If you are about to learn how to sail then I would recommend starting out with the practical side of the sport in a small sailing boat preferably on a lake or river. I can’t speak for everywhere but in the UK we have plenty of sailing clubs that have a fleet of small craft to learn the basics and also obtain qualifications as some have RYA (Royal Yachting Association) qualified tutors.
When starting out and joining a sailing club it saves you having to purchase your own sailing dinghy, as the fleet of club dinghies have been purchased out of the club members fees.
The craft you would be sailing are generally between 3.0m to 5.0m in length which can be sailed single handed or two plus crew, some types of sailing dinghy that spring to mind are for the single hander; Contender, Comet, Laser, Laser Funboat, Laser Pico, and Topper.
For the slightly larger dinghies for two or more crew you would have more of a chose from the following; Albacore, Bosun, Comet Duo, Flying Fifteen, Gull, Hornet, Laser 2000, Mirror, and RS400.
These craft are manufactured from, Wood, GRP (Glass Reinforced Plastic), inflatable’s and Ribs, they normally come with a two or four wheel trailer dependent on the boats size. The trailer is used to launch the dinghy from; sailing clubs will have a launching jetty designed for this purpose.
When starting out on the water you will need to go out with someone who can teach you the basic’s on sailing and how sailing dinghy actually works, plus learning the terminology that goes with that. Once you have done that and taken your turn at sailing the dinghy under tuition, it is now time for you to go out on your own. When you first do this it is the most exhilarating and exciting part of learning this great sport and not forgetting that you are actually on the move and it is free, there’s no cost for the prime mover, wind! It’s a question I always raise when talking to motor boat owners when I take them out sailing on my sailing boat!
Now you have the basics and you are on the move to gain further experience it is good to take part in the local clubs racing calendar. This is probably the fastest way you will learn and become more efficient with the sailing manoeuvres when sailing in a competitive arena. Boat speed, sail trimming, reading wind direction and water state all play a key role in getting the best out of your dinghy.
Owning a trailer sailer dinghy has its benefit of having the flexibility of being able to sail on different waters and even going out to sea. So you could plan your sailing calendar taking in these different scenic areas to sail also visiting other sailing clubs and take part in their dinghy sailing races.
The good thing about learning this basic knowledge is that it applies to any size of sailing boat or yacht you sail, so when you have purchased your 12m sailing yacht and you are on a long haul passage plan you will be able to achieve the best out of your vessel and arrive in the shortest time, at your destination.
I have sailed extensively now and i can tell you there's no better achievement than actually arriving at a new port of call under your own navigation and sailing skills.
I have my own yacht a Maxi 1000 length 10.2 m and was fortunate enough to sail her on her maiden voyage from Sweden to Hull in the UK, we had a great sail it took 14 days in nearly perfect sailing conditions.
As well as sailing my own yacht I have sailed other people’s yachts on passages form Chichester in the UK to Cartagena in Spain, from Brest in France to Waterford in Ireland, Hull to Boulogne in France. I have also chartered yachts with friends out of Sweden, Croatia, Tobago, Spain, Cuba, and America. The world is your oyster when it comes to sailing.
I hope you enjoy and learn something from my articles I have written and also my E Book “Learn to sail now” which can be purchased from my web site www.learntosailnow.com
He’s to great sailing.
Clive Peterson