Are you interested in taking up sailing as a hobby but are discouraged by the perceived cost and lack of experience? Femme Soleil by Rachel is here to help you break those barriers with these 5 simple steps to try yachting for under $30 in under 30 days.
Picture: Rachel owner of Femme Soleil by Rachel Thursday Twilight sail out of Middle Harbour Yacht Club on Tempo 2022.
- Purchase a Sail Pass for $25.
Visit https://www.sailing.org.au/club-finder/&temp/ to purchase your Sail Pass. This will cover you to trial your first sail/s or race across 1 day. After a season of sailing, it will be much more affordable to become a member of your yacht club. We recommend joining once you’ve tried a few boats at your desired club to find the right fit. If sailing with no experience intimidates you too much you can volunteer to get a feel for the racing (and a great opportunity to ask all your queries and understand the racing principles)!
- Find Your Closest Yacht Club
Contact your nearest yacht club via email or through their contact us page to find out the times they offer sailing for novices. Examples of sailing times for novice sailors could be Twilight or WAGS. If you live near Middle Harbour Yacht Club, this could be on a Wednesday at 1pm or potentially on a Saturday closer to 11am. During summer, sailing is often available on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 5pm. Email info@myhc.com.au for an email template. Alternatively, if you are closer to the East Side of Sydney I recommend the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia; leave and email inquiry on their site page then call 02 8292 7802.
- Download Three Free Apps
Willy Weather, BOM Weather (Bureau of Meteorology), and Relive. These apps are all free to download. Willy Weather will show you the anticipated wind for your sailing time in knots. If the wind shows 10 knots or above, it will be windy and coming into winter quite cold. Pack a very warm windproof jacket. If it's above 25 knots, we would not recommend a first sail. For the Weather app, check to see if rain is predicted. If there's a 30% chance of rain or higher, pack a rain jacket with a hood. If very heavy rain is predicted, we do not recommend attending for your first sail. If sun is predicted, wear a lot of sunscreen, particularly on your face and lips, and a secure hat that will not fall off in the wind. We strongly recommend our Femme Soleil by Rachel hat, which is purchasable in the shopping section of our website Purchase Femme Soleil by Rachel Secure Cap Here . If you are wearing sunglasses ensure they are secure to be knocked. We strongly recommend Purchasing Femme Soleil by Rachel Sunglasses Face Fastener Here to protect you from losing your glasses. Finally, download the Relive app to track your sailing adventure. Click start before the race for "sailing" and safely lock your phone away. You can close the app after you are back on dock safely. This can be a super fun way to share your adventures with friends and family, and to thank your yacht club, crew, and boat owner for the opportunity to sail.
4. Wear or Borrow White-Soled Shoes
To prevent the boat from being marked by your footwear and to respect the boat owner's prized possession, we recommend wearing or borrowing white-soled secure sneaker style shoes for every sail. Once you have sailed a few times and are looking to lock in sailing as a hobby we recommend Femme Soleil by Rachel dry socks to keep your feet dry on wet days in any of your white soled shoes rather than the expense of seaboots ->. Purchase Femme Soleil by Rachel Waterproof Dry Socks here
- Consider Your Boating Experience
If you have zero experience with boating, it could be worth volunteering first to understand the racing, positions, ask queries and learn more about the sport in general (and to test your sea tolerance). It could also be a good idea to invest in seasickness pills to consume two hours before you leave the dock Nausi Calm $6.99 from Chemist Warehouse for 6 tablets (3 sails) Purchase Nausi Calm Here Finally, take a look at your jewellery. It can be dangerous catching on ropes, people, clothing, parts of the boat as well as falling off. We recommend removing all jewellery and stowing safely for at least your first handful of sails. If you do not wish to remove your earrings (to remain feminine) then for functionality we strongly recommend Purchasing Femme Soleil by Rachel Piercing Security we strongly recommend to secure them on the back of each piercing.
We would love to hear your experiences, feedback, and any support we can offer to ensure that every female who would consider sailing as a hobby has the opportunity to test drive the sport that we love!
Good luck for your first sail!
Femme Soleil by Rachel
3 comments
Gold! Thanks for breaking it down into tiny steps
Congratulations Rachel, little steps are good steps to begin with, I encourage you to continue building your future while taking others with you
Cheers Steve
Thank you for the amazing tips Rachel! This helps me feel more comfortable about going out and sailing. Can’t wait to get some of your items! xx