A £100,000 donation into a popular sailing scheme could be set to encourage thousands of youngsters to take up sailing in the coming years. The Chesil Trust – which oversees the Sail for a Fiver scheme – received a cheque from Elma Shipley, in memory of her husband Rod who passed away in 2012.
The funding will provide two sailing boats to the Chesil Sailability scheme, which recently celebrated its ten year anniversary.
Olympic medalist and patron of the Chesil Trust Simon Hiscocks received the cheque, alongside chairman of the Trust Di Ludlow.
Ms Ludlow said that the memory of Rod will live on through the scheme and that it will be renamed the ‘Rod Shipley Sail for a Fiver’ scheme in recognition and thanks for the donation.
“The Sail for a Fiver scheme has enabled more than 12,000 Dorset children between the ages of 10 and 11 to experience sailing on our Olympic waters,” she added.
It is now hoped that the investment will encourage an even greater number of youngsters to get involved in sailing, helping to build on the legacy left behind by the Olympic Games in 2012.
Adam Greaves first took part in the scheme seven years ago, having never tried sailing, and after experiencing regional success, he is urging others to give it a go.
“Many children who live around here have probably never tried sailing but they should,” he said.
Working alongside local providers, the Trust ensures that Year 6 schoolchildren can sail for just £5 by covering any additional costs.
If you’ve been inspired to give sailing a go, or would just like to see what it’s all about, then there are a number of other courses as well that can help you learn to sail.
Beginners’ courses can help to teach you all the necessary basics, while those wondering how long it can take to learn how to sail successfully can find out here.
A number of events exist for beginners to test themselves and they can put all that they have learnt into action.
These courses can cover all of the basic elements from sailing in a straight line to changing direction, as well as a number of relevant safety aspects.
Once sailors have mastered the basics, additional first aid and survival courses are available to provide more in-depth information of how to deal with any potential emergencies at sea.
These will often focus on how to recover people from the water in the event of them going overboard, and on the necessary steps required in aiding a recovery.
Once the basics are mastered, it’s possible to try out several more advanced options, from undertaking day skipper training to learn how to command a vessel to using other boats with the help of powerboat courses and yachtmaster training.
All boats are different and all require different techniques in order to enjoy the best possible sailing experience.
These advanced courses will also teach people the necessary skills to compete in higher level sailing competitions – ideal for those with a competitive streak.
It is always possible to improve as a sailor and it is why many people take so much enjoyment from being on the water.
All courses are designed to develop people into even better sailors and offer a great range of benefits and skills.
Taking up sailing offers something very different to more traditional sports and provides an opportunity for people who may otherwise not be that active.
Sailing represents a healthy way of enjoying all that the great outdoors has to offer, and generous donations such as that from Mrs. Shipley only stand to enhance that.