Why You Should Get Into Sailing

It’s relaxing. You know that song by Christopher Cross called ‘Sailing’? If that song alone was not able to convey how relaxing sailing can be for you, I don’t know what will! Seriously though, sailing is really an extremely relaxing thing to do.

There really is something to be said about ‘being in touch with nature’ and how it calms you inside and out. Sure, taking a walk in the woods can do that too but somehow sailing brings it up a notch higher doesn’t it? So give it a go and soothe your nerves!

It’s more cost-effective than you think. Many people think that sailing is a pretty expensive activity. Well, it is if you want it to be. However, do note that there ARE ways to indulge in boating without it costing an arm and a leg. For instance, did you know that you can finance your own boat for as little as $200-$300 a month?

Also, most marine lenders are boat men too so it’s kind of easy to work out a deal with them. Try it out before you shoot the idea down. You might find that you’re spending more on other activities you’d rather not do!

It makes for good exercise. Sailing is good exercise too you know. Even if you go sailing purely for recreational purposes, the preparation and actual sailing will provide good activities for you. Now, if you want to make a sport out of boating, then all the more calories you get to burn!

It’s a great way to bond with family and/or friends. With no TV, game console, pool table, and mobile phone to occupy people’s times, sailing is an excellent way to simply bond with family and friends. It’s great way to catch up on what everybody else is doing… and all that with such a great backdrop too!

Serious ME time. Of course, sailing can provide some serious alone time too which all of us needs every now and then. If you need to think clearly without fear of being bothered every now and then, sailing is the perfect way to go.

There’s no traffic. Sometimes, the only thing that prevents us from doing what we want to do is… traffic or the little obstacles we need to overcome to do what we want to do. With boating, the sheer space and sense of freedom you get makes these ‘obstacles’ seem very trivial.

It’s fun! Sailing is simply a very FUN thing to do because there are so many avenues to take once you’re in the water. You can go fishing, diving, waterskiing, or simply cruise along.

Sailing can be the best thing you take up this year so go and just do it!

As a teenager growing up in a small town in Oregon in the fifties, I had no desire to finish high school. For one thing, my dad never finished. Also, my big ambition in life was to be a cartoonist, and I was, in fact, already selling some of my cartoons to small magazines. My hero, Walt Disney, had never finished high school, and I felt that if he could quit and succeed, so could I. But my mother would never hear of it, so reluctantly, I continued to go.

In about my sophomore year I began to sell cartoons to a small magazine in Thousand Oaks, California. It was called Computer News and was a trade journal about the computers of that time. These were nothing like the laptops we know today … they were huge Univac computers which filled an entire room. I knew nothing about them, but still somehow managed to come up with cartoons about them.

In my correspondence with the editor, a Mr. Jackson Granholm, I mentioned my desire to quit high school and go into cartooning full time. He wrote back urging me to stay in school, spouting off all the reasons why school was important. To convince him I knew better, I told him about how Walt Disney had quit.

A few weeks later, I was waiting at the mailbox, waiting to see if any magazines had bought any of the cartoons I had recently submitted. When the mail came I was quite surprised to see one letter addressed to me from Walt Disney studios.

It was from their personnel department, and I was sure it was a job offer. Not so. They told me that Mr. Jackson Granholm had contacted them on my behalf and explained my attitude about finishing high school. They advised me very strongly to stay in high school, pointing out that they never even considered applicants without a high school education and preferred some college.

It took the winds out of my sails, but I guess it taught me two things: I was no Walt Disney, and times had changed. I finished high school, and went on for two years of college. Years later I worked for Walt Disney studios, as well as a couple of other major film studios, plus I have been doing cartooning on a freelance basis for years. To date I have been published in hundreds of publications, and I admit the college education was no deterrent at all.

Just a few years ago I finally had the opportunity to meet Jackson Granholm in person. I learned that he was living in Oregon just a few miles away from where I live. I met him for lunch and we had an enjoyable talk about this experience.

