sail. Unlike other sailboats it combines the tilting and carving of the board and is steered by the rotating and tilting of the mast and sail. The ideal weather conditions are winds of 15-25 knots, although it is possible for the more advanced surfer to go out in winds of up to 50 knots. The basic skills of windsurfing such as sailing, steering and turning can be learned in a few hours. From them onwards it takes time, dedication and a lot of practice to master the more advanced manoeuvres.
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