By Our Editorial Staff
At school on Lake Bilancino. Become a sailor, discover the most complete way to sail on the Lake.
The Sail School courses organised by the Circolo Nautico Mugello are perfect for those with no sailing experience and for those who want to improve their technique: “Our main objective is to offer opportunities to get to know sailing, to experience sailing where the wind is the sole driving force and the sailor the absolute protagonist”.
The Sailing School within the Circolo Nautico Mugello was founded more or less 21 years ago, with the arrival in the Club of Instructor Members who promoted and facilitated access to the sport of sailing for those who showed an interest in experiencing a sailing sport in the Apennine mountains: “For 21 years we have been helping sailing enthusiasts become sailors. Small groups of teenage boys began with the first lessons on Optimist dinghies followed by two Instructors who not only possessed the technique of sailing, but also the communication and psycho-social skills to motivate, instruct and support youngsters in their first sailing experience, which is not always encouraging”.
The boat is not a car that starts up and drives off, the boat is fickle, it feels the water and depends on the wind and its sails. Sensitivity to the perception of wind direction is a skill that is acquired slowly: the wind on Lake Bilancino is changeable, ready to inflate the sails and just as quick to calm down and perhaps change direction. A sudden gust and only a prompt adjustment of the sails prevents the boat from ‘scuffing’ and ending up in the water. At the Circolo Nautico del Mugello the courses are dedicated to children and adults, Optimist and Laser, FJ, J24 – categories of boats suited to various ages and learning levels.
Instructors to date number three, assisted by three assistant instructors who ensure safety on the water and fun! The sport of sailing implies learning a responsible way of handling the boat as well as attention to the common needs of the group because sailing is a complete sport that, in addition to physical exertion, requires the development of cognitive, interpersonal and social skills. In crew sailing, the students are stimulated to develop a sense of cooperation and self-discipline while at the same time soliciting the ability to make autonomous choices and a sense of responsibility in order to contribute to the optimal running of the boat, for a sports culture based on the values of active participation, solidarity, loyalty, respect for rules, experienced in the first person and not just as spectators.
Sailing is not just a sport but a great life lesson: on the water between wind and waves it changes your perspective. On a sailing boat you learn to respect the environment, to know your limits and to share: passion, experience, fun. In safety. At the Lake you learn.
Info: www.circolonauticomugello.it