Yachting Victoria

The Ridgeway family from Pascoe Vale were some of the thousands of people who flocked to 13 yacht clubs around Victoria yesterday (Sunday 11th November 2007) to try their hand at sailing and discover how easy and inexpensive it is to join the on the water lifestyle.

Young 13 year Phil Ridgeway (see picture attached) who had never stepped on a keelboat before said, “I had a real ball! I got to steer Western Morning from Williamstown to St Kilda and we had a great view of the city as we crossed Hobson Bay.”

His father Phil said after their trip on the on the Royal Yacht Club of Victoria 34 footer (10.4m) Western Morning, “Our family is now more interested than ever to do some more sailing and we enjoyed the hospitality and the set-up at the Club.”

Record numbers
Clubs reported record walk up Go Sailing numbers, far larger than any previous year and there was greater interest in taking up sailing, attributed by many clubs to Yachting Victoria’s reinvigorated promotion, PR and organisation.

Albert Park Sailing Club’s secretary Bill Avallone said, “This is our most successful event ever with interest well up on previous years driven by Yachting Victoria’s excellent organisation and it promotion especially on 3AW  which has worked very well.”

At Royal Brighton Yacht Club, numbers were double last years according to its general manager Clyde Batty. “We were overwhelmed from before our 10am start time and we had more families than ever before taking to the water in keelboats and off the beach dinghies.

“We now expect the day to produce a spike in new memberships in the next month when people use their bounce back vouchers to enjoy a second sail and have a free drink at the club,” Mr Batty added.

Royal Yacht Club of Victoria’s membership chair and co-ordinator for the day, Deanne Colledge said, “We had an awesome go sailing day which was our best ever, driven well by the promotion and interviews on 3AW!

“We had a total of 116 walk-up visitors who registered and went out on six members’ boats and most importantly 80% said afterwards they now have a real interest in taking up either twilight sailing on Wednesdays or joining our junior program.”

People who may have missed last Sunday’s Go Sailing Day can still arrange free introductory sail at a time that suits by visiting www.gosailing.com.au  website and contacting a participating club

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	Yachting VIC