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Modern Sailing Education
Everything Evolves - even sailing education.
How do I learn to sail?
The “how to sail” formula hasn't changed much since the earliest recorded sailing, around 3500 BC (those clever Egyptians! And actually, there is evidence that Homo Erectus may have been sailing a half million years ago!) Anyhoo…, let's start with the age-old fundemental requirements to learn how to sail:
- Knowledge and Theory
Think of sailing education as +5,000 years of accumulated experience passed on to you! You'll need to understand the principles and mechanics of sailing, such as how to use the wind to move the boat.
And a LOT more! The more complex the sailboat, and the further and faster you want to sail, requires increasingly more knowledge and theory learning.
- A Sailboat - Real or Virtual
Well, duh! Of course you need a sailboat to sail, but an important consideration is the size and kind of sailboat you’d like to sail. You can learn on just about any size and type of sailboat, but typically we recommend that people start out on a “keelboat” (sailboats with the big fin thingy underneath, the “keel”) because the knowledge and skills are easily transferable to other types of sailboats like catamarans.
Virtual Sailboats? Yes, modern sailing education includes an option to learn sailing in virtual reality
- Practical Skills
While knowledge and theory are essential, you'll also need to gain practical experience on a sailboat. That means sailing on your own, with friends, or with a sailing instructor. If you have knowledge and theory, the experience part is FUN!
Start out sailing as a crew with friends, family, clubs, or racing. When ready to skipper your own boat, we recommend training with a sailing school or instructor who adheres to the USCG’s American National Standards or its international equivalent.
- Wind
As we mentioned earlier, you'll need to know how to use the wind to move the boat. This requires understanding the direction and strength of the wind, as well as how to adjust the sails to optimize the boat's speed and direction.
- A Sense of Adventure (and healthy respect for nature)
Sailing is an exciting and usually unpredictable activity, so it's important to approach it with a sense of adventure (a healthy sense of humor). And while sailing is a wonderful way to connect with nature, it's also important to respect it. This means being mindful of weather conditions, sea life, and the environment.