Sailing Club Spotlight Snettisham Beach Sailing Club

SCORES of people took to the water to have a go at sailing during an open day. Snettisham Beach Sailing Club welcomed more than 65 people to its site in May. The club was hoping to attract more members during the event and to generate a greater interest in the sport. During the day, visitors were able to chat to members. They were also taken out to sea during the early sessions and later sailed on a water filled former gravel pit. Training centre principal Katie Daniels was pleased with the response to the open day. She said: “We were really happy with the turnout. “We had a barbecue running all day and there were lots of interested smiling faces. “We think we have now got eight to ten new members with more people following it up. It was very successful.” The club has also recently been awarded a £10,000 Sports England grant for a training boat. Members are also running a six-week course to help children lean to sail. Sessions cost £60 for six weeks and all of the equipment is provided.

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Blind sailors ready for yacht race

Three visually impaired sailors are to race a small yacht from London to the Olympic sailing site of Portland, in Dorset. The trio are crewing the James Cook on behalf of Action For Blind People (Action) in the Small Yacht Race 2012, set up by the Ocean Youth Trust which aims to get more people out on the water. Stephen Ball, 23, from Southport; Brett Johnson, 22, from Oldham; and Danny Grant, 25, from Wakefield; are working with five other crewmates, many of whom are also blind or partially sighted on the challenge. Stephen has virtually no sight, being only able to see the outline of objects. Action is helping him to find assistive technology to allow him to live more independently. He said: "This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. I'm really excited about the challenge, learning new skills and teaming up with the crew, hopefully sailing to a famous victory." John Turnbull, from Action, said: "We've got a team of eight enthusiastic young people, ready for a challenge and determined to win. At Action, we aim to help young people with sight loss develop socially, learn news skills and increase their confidence. Team building, fun and a competitive environment are perfect ingredients to make this happen and in an Olympic year, the event allows them to prove that sight loss isn't a barrier to living your dreams." The five-day race, celebrating the jubilee and Olympics, involves three stages; team initiation, preparation of the yacht, and the race itself. Away from the yachting challenge, Action is working with teammates Brett and Danny to help them gain greater independence. Brett is partially sighted, suffering from a condition called nystagmus, which makes reading and walking a great challenge. Danny has had practically no sight since birth and is only able to recognise bright light, but no specific shapes or outlines. The race starts on June 11. To support the charity visit www.actionforblindpeople.org.uk/donate.

Ten Heavy Weather Sailing Tips You Need to Know

1. Make Up "Zero-Prep" Energy Bags Use small Ziplock type bags to hold high energy snacks. Combine nuts, dried fruits, tasty seeds like sesame or pumpkin, banana chips, and dried coconut for a super snack. Press the bag tight before you seal to keep air out and your energy snack will last longer when stored aboard your sailboat. 2. Top Off Your Trusty Thermos Purchase two large thermoses. Before the rough stuff arrives, fill one thermos with a hearty soup or stew. Fill the other with coffee, tea, or hot chocolate. That way, you won't need to worry about boiling water in choppy seas for a nutritious meal or drink. Secret Tip - Purchase a thermos with a spigot-top conversion kit and mounting brackets. Install the brackets in a spot near your boat galley. Fill the thermos, screw on the top and close the spigot. Mount the thermos "bottoms-up" in the brackets. Now you have a safe, fast, easy way to pour soup or your favorite beverage in any sailing weather! 3. Eat Before the Weather Arrives at Your Boat Fix a light meal with pasta if you expect rough seas when sailing. Stay clear of greasy, fried foods. Concentrate on foods that you boil, broil, or bake. Pasta has a good reputation as a "tummy tamer" when it comes to sea sickness. It's economical, easy to digest, nutritious, and provides good energy for sailing in rough weather. 4. Lash and Stow Below Check the galley for loose pots, plates, and silverware. Wrap silverware in towels to avoid clanging. Store pots in cabinets. Stuff towels or pieces of foam between stacks of dishes, glasses, or pots and pans to keep things in place and noise to a minimum. 5. Keep a Clothes Change Handy Pull out a full change of clothes. Fold and stow in an oversized Ziplock or waterproof bag outside of your sailing duffel bag. You want this change of clothes ready in an instant so you won't need to hunt around for it. Include underwear and socks. If you get soaked when sailing, you will want to slide into a set of dry clothes right away. Do this now to save you time and effort later. 6. Clear the Decks for Clean Decks Studies of past heavy weather sailing races show that those racing sailboats with clean, uncluttered decks had an easier time. Take a tip from the racing crowd. Check the outside decks from bow to stern. Neaten up sheets and lines. Turn cowl vents around to face astern to prevent water intrusion below; in extreme conditions, remove the cowl vents, stow them below, and screw covers in their place. Keep decks clean for safer sailing in any weather. 7. Add extra Lashings Check all lashings on deck-stowed Jerry jugs (cans), propane bottles, life raft canister, dinghy, and anchors. Double or triple lashings with small diameter line. Seas that break aboard can break weak lashings like a knife going through butter. Make lashings strong and robust to keep deck-stowed gear in place. 8. Seal Ports and Hatches No matter what the manufactures tell you, expect ports and hatches to leak. Heavy weather or squalls can bring high winds, seas, and horizontal driving rain that will find any nook and cranny. Use strong, waterproof duct tape to seal around ports and hatches on the inside your cabin. This will keep water out and dryness in for greater crew comfort in heavy weather sailing. 9. Set Up Sails Now Hank on your storm jib or trysail now with sheets run, halyards cleared, and all ready to hoist. If you decide to delay on the hoist, stop off the sail along the deck with sail ties or next to the mast (in the case of a trysail). This way, your storm sails will be ready to set in a matter of seconds when you need them. 10. Rest and Hydrate Often Heavy weather sailing saps energy like few other activities. Get as much rest as possible between watches. Remember to keep hydrated with water or non-sugar energy drinks like Gatorade or Emergen-C. These beverages replace critical electrolytes and minerals that you will use to keep your balance, hang on when heeling, or move about when changing sails or standing watch. Remind your sailing crew to rest and hydrate for greater comfort. Follow these ten heavy weather sailing tips to get ready before the tough stuff arrives aboard your boat. These tips will help keep your sailing crew safe and sound and provide them with more comfort--wherever in the world you choose to cruise! Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7046795

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