New Learn to Sail Programme excites young and old:
Trainees gather around a Laser Pico as Darryl Garner gives instructions Photo: Supplied
Many will say that South Africa is a strange country. Beset as we are with many interest groups requiring attention even a learn to sail programme on the most basic level is beset with ‘ground rules’ when money is made available from interest groups with deep enough pockets to sponsor grassroots sport.
Experts say that the best way to get ‘Cinderella Sports’ out into the mainstream is to break into schools. Once you have the support of a school sport programme then your job becomes a whole lot easier.
Consider sports that are not able to take place on school grounds – like sailing which is also not strictly a team sport then you will realise the challenges faced by sailing enthusiasts that desperately want to share their sport with younger children. Educational Specialists point to Chess as a vital support skill to learn in support of Maths. Sailing Specialists will go one step further and tell you that not only is sailing ‘Chess on the Water’ but that it also teaches children responsibility, the consequences of their actions and takes place in a healthy outdoor environment.
During the week of 17 to 20 October the Redhouse Yacht Club embarked on a sail training initiative sponsored by Lotto through South African Sailing (SAS). Two schools form part of this pilot project – Herbert Hurd and Parsons Hill Primary – which will see 60 eager youngsters learn how to sail. All available slots have already been taken up.
For the remainder of this term and on one designated day per week, each school will travel out to Redhouse with 15 pupils to take part in the training. Part of the Lotto funding goes towards transport costs for each of the two schools.
The final 30 school children will complete the programme in the first term of next year.
Training is done under the tutelage of Herbert Hurd Sportsmaster, Darryl Garner, who has been sailing for many years and recently completed an Instructor Developer Course which allows Garner to train other sailing instructors to become proficient and gain that qualification.
Initially Lotto provided funding to train a minimum of 38 participants over an eight month period ending 25 February 2017 but due to demand from the pupils the numbers were increased to 60.
All trainees pay a heavily discounted ‘Cadet Membership’ fee and South African Sailing Membership fee of R10.00 each allowing them full use of the Redhouse Yacht Club and access to SAS Sanctioned Regattas. In addition parents of guardians of the trainees, earning less than R15 000 per month, qualify for one year’s heavily discounted membership fees.
The programme also laid down a 50% minimum female youth participation (white & black); a 60% minimum youth PDI participants and a 50% minimum of 15 years of age. With reference to the numbers, Instructor Darryl Garner said; “I didn’t enforce the rules with regards to participants with any of the Headmasters and am pleased to say that the status with regards to youth, gender and race have been exceeded.”
Garner will conduct one fun sailing event per school term. It is hoped that the sail training programme qill also reveals prospective candidates with exceptional talent who will be given the opportunity for fast tracking via the National Sailing Body – SAS.
The Algoa Bay Yacht Club (ABYC) has offered to take any prospective sail training candidates sailing on yachts – which also forms part of the guidelines of the programme. As ABYC Commodore, Alan Straton says; “I have a dream to see an Eastern Cape Sailor in the Olympics, maybe one of these 60 school children will be the ONE!”
Hardly able to contain his excitement at the enthusiasm displayed by the first batch of school children Darryl Garner said; “This past Sunday, after running the program for a week, four children from Parsons Hill and three from Herbert Hurd arrived at RYC for Club Learn to Sail! Wish you could have seen the other members faces! Guys are dead keen boet.”
“We could start a league soon enough and who knows what from there! This programme has really made me excited about the direction that sailing is going in Port Elizabeth, the kids are keen, the next step is to enthuse parents, teachers and sponsors. If all of that comes together the only issue we will have at our annual interschools will be a shortage of boats!” concluded a fired up Garner.
Interior of the Redhouse Yacht Club Photo: Supplied
Land Sailing before venturing out onto the water at RYC. Photo: Supplied
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