Issue date
The weather may not have cooperated as much as we would have hoped for but we certainly had a fun time giving more than fifteen members of the public the chance to have-a-go in Sunbursts. From about 10:30am to 1pm, courtesy of the five Sunburst skippers on the water, young and old had some thrilling rides. Thankfully there were no spills. The smiling faces were a joy to see, and several came back for multiple rides.
At least two were looking to sign up for the current Adult Learn to Sail Course after they had been out to “Have a Go”.
Other classes that were on the water for the public to watch included 12’ Skiffs, showing their usual turn of speed, Lasers, a Starling, and an Optimist before the building wind and the threat of rain around 1p.m. put a dampener on proceedings.
We also had a steady stream of people throughout the day who had come along to learn about the new clubrooms. The feedback was very positive.
Above: Commodore John Kliffen (#1641) and club member Nick Sceats (#1586) skippering two ”Have a Goers” whilst another four aspirants wait in the RIB for their turn. Taking safety as seriously as Volvo do, all our are guests are kitted out with crash helmets as well as life jackets.
Courtesy of the YachtBot system that was demonstrated to the club on the day, the above photo is a snapshot of exactly who was where at precisely 12.37.07p.m. on the day. The wind speed is worth noting and also the speed of the skiff, which was not its highest for the day, as they topped out at just over 20 knots on one run.
John Kliffen
Commodore
PS. If inclined, you can view the whole 2 and 1/2 hour YachtBot recording at http://www.yacht-bot.com/races/6417
