Sailing - An Elitist Sport For The Rich?

Ever considered taking up sailing but thought you couldn't afford it? Think again. There has never been a wider choice of craft to sail - from 50ft luxury yachts costing over £200,000 new to used dinghy's which would set you back £200-300. Even having a poor credit history need not exclude you from enjoying the benefits of this wonderful sport.

Many people have been put off by the stereotypical image of a yacht club being run by and for the upper classes, but as with other historically "elitist" sports such as tennis and golf things are changing fast. Many clubs offer very reasonable membership rates - typically a couple of hundred pounds a year for unlimited sailing and club racing. It's a great way to meet new people, get fit and enjoy some healthy competition. Want to get the kids off that X-box you bought them for Christmas? The answer could be the Optimist sailing dinghy - at just over 2 metres long and designed for children they can be picked up for a couple of hundred pounds, hold their value and can be transported on the roof of your car. "A part for an Opti, which is generally pretty specific to an Opti, is incredibly inexpensive when you compare it to a fitting that goes on a similar junior boat' noted OziOpti's Steve Bond....and over 70% of the sailors at the last Olympics learned to race in an Optimist a good incentive for London 2012! The season usually runs from late March - December and many people sail on lakes during the winter months but you will need a dry suit!

While you may not be able to afford a shiny new 50 footer with all the mod cons there are plenty of alternatives to get you out on the water. If you like the idea of owning a yacht there are plenty of used boats on the market - a Moody 29 yacht built in the early 1980's will cost about £24,000. How about dinghy sailing? A brand new Laser dinghy measuring about 4 metres will set you back about £3,500. A used Laser can be picked up for a few hundred pounds.

Other essential costs include insurance cover for damage to your boat and more importantly to anyone else's! For a Laser it is less than £100 per year and includes 3rd party liability if you cause injury to another party - essential for racing. New sails every couple of years will keep you competitive when racing - and for a Laser these cost about £400. If you are a novice then reasonably priced RYA courses are available at many clubs and the good news is that all these costs can be spread out with a low cost loan - even if you have a bad credit history.

What are you waiting for? Get out on the water!



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