Show me the ropes..
There’s rarely a weekend goes by during the warmer months when the Bay isn’t playing host to a swarm of white sailed dinghies taking part in national and international events hosted by one of the Bay’s sailing and yacht clubs. Julian Rees goes along to Brixham Yacht Club to give dinghy sailing a go!
A
rriving at Brixham Yacht Club I’m met by a very busy scene as people of all ages are busying themselves about a fleet of small boats on the harbourside and the club compound. The boats come in a variety of shapes and sizes, mono-hulls, catamarans, single sails and twin sails, some for one and others for two or three sailors. I get changed into the required gear taking note of the restrictions in numbers in the changing rooms. Once in my wetsuit and boots (it’s the end of June as I’m writing and still chilly in the sea) I don a buoyancy aid. All togged up I set off to meet my instructor for the evening Rob Dyson. I’m directed to Rob by members who greet me like an old friend, and find him assisting with rigging one of the club boats. There are seven dinghies available for hire to club members at a small fee and these are ideal for getting to know a variety of dinghies as your skills progress. Rob is an Royal Yachting Association (RYA) qualified instructor and regularly teaches RYA Level I and II Dinghy Sailing qualifications to adults and youngsters. Rob introduces me to our boat for the evening’s session,
30 | August/September 2021
an RS Vision. It’s 14 foot in length and has over 20m2 of sail area available. With the light airs of the evening we’re probably going to need most of it! Rob and fellow trainer Issy rig the boat and give me the lowdown on its capabilities - it’s a safe boat and one often used for training as it can comfortably take two crew and an instructor. It’s been nearly forty years since I last sat in a sailing dinghy; as I’m introduced to the various sheets (ropes) and halyards (ropes) I’m struck by how much smaller and lighter everything is nowadays. We head for the slipway and join the queue to launch. Once afloat the flotilla of small boats makes its way through the harbour and I’m amazed at the skills of some of the helms some as young as 10 or 11 as they thread their way skilfully through the moorings towards the open waters of the Bay.
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