Britains top sailors pass on their winning knowledge at Rutland Sailing Club
by Sarah Alexander 8 Jun 2013 11:16 UTC
1 June 2013
Learning to Sail with Paul Goodison and the Volvo Sailing Academy © Volvo Car UK
Olympic gold medallist, Paul Goodison continued Volvo Car UK's quest to 'get the country sailing', inspiring and coaching first time sailors at Rutland Sailing Club. The 'Volvo Sailing Academy', held in association with the club's annual open day, was launched to encourage new people, young and old, to give the sport a go.
The club was a hive of activity with Paul heading out on the water to offer exclusive coaching sessions, passing on the knowledge that helped him win his gold medal at Beijing 2008 and a number of World Champion titles.
"It was a really fun day and it was great to take new sailors out on the water for their first sailing experience. The focus now is to continue to inspire and really encourage new people to try it out and the Volvo Sailing Academy is a great kick starter into the sport" commented the Olympic medallist, who recently announced his break from Olympic class sailing to concentrate on big boat racing.
The free one-day event also offered powerkiting experiences on the shores of Rutland Water with British Extreme Kitesurfer and World Speed Record Holder Sam Lutman-Pauc and British Kitesurfing Association Instructor, Dom Moore.
On Sunday, British Sailing's newest 49er team, Stuart Bithell, who won a silver medal in the Men's 470 class with Luke Patience at London 2012 and his crew Chris 'Twiggy' Grube joined Paul at the club, making a special visit to coach some of the youth sailors and race against club members in a highly charged battle on the water.
Peter Ashworth, Rutland Sailing Club Rear Commodore and Open Day Co-ordinator commented on the day "We were delighted that over 300 people attended our open day and have already seen a good number taking out club membership and booking courses as a result of their visit.
Having Volvo and Olympic gold medallist, Paul Goodison support the day was fantastic and to be joined by Stuart Bithell and Chris Grube on Sunday, who were coaching and sailing against the members, was really inspiring. It will certainly provide some indelible memories for those lucky enough to be involved."
The next Academy event will be held on Saturday 6th July at Queen Mary Sailing Club where Team SCA 2014/15 Volvo Ocean Race crew, Annie Lush and top Laser sailor, Nick Thompson will be coaching, inspiring and entertaining guests with their sailing stories. All the 2013 events are free of charge but places are limited and must be booked in advance. Book a place for you and your family here.
There are also eight weekend academies being planned for 2014, with Volvo Car UK in discussions with a number of potential Academy venues.
www.volvocarssailing.co.uk/sailing-academy