Our Sailing School Ultimate Adventure.

April is Sailing School time, which our outdoor kids just love, as it means camping, sailing and having fun with friends. Sailing attracts outdoor busy children and Paula Joy and Murray John have made great friends over the years. It is a wonderful community sport and Zimbabwe certainly has the weather for it…

Amazingly, this land locked country has produced a large number of world class sailors. The Jacana Yacht Club at Lake Chivero is the only sailing club left in Zimbabwe and somehow it manages to keep going, despite the economic ups and downs this country has faced. It is incredible, when one stops to think about it!

My children absolutely love the four days of tutored sailing and camping. However, it’s a mammoth task getting ready for the event, as we need to send along our 8 tonne lorry, loaded up with camping kit, two Oppie sailing boats, firewood and staff.  Then, with the speed boat in tow, we all set off for the three hour trek to Lake Chivero, situated east of Harare.

Jacana Yacht Club, Lake Chivero.

Jacana Yacht Club is situated on the eastern bank of Lake Chivero and has a beautiful campsite, along with an historical club house. As soon as we arrive, the offloading and action begins – and it takes us a good couple of hours to get organised and settled. The children then help me launch the speed boat, before it is time to relax and socialise with all the others in camp.

Sailing School Begins.

The first morning the children quickly rig their Oppies, before cooking their egg and bacon rolls for breakfast. Then they head off to find someone else to help -and the spirit of sailing begins!

This time they helped an experienced sailor rig his Dart and Flying15 sailing boats. These are what the children dream of sailing one day! As a reward for all their help, they were then taken out on the Dart for a quick sail. This they so enjoyed and retuned with high enthusiasm!

Friday afternoon sailing began with checking that all the Oppies were rigged correctly. Then the time came to go over the sailing terms, to refresh memories, before they all headed out for a late afternoon sail.

Unfortunately, Paula Joy’s 40 year old Opie didn’t last long, before a piece broke off, which would need much time to fix! Thankfully, friends came to the rescue, by lending her a lovely racing Opie. This show of community spirit is what attracts so many of us to the sport.

Camp evenings are very social, as everyone congregates around camp fires and enjoys catching up with friends.

Chilly with Strong Wind.

Saturday morning began with much activity at 7am and a strong chilly wind blowing! This is exactly what the children wanted and they raced off on their bikes to participate. Some children were very concerned about heading out to sail in the strong wind.

However, it turned out to be a good morning for the advanced Oppie sailors, with two children capsizing, one being Paula Joy!  It was an experience they will all remember, but they returned smiling, having conquered the strong winds on day one.

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With more strong afternoon winds, advanced Opie sailors headed out again to do some tacking exercises. It was tough, battling the wind and waves, which certainly tested the children’s abilities. Paula Joy absolutely loved the challenge and her sailing improved immensely.

By the evening the young sailors returned very tired, cold and hungry! However, the day was not over, until we had all participated in a fun family after supper quiz.

Little Wind for Sailing.

Sunday morning was again chilly, with some wind, so the children set out to sail around the buoys, whilst being coached. They then had one practice race after tea, before the wind disappeared completely… The afternoon was then spent with children learning how to tie knots, followed by playing games and making up a short fun skit, to perform before dinner and bingo. Another eventful day for our tired little sailors.

Sadly, Monday morning dawned without a breath of wind!  There was the usual physical activity to start the day and then a slow breakfast, as everyone waited for the wind to pick up.  Eventually, the children set sail, hoping to get in a bit of racing. However, the gentle wind soon vanished, so back into shore they came for tea, whilst waiting longingly for the wind to get up.

Sail Pass and Prize Giving.

The sail past is the final sailing event at Sailing School. It makes for a wonderful spectacle to see all the different sailing boats drifting past, as the young sailors salute the commodore, standing on the point of the bay.  It is such a special event, which takes place just before prize giving.  Paula Joy came away with the prize for the cleanest boat, which is something she worked very hard to achieve.

Good-bye and thank you:

It’s sad to see everyone packing up and heading home… However, due to the long  distance we have travelled, we like to spend one more night at the lake, where we can have some additional boating fun and enjoy a quiet family evening, before we have to pack up and head out.  

A big thank you to the organizers of this event and it is encouraging to see how Sailing School numbers continue to grow each year. I recommend that every outdoor loving child attends Sailing School, as learning to sail is a life skill one will always treasure.

Be it high winds or no wind, there is always fun to be had and lessons to be learned.

Going Home with Treasured Memories.

The next morning it was all hands on deck, as we packed up camp and headed off home. We have now mastered the art of packing up, so it was not long before we were on the road. We left behind Jacana Yacht club, whilst taking away another set of memories and two proficient young sailors.  

It is now time to for the kids to sail their Opie’s, back on the farm dam, where they can race each other and enjoy the skills they have learnt.

Hopefully next year we shall see you all back at the yacht club!

Our previous sailing school adventure can be found here, Our Homeschooling Adventures and Activities of April 2019.

“God provides the wind, but man must raise the sails.”  St Augustine.

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