Obviously the most important use for boating school is learning the intricacies of driving a boat – or sailing for sail boat owners. Just like driving an automobile, boating requires skill, concentration, and an eye towards safety at all times. A reputable boating school will offer thorough classroom education followed by a series of in-boat lessons that will give you the lay of the land when it comes to the operation of a boat.

Included in the operation of a boat – and a part of the lessons learned in boating school – is the importance of navigation whether by instrument or by sight. GPS is a fantastic navigational tool and boat operators should be well-versed in operating it. But if your GPS system malfunctions it is important to know how to find your way on your own.

Just as important as learning how to operate a boat is learning how to be safe while operating it. A boating school – as part of its curriculum – will teach the vigilance for safety that is necessary on board a boat. You will learn how to deal with everything from relatively minor mishaps such as sunburn and on-board scrapes and bruises to more serious safety measures such as rescue training and CPR preparedness.

Boating can be a wonderful activity enjoyed by the whole family; but in order to boat responsibly you must boat safely; attending a boating school is a must before heading out to sea.

There are various types of sailboats used just for sailing. Sailboats are different from other boats. This boat moves through the water with the help of wind. Sails which are large pieces of clothe that converts the power of wind into the power for boat. This technology played an important role in development of trades, fishing etc. The sailboat moves according to the speed of wind and water. The sailboat will not do anything on cal days. Sailboats alone cannot drive the boat; it needs some physical object below the waterline like keel, centerboard, or underwater foil. This is usually known as second sailing.

Sailing has some basic techniques like sale trim, running, reaching, sailing upwind, reducing sail, hull trim, points of sail and heeling. The first and most important thing before sailing is to keep the boat in trim. Running is described as sailing before the wind. Reaching is the most interesting and fast point in sailing. These are the three main techniques or points a sailor must remember.

There are mainly three types of sailing boats one is day sailing boats, cruising boats, and racing boats.  Day sailing boats are just for day sailing only. They don’t have over night accommodation. It is very interesting and it ranges from simple to complex ones. You can choose the one that suits your interest. The cruising boats are the best one for a weekend trip or longer trips. These boats are very large in size and have all facilities of overnight accommodation, cooking, room, etc. Racing sailboats are good for all who have passion for sailing sport.

Sailing is very interesting and enjoyable activity. If you need to know more about sailing and sail boats then there are many sailing schools which give you all essential information and teaches you how to handle the boat in water. There are sailing schools that offers training on basic cruising, bareboat cruising, sailing lessons, sailing instructions and lots more. Every sailboat can sail only with a set of regulations. It is for safety. A sailor must know all about handling a boat, its safety measures and other important aspects of sailing. Just talk with people who have experience. The sailing experience will be enjoyable if you know more about it.

Ex Scientia tridens – Latin for From” Knowledge, Sea power “is the Academys Motto. The Academy also stands by and keeps up the Honor, courage and commitment. It also firmly believes in ‘Excelling without Arrogance”.

The Naval Academy was established in the year 1845 and shares more or less the same history as the Nation itself. Moral and ethical issues and developing the incumbent midshipmen with these values is one of the primary responsibilities for the Naval Academy. From the sail and steam-powered ship era to Nuclear Subs and Supersonic aircraft, the Navy has come a long way and the Naval Academy today, takes up the onus of preparing young American men and women to become established naval officers and marine officers. It is, however, a competitive endeavor to be able to secure a place at The Naval Academy.

The students in the academy are referred to as Midshipmen and they learn to take orders from practically everyone in the system, however they also learn to make decisions which can affect all their peers at the academy. Upon graduation the midshipmen are commissioned and listed as ensigns in the U.S Navy or as Second Lieutenant in the Marine Corps and must be in the service for a minimum of five years just like the U.S Army cadets.

The Midshipmen, during their course of education and study – which is really a mix of arts and sciences – also take part in a lot of extra curricular and physical activities, an important mix of educational elements all geared to prepare the midshipmen intellectually, physically and morally. Though there is no graduate school directly associated with the naval Academy, there is a Naval Postgraduate College and a naval preparatory school for the midshipmen.

