SAILING
INSTRUCTORS from Teesdale Sailing and Watersports Club got together on Saturday to prepare for an exciting summer.
They spent the morning working with the new boats recently purchased with a generous grant from Teesdale Area Action Partnership.
Each boat needed to be unpacked and prepared ready for the junior sailing courses that the club will be running from early May.
Dinghy instructor Richard Lundie said: “It is an exciting time for us at the moment.
“We have been unable to do any sailing instruction for over a year and now with new boats and the prospect of a full summer of sailing we are all raring to go”.
Mark Meadows, who previously ran junior sailing courses in the Midlands, moved to Barnard Castle in 2017 and is now actively involved with the junior OnBoard Club at Grassholme Reservoir.
“Some of the children can be a bit nervous at first, but once they get on the water they really enjoy themselves,” he said.
The club will be running courses for total beginners and improvers on Saturdays starting on May 8. Each course will run for six consecutive weeks.
Imogen Gibb, the RYA principal at the club and course organiser said: “These courses will be repeated over the summer so there are plenty of opportunities for youngsters to have a go at this exhilarating sport.”
The OnBoard Club courses cover the essentials of how to rig a boat, safety, weather, theory and the practise of sailing itself.
Teesdale SWC has a large team of instructors so there is always plenty of help and advice available to get the youngsters afloat and sailing.
The instructors give their time free and the use of boats, wetsuits and buoyancy aids is free, so this is an excellent opportunity to get on the water and learn a new skill.
There is a small charge for those who want certificates and logbooks that have to be bought in from the RYA.
While the youngsters are having fun, the club has not forgotten their parents and carers. They too get the opportunity to learn about sailing and go on the water.
Club commodore Anthony Tubbs said: “We hope that at the end of the course the children and their parents will have enjoyed themselves so much that they become club members and continue to sail.”
Adult membership of the club starts at £96 with free junior membership and boat use.
Anyone interested in the junior OnBoard Club, learning to sail or club membership should email info@tdswc.org.uk .
