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The most common question is not how to steer or make the boat go faster, rather whether they are going to drown or get eaten by a shark.
Despite fears to the contrary, none of the record 3730 children who took part in the summer's Volvo Sailing... Have a Go! programme got into difficulty or were part of a shark's diet.
An extended season - October to May - meant more children than ever before had the chance to go sailing as part of Yachting New Zealand's schools programme, which has been running for 12 years. The programme is a legacy of Sir Peter Blake’s vision, that every child in New Zealand gets a chance to try sailing.
The three distinct Volvo Sailing... Have a Go! trailers covered the entire country, from Taipa to Stewart Island, providing more children with a fun and safe introduction to sailing, the marine environment and their local sailing club.
"It was a really successful summer in that a heck of a lot of kids who had never been in a boat before, let alone a sail boat, got out on the water and realised what they are capable of," Volvo Sailing... Have a Go! northern region instructor Justin Hurst said. "They all got back to shore without drowning or being bitten by a shark."
Along with capsizing, many point to the speed of the Weta trimaran as one of the highlights of the day and around 95 percent express an interest in continuing to sail. Contact details for these children are passed on to their local yacht clubs to follow up and invite them and their families back for open days and learn to sail courses.
A highlight of the summer was the visit of a Have a Go trailer to Half Moon Bay School on Stewart Island. The initiative was so successful the school are now looking into obtaining some boats to start a yacht club.
Hurst thoroughly enjoyed his role as an instructor and will be back next summer.
"I have a stunningly beautiful office to work in," he said. "I have been sailing for 50 years now so it was really rewarding to pass on some of those skills even if only in a three or four hour session.
"As far as value to the kids go and their development, it's hard to think of anything better that going out in a yacht in terms of individual physical skills and overcoming challenges. The only other things I can think of are a day and night in a marae or out in the bush. I met some really good kids and had the opportunity to do something really special with them."
Check out more of the fun here
A big thanks to the yacht clubs and volunteers who have supported the Volvo Sailing…Have a Go! programme this year, and to Volvo, Zhik NZ and the Lion Foundation for their generous support which enables the programme to operate.
Volvo Sailing…Have a Go! will kick off again in term 4 and we are taking bookings now if you would like your school or club to be involved. Contact Yachting New Zealand programme and services co-ordinator Danika Mowlem on (09) 361 4028 or danika@yachtingnz.org.nz or see here for more information.
