YACHTING is often considered an elite activity because of the huge costs involved, but the Royal Natal Yacht Club is on a mission to prove that anyone can enjoy the sport.
Vice Commodore Barry Boorman has invited the public to join them for their weekly Wednesday night sailing in the bay.
“Like any other sport, it's a discipline.You've got to keep practising to be the best and that's genuinely why sailors do it, because every time you go out the conditions are different.”
Boorman says all you have to do is book your spot early in the week and arrive at the club before half past four.
“There's no cost to joining a boat. It just depends on how many boats are going out and how many seats are available. The only area that you might be concerned about is when you get off the boat and if you want to get some food or drinks, or some sort of refreshments. That obviously does come at a cost,” said Boorman.
Hosting the Wednesday night outings are split between the Point Yacht Club and the Royal Natal Yacht Club who take turns every alternate week. He says the Wednesday night events have been an institution for many years to promote sailing and bring people into the sailing fraternity. Most of their members who enjoy sailing do not own a yacht and never have.
Boorman says the idea is to introduce people to sailing in the bay because it's an easier environment than going offshore.
“Offshore can get a little bit grumpy out there, not that it doesn't get that grumpy in the bay as well because it can pick up quite a bit. But the idea is to promote Bums on Boats, for want of a better way of looking at it. We want people on our boats enjoying the sport, because we always need crew. We've got all these racing boats, we've got these cruising boats, but you can't sail them without a crew.”
Wednesday night sailing is serious and fairly competitive and pretty much like any other race where you have a start and a finish and you go around a course, says Boorman.
“So you want to do it as fast as you possibly can for a little bit of pride, I think. And then it's really just stretching your legs, making sure your boat's ready so when you do offshore stuff you know that you can handle it. It's a type of practice session but it's taken quite seriously.”
He says everyone gets a task to do while they are sailing so visitors get a real feel for the sport. However, he says “sensible” clothes and shoes are a must, as well as another set to change into if you get wet on the water.
It might seem strange but over the years they’ve witnessed many things like the model who arrived in high heels and a mini skirt and was promptly turned away. “The problem is that with the high heels they can damage the deck, and they're expensive,” says Boorman.
The Royal Natal Yacht Club is the oldest yacht club in the southern hemisphere and was established in May 1858 when the first regatta was held in Durban. It was previously known as the Durban Regatta Club, then the Natal Yacht Club and since about 1891 its been known as the Royal Natal Yacht Club. It is also home to the annual Vasco da Gama race.