The U.S Academy carries a mission to develop midshipmen to the highest exacting standards as is expected from a commissioned officer, developing them to morally, ethically imbibing in them virtues of honor, respect, integrity and loyalty and prepare them to take on the responsibility of being able to take command and be of service to the government and the country.

Sailing

Although Sardinia’s coastline is an extraordinary sailing destination with hundreds of private coves, stunning beaches and dramatic rock formations, it remains surprisingly unknown to many. Sailors are particularly attracted to the island because of its diverse coastline-from the dunes of the Costa Verde to the deep emerald coves and cliffs of Cala Gonone, no stretch is the same as the next.

There are two winds in Sardinia that ensure the perfect conditions for dynamic sailing: the Sahara wind Chirocco and the Maestrale. The Maestrale mostly blows along the west coast, a very powerful west to northwest wind.

If it is your first time to sail in Sardinia’s waters, you’d better be a very competent sailor yourself or take an experienced skipper with you. Familiarize yourself with the area’s nautical literature and navigational requirements.

A lot of seasoned travelers choose to explore Sardinia aboard a sailboat. They sail along, for instance, from the coasts of Costa Smeralda, to escape the glitz and glamour, so they can discover semi-deserted beaches and time-forgotten villages.

Marinas are superior infrastructure circling the island with a 30-sea mile gap between each establishment. Get yourself a copy of “Beaches and Harbours,” a comprehensive list of the island’s 86 marinas. This guide includes nautical maps and is available for free from Sardinia Tourist Authority (ESIT).

Windsurfing

With winds coming from every direction and a 200-kilometer stretch coastline, Sardinia is heaven for windsurfers and kite surfers. Although North Sardinia is more popular among windsurfers, the southern part of the island also offers optimum winds and wave conditions.

Over the past few years, a stream of windsurfing schools and centers have sprung up at well-loved windsurf spots, offering beginners water sports lessons.

Porto Pollo (also known as Porto Puddu) near Palau is Sardinia’s best windsurfing destination. It is renowned as one of the best in Europe. Porto Pollo’s three main attractions are its expansive white sandy beaches, turquoise water, and consistent winds. Both the Chirocco wind from the Sahara and the Maestrale wind from the northwest blow in the area, thus ensuring constantly perfect windsurfing conditions.

Keep in mind that this is not the right place for beginners. You’re better off somewhere else if you’re looking for peace and quiet. Should you opt to try the sport, you will be totally looked after by your instructors; there is a protected, glassy flat side of the bay where you can test your skills. If not, prepare to be awed by the sight of many colorful sails gliding over glistening waters.

RYA Day Skipper is a sort of ‘foundation course’ in seamanship and navigation. It has two elements, theory and practical. Suitable for those with limited experience it is effectively an ‘entry level’ course, though while you don’t need any theoretical knowledge you do need to know how to sail. The RYA stipulates that Day Skipper candidates should have 100 miles logged. In our experience it doesn’t matter what sort of boat you have sailed, so long as you can sail. Dinghy sailing years ago is just as relevant as last years flotilla holiday in the Med!

If you are not confident about your sailing ability you may want to consider taking an RYA Competent crew course first. Five days training alongside Day Skipper students or Yachtmaster exam candidates is sure to give you a feel for cruising under sail and hopefully a thirst for more. Alternatively you could take a berth on one of our mile builders, again five days but with an emphasis on going places rather than intensive pilotage and boat handling. The Channel Islands and France are favourite destinations for mile building out of the Solent.

When you have gained the Day Skipper theory and practical tickets you can consider yourself well on the way to being a safe and competent yachtsman. The RYA Day Skipper practical certificate entitles the holder to an International Certificate of Competence (ICC). These certificates and a VHF Radio licence are all you need to charter boats in the finest sailing areas the world has to offer.

