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Sports: Sailing

[ Background | Equipment | Where ]

Background of the Sport

Sailing uses the wind to power the boat's motion. It's not as much by pushing the sail (as is the case when sailing downwind) but by creating forward-pulling lift using airfoil-shaped sails (when sailing across or into the wind). The joy of sailing combines the joy of being on the water, the power you feel in harnessing natural forces, and with the thrill of going fast without significant energy on your part.

Sailing dates back to the ancient Phoenician traders, though the technology of sailboats has improved dramatically over the years. Innovations in the past 50 years include fibreglass hulls, metal masts and booms, synthetic sails, computer controlled laser cut and sewn sails, and computer aided design for boat hulls have made sail boats faster, safer, cheaper, and easier to maintain.

Small sailboats under 20 feet in length come in two main configurations: either single hull or multi-hull (like a catamaran). They typically have one mast, one mainsail (the big one), and a jib (the small triangular at the front, to direct the wind around the mainsail), and sometimes a spinnaker (the large round-shaped one for going downwind). Small boats are designed for a limited number of people to crew, with them either sitting in or around the cockpit (which may be a tightly stretched tarp between the catamaran hulls), or supported from a trapeze rig over the edge of the boat (in high winds). Smaller boats with centreboards include modles like Albacores and Lasers.

In coastal waters and in larger lakes, boats can get larger (with fixed keels), more sophisticated (and much more expensive), and can handle larger numbers of people. Some such boats even have multiple masts, and complex sail configurations. Such larger yachts are suitable for a sailing on open water for significant distances, and provide sleeping, kitchen, communications equipment, even entertainment facilities.

Equipment

To go sailing, you'll need a boat, and lifejackets.

Where

For sailing, you can take lessons on Granville Island, learning to sail small vessels or the larger keelboats. A good way to get more experienced, after basic sailing lessons is to offer to crew on yachts at any of the area's yacht clubs. You can even take Cruise and Learn vacations, typically 5 days. If you want to rent a yacht (called bareboat chartering) you need to take a Basic Cruising course and certification. The best sailing is on English Bay, and for keel boats our in the Gulf Islands or up the Sunshine Coast. While you can sail year-round in this area, the warmest water for sailing is in September. There are a number of sailing areas in the Fraser Valley where you can get involved:

Harrison Hot Springs is guaranteed to have a westerly breeze every afternoon. Also check out the Mission waterfront at Harbour Ave By Horne St. A free boat launch is located at Dewdney Nature Park just 100 m off the Fraser on Dewdney Sough. Follow Lougheed Hwy. To Dewdney, east of the railway tracks turn onto River Rd. south and follow the pavement along the dike until it ends at the boat launch park. Gates are closed during dark hours.