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Sailing: a great way to spend your leisure time
We might be landlocked, but the sport of sailing is thriving in Peterborough, as ET news editor Paul Grinnell found out.
We might be landlocked, but the sport of sailing is thriving in Peterborough, as ET news editor Paul Grinnell found out.SAILING has a magical quality all of its own, and you do not even have to be on the water to get immense enjoyment out of the sport.
You can idle away the hours simply watching the enormous variety of sailing craft that can be out on the water.
Or, if you are lucky enough to possess your own small boat, you can while away many hours painstakingly carrying out the small repair and maintenance jobs vital to not only keeping the craft seaworthy, but also moving smoothly through the water – essential if you plan to race your craft.
One of the beauties of the sport is that even in a landlocked city like Peterborough it is always possible to find a suitably large stretch of waterway on which to sail.
The keen sailors of the Lakeside Sailing Club, based at Ferry Meadows, just 10 minutes from the centre of Peterborough, are the beneficiaries of a strange link between the city's geology and its development.
For the 75 acres of lakes are the former gravel pits that were dug out several decades ago to produce the raw materials that went into the construction of Peterborough's parkways road system which now carries the traffic around the city.
Club Commodore Denis Kirk (73) said: "The pits were later lined with clay between one foot and two feet deep to keep in the water and can now be found tucked away within the parkland at Ferry Meadows."
The sailing club was formed in 1996, and now has about 60 members who take full advantage of the chance to either leisurely sail their craft around the lakes or to pit their wits and sailing skills against each other during the club's racing events on Wednesday evenings and Sundays.
But as with many businesses and organisations, the recession has had an impact on membership.
Mr Kirk said: "We have lost a couple of members to the credit crunch. We are always keen to welcome new members and would especially like to see more youngsters take up the sport."
Katrina King (53), of Bretton, Peterborough, who has been a member of the sailing club for six years, said: "It is a very friendly club and very enjoyable because we don't have to do anything but just turn up and enjoy the sailing."
She said most sailing clubs expect their members to volunteer for special duties such as running the galley – the kitchen to provide food and drink for thirsty and hungry sailors – and to take turns at being part of the rescue crews who are on the water whenever sailing takes place.
But at the Lakeside Sailing Club all these services, including a well-stocked shop and caf and bar overlooking the water, are provided by the commercially-run Lakeside Leisure.
Club members pay a membership fee to Lakeside Leisure and are able to make full use of the services provided. The membership fee varies depending on age and whether any craft are to be kept at the centre.
The centre also offers sailing courses for beginners which are accredited by the national organisation, the Royal Yachting Association.
For more information on Lakeside Sailing Club, visit www.lakesideleisure.com.
More from PeterboroughToday.co.uk:
Ferry Meadows Country Park - peterboroughtoday.co.uk/ferrymeadows.
The Guide: more leisure ideas in and around Peterborough.
Next page: John started by going backwardsJohn started by going backwards
One of the earliest members of the Lakeside Sailing Club was John Goddard (65) of Waterville, Peterborough, who can regularly be seen on the water sailing his Comet Duo.
Mr Goddard said he had bought his first boat many years ago when he lived by the sea in Chichester.
He said: "I'll never forget it. We took the boat out on to the sea and everything seemed to be perfect – until I realised we were actually sailing backwards. I hadn't allowed for the tide."
He added: "I love the water and I love sailing."
Mr Goddard said he and his wife, Carol, both enjoy sailing and even bought a boat as a silver wedding anniversary gift 20 years ago.
Fund-raising on the lakes
Over the last 11 years, Lakeside Sailing Club has raised more than 35,000 for the RNLI.
The 12th annual sponsored 24-hour race will take place at Ferry Meadows Watersports Centre starting at 3pm on Saturday, June 20.
One of the main organisers of this event, John Gray passed away in February this year and to honour his memory, his widow, Elaine, has agreed to start the race.
To set off the event, there will be a flypast of a Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Aircraft at about 3pm. In addition, there will be music provided for entertainment throughout the evening.
Organisers are hoping as many members of the public can turn up for this charitable event and also to donate to a very worthy cause.
This year, in addition to the existing teams, there will be a Dartmouth Lifeboat Team for the very first time. This event is open to any non-powered craft, each team can have as many members as possible, and the objective is to keep the boat moving for 24 hours.
Any further information and details required on the race can be obtained from the watersports manager Barry Easom on 01733 234418.
For more information on Lakeside Sailing Club, visit www.lakesideleisure.com.
More from PeterboroughToday.co.uk:
Ferry Meadows Country Park - peterboroughtoday.co.uk/ferrymeadows.
The Guide: more leisure ideas in and around Peterborough.
Next page: Setting sail to do battle with the elementsSetting sail to do battle with the elements
From the shore, sailing appears so simple. Just step in, sit down, hold on and serenely set off across the water.
The reality though is that sailing a small craft is a battle against the elements, mainly the wind. Put simply, only the weight of the helmsman and his or her crew stops the boat from capsizing.
It seemed that no sooner had I set the sails and was motoring along, than the wind picked up and I was fighting to keep the boat upright and save myself and my instructor from an early bath.
But it is the wind that provides the power, and, to be fair, the enjoyment of sailing. Understanding the wind direction and its varying strengths is the key to successful sailing.
While there is a whole mind-boggling sailing vocabulary to learn – for instance the ropes are called sheets, left and right become port and starboard, and changing direction is tacking or gybing – and numerous rope knots all with different names to know – unless you can work out the wind you are not going to sail anywhere.
On my first trip out, I quickly realised that pointing the boat straight into the wind brought it to a complete stop. It is an art to find the optimum angle of the sail to the wind to get the best performance out of the boat.
Once set on a course across the lake, sailing is a joy with the boat perfectly balanced and the sound of the water flowing under the craft.
But suddenly the edge of the lake looms and I realise the boat has to be turned round – but how? In a panic, I tried to remember what I had been told – push the rudder right over, wait for the main sail to come across before diving under the boom and turning swiftly around before swapping hands on the main sheet and the tiller. It sound easy but first time out I ended in an undignified heap at the bottom of the boat, having let go of both the mainsail and the rudder.
But after a bit of practice. I soon felt I had conquered the art of tacking – at least enough to get me back to the shore.
'We're hooked'
AMONG the latest recruits to the Lakeside Sailing Club are father and son team Tony Thompson (43) and Alan (23) who drive in from Corby to sail at Peterborough.
Mr Thompson said: "I knew of Lakeside because I came here years ago as a Scout sailing around in a Topper dinghy.
"More recently I decided I fancied doing the sailing course here and then I was hooked."
Alan said: "I came along with my dad and I just really enjoyed it.
"Neither of us have looked back since."
For more information on Lakeside Sailing Club, visit www.lakesideleisure.com.
More from PeterboroughToday.co.uk:
Ferry Meadows Country Park - peterboroughtoday.co.uk/ferrymeadows.
The Guide: more leisure ideas in and around Peterborough.
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Weather for Peterborough
Thursday 24 May 2012
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Temperature: 11 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: North
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