Gold Coast International Marine Expo - Free lessons on offer for kids

by Emma Milne on 11 Feb 2015 At the 2015 Gold Coast International Marine Expo kids will have the chance to stretch their sea legs and experience the freedom of sailing, with free lessons on offer as part of the event’s commitment to introducing families to the joys of boating.

The lessons will be conducted under the expert tuition of the Southport Yacht Club in the Expo’s ‘on-water interactive zone’ – a fun new area specifically set aside for people to experience a vast array of water-based activities.

Expo Event and Marketing Manager Emma Milne said sailing is a great way to encourage an appreciation of nature, and to also instill a sense of confidence in people of all ages.

'Sailing a boat calls for quick action, a blending of feeling with the wind and water as well as with the very heart and soul of the boat itself,' said Ms Milne. 'Sailing teaches alertness and courage, and gives in return a joyousness and peace that but few sports afford.

'It’s often said that harnessing nature to move across the water is more than just a sport – it’s a lifestyle.'

Absolutely no experience is necessary to get to know the ropes through the free Funsail lessons at the 2015 Expo – the boats used are x3 dinghies with 2-4 children per boat, depending on conditions and each individual’s skills.

Bookings will be taken on a first-in, first aboard basis at the ‘on-water interactive zone’ at the Expo and all participants will receive a free Funsail pass to continue their lessons with the Southport Yacht Club at either Main Beach or Hollywell on weekends.

The Southport Yacht Club (SYC) is widely acclaimed for its sailing programs and school holiday camps, with almost 1000 people enrolled across its regular activities including many national and world champions.

These champions include three-time Mathew Belcher, who started sailing with SYC at the age of 6 and is an Olympic Gold Medallist in the 460 Class. Mathew has also won many awards for his dedication to the sport including World Sailor of the Year and Queensland Sport Star of the Year awards.

Fellow Gold Coasters Joel Turner and Lewis Brake – competing in the 49er Class – recently secured first place in the Australian Championships in Jervoise Bay, Western Australia, while junior sailors Angus Sherring and Jackson Foort recently won the Sabot 2-Up at the National Sabot Championships in Townsville.

Not to be outdone, Kyle O’Connell and Tom Siganto competed against 30 of Australia’s finest youth sailors to win first place in the 29er division, placing above the reigning Junior World Champions from Sydney.

And while the long list goes on – it also includes Brian Sherring who placed second in the World Championships for the Scow Moth division at the 2015 International Moth Australian and World titles in Sorrento, Victoria.

Ms Milne said these strong results on the world and national stage were an indication of the high level of tuition available at Southport Yacht Club, and of the commitment of its members to the sport of sailing.

'Expo is very proud to partner with SYC in this new initiative for 2015,' she said. 'Creating the opportunity for children to get on the water and experience boating is at the core of Expo’s philosophy.

'We are also very excited that we are able to assist in promoting the sport of sailing and, hopefully, several national and world champions of the future will get their first taste of the excitement of sailing at the 2015 Expo.'

Ms Milne said the Expo 2015 – spread over three marinas and five event sites at Coomera – will showcase many world and Australian premieres from the industry’s leading brands and feature everything from superyachts to jet skis, kayaks to fishing equipment … and everything in between.

'The Expo has a firm heritage of being family-friendly and will offer interactive entertainment and live demonstrations every 15 minutes across our expanded event site, which includes a 3km-long display circuit,' she said. 'We will also be offering factory tours of the biggest luxury yacht and aluminium boat-building facilities in the Southern Hemisphere, namely Telwater’s massive Quintrex facility and Riviera’s yacht-building facility.

'We have many more exciting announcements scheduled for the next 16 weeks in the countdown to the 2015 Expo – new attractions, new initiatives and new product and boat launches – in fact there’s so much to see and do people will need more than a full day to enjoy everything on offer.

'If you love boating, the Gold Coast is the place to be from 21-24 May 2015.'