Rugby and Daventry Sailing Club awarded £10,000 from Sport England to buy four new boats

Even more local people will get the chance to get into and keep sailing this summer after Rugby and Daventry Sailing Club was awarded £10,000 from Sport England to buy four new boats. The club, based on Drayton Reservoir in Daventry, has invested in four Hartley 12 dinghies that can be sailed by one-person, as part of its RYA-endorsed ‘Get Into Sailing At RDSC’ activities programme. To celebrate the arrival of the new boats for the 2014 season, RDSC invites you and your family to enjoy a free taste of sailing on Saturday 17 May, as the club hosts an anyone-welcome Open Day as part of RYA Push the Boat Out weekend. Meanwhile, if you already know you want to learn to sail this year, and get involved in a fantastic, social outdoor sport where everyday life really does get left on the shore, the club’s adult RYA Start Sailing courses start on Saturday, April 12, with further courses scheduled for June and September. The club also runs junior Start Sailing courses. RYA Start Sailing introduces people to the basics and gives them the best first experience in the sport, while also providing opportunities for them to then stay involved and keep improving their skills at welcoming, inclusive sailing clubs. Sylvia Dawson, RDSC Club Commodore, said: “We regularly run successful training courses, however we have in the past found it difficult to keep people coming back regularly once they have initially learned to sail. “This isn’t because of a lack of enthusiasm but a shortage of one-person boats. “Our adult beginner courses take place in boats sailed by two people plus an instructor. This allows trainees to progress quickly from beginner to competent sailor. But with the time pressured lifestyles of today, it can be hard for improver sailors to coordinate sailing dates with regular partners and the upshot is they stop coming.” “Enabling improvers to sail one-person boats on their own, with an instructor on hand, builds confidence in their own ability and they are more likely to continue sailing. We also want to promote the fact boat ownership isn’t essential in the sport and having good quality, reliable boats available for people to sail supports this.” Rugby and Daventry SC is a recognised RYA Training Centre, meaning it conforms to the highest standards of quality and safety. RYA Push the Boat Out weekend is a national event that will see hundreds of sailing clubs across the country opening their gates for local people to come and ‘have a go’ at sailing, and at some clubs windsurfing too, with an experienced hand. For full details of everything going on at RDSC this year, and how you can get involved, visit www.rdsc.org.uk