More important than the certificates in themselves is the knowledge you will acquire on the way. The Day Skipper theory course covers chartwork, chart symbols, Lat & Long, compass, tidal theory, pilotage, safety, meteorology and so on. The theory element can be taken as a five day ’stand alone’ course or combined with the practical (on the water) training in one 9 day course. This offers the opportunity to achieve both Day Skipper theory and Day Skipper practical tickets with only five days off work, an important consideration for those with busy lifestyles.

Mustang Sailing have been delivering these courses for long enough to know how to get the theory across in a painless, stress free way. Not everybody is comfortable in class, and for some it has been a while…

On a 9 day combined course we split the theory into two, two day blocks at either end of the course. The first and last two days are spent in class. The first two laying the foundations so to speak, then it’s down to the boat (we’ll take you if you don’t have transport) for five days of sail training.

Sailing from Universal Marina on the Hamble River we criss cross the Solent and venture to Chichester to the East and Poole to the West, depending on the weather. Day Skipper practical involves many short passages, involving lots of passage planning and pilotage as well as boat handling under power and sail. When Friday comes it’s time to leave the yacht and head back to Ringmer to finish off the theory.

Collision regulations and meteorology are the two big subjects for the last weekend; you will have been living and breathing sail cruising all week so the final sessions are pretty easy. Two exam papers are despatched on Sunday morning, a quick debrief and off home with two new certificates, miles in your logbook and memories to last a lifetime.

Mustang Sailing are a small sailing school with a big range of courses which we run all year round. We moved to Ringmer nr Lewes three years ago and have expanded steadily. We take no print advertising, relying on our website and word of mouth recommendation to grow our business. This year we have doubled our classroom capacity, and added a dedicated diesel engine workshop at Ringmer, and bought a 40′ yacht to cope with the demands of our expanding customer base.

Our training centre is housed in converted agricultural buildings close to the South Downs. The central location close to major road and rail links and conveniently located for the London airports makes us the obvious choice for sailors in the South East and London and for international students looking for quality courses at a convenient location. The quiet rural setting makes it easy to get down to studying the subject in hand.

Mustang run all the RYA Cruising and Yachtmaster shorebased courses at Ringmer and all the practical sail cruising courses from Universal Marina on the Hamble. Probably the nicest marina in the Solent, a pleasant rural location with an old-school feel it is a great place to be, relaxed and civilised.

All schools running the Advanced Course are able to run the new Intermediate course from April 2004. The Intermediate Powerboat syllabus aims to provide a level of training to suit those who use powerboats more frequently and in more advanced conditions. If you have a boat from 8ft to about 33ft then in all likelihood it is courses within the RYA National Powerboat Scheme that are right for you. If you’re starting out looking to boat abroad or looking to develop core skills then its probably the Level 2 course that is right for you. The two-day course involves a short coastal passage and covers practical use of daytime pilot and passage planning skills using both traditional and electronic navigational techniques on coastal waters. Seamanship will become second nature to you.

We know you have a choice and we aim to provide you with the very best in power boat training first seaworthy class craft. PWC – Personal Watercraft Course is a one day course to ensure you get the best out of your Wetbike or Jetski. Learn how to drive safely and responsibly with maximum excitement! Internationally recognised certificate can help lower insurance and is now required by many port authorities before access to water is allowed. Getting your certificate is like a protection on your investment knowing you have the knowledge and skills to look after yourself, passengers and other water-users.

Sailing is many sports in one, and can be pursued in as intense or casual a manner as you choose. At a recognised sailing school the aim is to provide a safe, enjoyable introduction to recreational sailing for the whole family. The approach is low key, relaxed and tailored to make your introduction to sailing a fun experience.  Yachting and dinghy classes for all levels of seamanship. These early stages of yachting can often be the most important and a professional training course will give you the right foundations to start properly. The RYA Start Yachting course can also be put towards your Competent Crew yachting test, so you only have to complete a further 3 days or 2 weekends to achieve it. You will have a qualified RYA instructor also trained in Advanced Boating Learning and NLP training techniques. This will enable you to learn significantly faster, with far higher retention rates.

