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Fairfax's Hannah Morris wrote this great little article on the Volvo Sailing... Have a Go! visit to Kai Iwi Lakes...
There was no shortage of smiles among the Pouto kids who gave sailing a go at Kai Iwi Lakes last week.
While it may have sparked a sailing passion for some, others were glad to have the opportunity to try something new.
Pouto School principal Margie Ormsby says it was well worth the travel to attend Yachting New Zealand's national programme Volvo Sailing-Have-A-Go, which she says is a fantastic chance for her students.
"It not only develops an interest, but it also makes them aware of their surroundings and teaches them how to have fun using our natural environment," she says.
Basic coaching tips were on offer from Have-A-Go instructor Reuben Corbett who took children on a tiki-tour across the lake.
With two kids in each optimist dinghy, they had a ball going from beach to beach, taking on and bailing out water as they went. "It's a pretty cool place to sail, there are heaps of safe bays and sailing in the fresh water is always great," says Corbett. He says the capsizing sessions and "wet games" are generally the favourite activities for the kids.
Two groups from Aranga School also gave sailing a go on Monday and Tuesday.
The national programme is designed to give students in years four through eight the opportunity to experience the thrills and spills of sailing.
