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About Sailing

Sailing is a sport in which people manoeuvre a boat across the surface of the water using the power of the wind instead of a motor. Although it became a sport around the 17 - 18th century, sailing has been around for much longer. The first record of a sailing boat was found on an ancient Egyptian vase dated back to 3500 BC. Later on in history vikings also used sailing to reach North America. Around the 15th century, as technology improved, sailboats became much faster.

Originally these types of boats were used predominantly as a form of transportation. Today it is mostly seen as a recreational activity.

Is learning how to Sail difficult?

Although it might seem intimidating and difficult, learning the basics of sailing is actually easier than you might think. If you’re working with a skilled instructor you can gain a basic understanding of what you have to do in one afternoon. As long as you pay attention, that might be all you need in order to learn how to get from point A to point B. However, if you want to become an expert sailor, that will take years of practice and most of all experience. Experts compare it to learning to drive a car, while it might be easy to learn which pedal does what and how to move the car, you’ll only improve and get better as you spend more hours driving.

Although you can learn the basics in one day, most courses usually last about a week, so students can take their time and really focus on remembering the theory.

What skills do you need for Sailing?

An important thing to remember is that sailing involves a lot of jargon and traditions that every newcomer will have to get used to. However that shouldn’t discourage you as you’ll learn those overtime. If you’re worried about your first lesson, there are a few basic skills you’ll need to focus on if you want to quickly adapt.

The first thing you’ll have to learn about is the wind. Sailing is entirely based on the direction and speed of the wind. Although it might seem tricky in the beginning, it’ll quickly become second nature. The next skill you’ll have to acquire is learning how to steer the boat. This is arguably the easiest part of sailing and most people get the hang of it within a couple of minutes. Last but not least, in your first few lessons you’ll have to learn how to steer the trim. If the sailboat is sailing in a straight line, you can simply ease the line that controls the sail until the leading edge of the sail wagers marginally in and out. If you want to change direction just follow the same procedure in the opposite direction. You can use the sheets to angle the sail so that it fills the wind.

Sailing comes with a specific dress code, along with some other items you might have to carry. Although your instructor will certainly inform you of what you need to carry, you should more than likely prepare shoes with a good grip, sunglasses, gloves and a windbreaker jacket.