For qualified skippers, a number of specialist Master Class sailing courses are also available to develop your personal skills. The Boat Handling course is all about skilfully manoeuvring a yacht under power, Sailpower teaches the cruising yachtsman the finer points of rig tune and sail trim and our specially developed Skippers Master Class is for those who wish to develop their skipper techniques to a higher level.

First, let me say that I don’t like missing a target any more than you do. Watching a target sail to it’s final resting place intact and untouched is always a bit unnerving and too often gives rise to thoughts of some personal shortcoming. Not my idea of fun and I doubt yours as well.

Most commonly, I see this phenomenon when I am teaching. Missed targets are the catalyst for a host of negative emotions and reactions from my student, none of which by the way are conducive to breaking the next target.

The key problem here is that we judge each success–or failure (a word I don’t like)–by whether the bird breaks or not. That’s understandable but counterproductive and completely missing the point in terms of building skills.

Here are a five simple suggestions to accelerate your progress and enhance your shooting enjoyment:

1. Let’s remember that missing is an integral part of our game. It is inevitable so let’s once and for all accept that we can–and will–sooner or later, miss.

2. Don’t take missing so personally. You missed the target due to a swing error, not because you are inept, incapable, dense, slow, or any other negative judgments about yourself.

3. When you miss–it’s done–it’s over. You can choose to mentally stomp all over yourself–OR–you can choose to figure out why you missed and adjust the next shot. Only one of those choices builds your skill level–and reveals your true level of commitment to improve.

4. Before you step into the shooting box, honestly adjust your thinking about a miss. Those who are serious about building their skill level simply do not allow a missed target–or 4–to derail the positive and good things that are taking place in the shooting box.

5. Lastly, skill building is a whole lot easier when one concentrates on what he is doing, not what happens at the target. When a target is missed–find what went wrong–adjust it. Skip all the personal scolding’s and watch the shooting and learning process become a whole lot more enjoyable–not to mention you will break more targets, I promise.

To review the full article please visit:  www.paragonschool…12-2008May 2009 Sporting Clays Tiphttp://www.paragonschool.com/sporting-clays-tip-05-2009.html

 View The Sporting Clays Tips Index

And with a military school education, like most schools, there are extras. The uniform is the obvious one. Students dress in the school’s military uniform and a parent could spend $1000 on clothing items alone. But that doesn’t include special gear for outdoor activities like rock climbing or sailing.

Then if your child joins the school band, a clarinet or trumpet may find their way on to your credit card.

But to be exact you will need to consult the school you are considering for your child. Remember that fees change and often on an annual basis. At present you could pay about $4000 a month for the basic education and accommodation at a military school. Some schools which offer more activities will charge more, others less.

Now if that amount of money seems expensive, you need to consider two things. What are you getting for your money? And how much is too much for the preparation of a successful career?

A wealthy parent may not be fazed by the costs and a less well-off parent can investigate scholarships, student loans and part payment schemes.

But the main issue here is the content of the course. A military school gives top priority to the academic success of its students. They provide a first class curriculum and employ experienced, motivated and highly qualified teachers. The school requires students to study after lessons and this study activity is supervised. Parents who want their child to be pushed or enthused about their academic studies will get the best possible service in a military school. There is plenty of bang for your buck.

If you want to make a comparison about costs, figure how much it will cost you to feed, clothe and accommodate your child should they be living at home during their high school years. Remember that the fee at a military school includes full board and accommodation. If living on campus, your teen will not be raiding your fridge or burning your power bills as they spend hours online.

And don’t forget the time factor. With your teen living at home, how much time will you spend driving them to ballet or football and attending performances and games? There is much less parenting time involved with your child in a military school.

To find a successful career may require a good college degree or post graduate qualifications. A military school has an excellent reputation for getting the best out of their students with a college entry highly likely and, should it be of interest, an entrance into the military for one of its many career options.

The cost is relative. You should consider what you are getting for the price. As somebody once said, “If you want the best, you’ll have to pay for it”.

If you’re looking to find more information about military school and its environment, do check out Military Schools for Boys. Or if you need expert advice on what is the best program for your teen fill out this online form.