What we learnt from #HellOnHighSeas
Friday, 11th March 2016We’ve all enjoyed watching sailing on BBC for the first time since the Olympics (I think?), but as well as giving us some fantastic sights and exciting soundbites about sailing, there’s also plenty of things to take away from it, even for experienced sailors:
Pay attention to weather forecasts – We’ve all been guilty of just looking at the sky and assuming that it looks like a nice day, so you don’t bother checking the full official weather forecast. But knowing what is coming is important, and is the difference between getting safely in a marina or being thrown about by Force 8 gales just outside it….
Don’t be scared to change plans – If a boat with a pro skipper and scheduled times to appear LIVE on the TV can change their plans due to the weather, then - damn it – so can we! And changing our plans probably won’t leave millions of people feeling disappointed at home…
We can ALL challenge ourselves – It’s been a while since I saw anyone really challenging themselves to do something clever on a yacht, but, you know, I think this year I’m going to do it! Ok, maybe next. But there’s more to sailing than the vicinity of my local marina and I should be going out there and exploring the water. If novices think they can take on sailing around the UK, then what can you do?! Be brave, and challenge yourself! Let’s go!
Sailing is cool – the public don’t see it as old bearded men with boring long-winded tales to tell any more: be proud to be a sailor, and spread the word about how much fun sailing can be :)
Of course, if you loved #HellOnHighSeas, then don’t forget to help some money find its way to Sportrelief :)
