Bumper Bank Holiday Weekend for Gunfleet Sailing Club

Gunfleet Sailing Club held its first cruise of the season last Saturday when 14 dinghies and the Club Rescue Boat went “Westward-Ho”.  Some 30 members headed down the coast, their boats loaded with refreshments, and sailed to St. Osyth on a broad reach.  After stopping-off to eat, drink, and socialise the boats made the return journey, with the ebb tide speeding the craft on their way back to the Club.

On Sunday the Club undertook Rescue Boat training and a large number of members learnt how to handle a powerful RIB, come alongside capsized craft, approach a person in the water, and correctly communicate with the Club using the marine radio.

On Bank Holiday Monday it was the turn of the youngsters when the Club held a “Cadet and Otter Bring a Friend Day”.  The Gunfleet currently has 43 young members, and with many of them bringing a friend along to find out what fun sailing can be it was no surprise the place was really buzzing.  Under the organisation of Cadet Officer Andy Ford, and with a lot of help from the adult members, many young people had their very first taste of going to sea in a small boat.  The wind was very strong in the morning and the senior members took the “friends” out for a lively initial taster, and the young people all came back with big grins on their faces.  After lunch the wind dropped down, the sea flattened off, and the sun broke through which allowed the Club’s Cadets and Otters to take their friends out themselves using the fleet of seven Topazes plus a number of Toppers.  All the time the Club’s two Rescue Boats were on the water to ensure that the fun being had by the children was in a safe and controlled environment.  By the end of the day a lot of young people had become hooked on sailing and had made up their minds that it was a great sport to get into.