Push the Boat Out at Colwyn Watersports Centre
by Hamish Stuart 2 Jun 2014 06:34 AEST
17 May 2014
Pushing the Boat Out at Colwyn Bay © Duncan Dumbreck
Enthusiastic first-timers enjoyed the chance to try sailing and windsurfing in Colwyn Bay – and all signed up for more.
More than 20 adults and children from North Wales took advantage of Push the Boat Out Day at Colwyn Watersports Centre, a community interest company.
Push the Boat Out Day was run at yacht clubs all round the UK, with the aim to encourage people to try sailing.
"Everyone who took part had never been on the water before and are now looking to do RYA courses with us," said Sami Poole, chief instructors at Colwyn Watersports.
"The funniest thing of the weekend was our family sail taster, when asked, 'who wants to capsize?' The kid's reaction was an astounding burst of energetic whoops and cheers...and the adult's reaction was a polar opposite.
"We want to make it bigger and better by having much more out on the water and trying to run joyrides on our RS CAT 16s at a low price just to get everyone off the beach and on the water.
"Push the Boat Out is what our centre is all about. Enabling people to get involved in sports they may have never done or could have never dreamed of doing, for all ages shapes and sizes.
"To get even a small taste of the huge amount of joy, elation and wonder that being on the water can have changes lives.
"Some of the feedback was great, the families loved sailing together and people were keen to find time to get better at it."