Myths about Sailing

Myth: Sailing is for the rich

Nope.

• Most sailboats at the Glenmore Sailing Club cost less than $5,000. When you consider many people own their sailboat for years or decades, the annual cost of a sailboat is very small.
• Membership at the sailing club is inexpensive and we're a great social club.

Myth: Bigger boats are more expensive than small boats

Nope.

• People choose to sail dinghies (small) or keelboats (big) for reasons other than cost.

Myth: You have to own a boat to sail

Nope.

• You can crew on someone else's boat.
  
• The Glenmore Sailing Club owns boats for members to sail.
  

Myth: I need a bunch of "sailing gear" before I go sailing

Nope. 

Myth: Learning to sail as an adult is hard

Nope.

• It might even be easier to learn as an adult because you bring a lifetime of experiences to the learning process. Basic sailing is easy to understand and is immediately enjoyable. Learning anything new will have its challenges, but you will learn.

Myth: I need to know how to sail and have lots of experience before racing sailboats

Nope.

• Racing is simply sailing with a purpose. Club-level racing is about getting out with friends old and new and getting your BTUs (boat time units).

Myth: Sailing is gender specific

Nope.

• Sailing skills and abilities are not gender specific.
  
• Sailboats level the playing field among sailors.
  
• One of our female club members is the Canadian and USA champion in the Fireball dinghy.

Myth: Sailing is boring

Nope.

• Being on a sailboat is a thrilling experience. Having an understanding about the principles of what moves a boat and the "rules of the road" makes it even more enjoyable.
• It's a mental game played against the wind and water... and other boats when racing.

Myth: Watching Sailing is boring

A little.

• Boats tend to sail a distance from shore and this makes it look like they are moving slowly. However on the boat, know that there are a lot happening on the boats.
  
• When racing, boats work to be in clear air (no other boats immediately around them) so they can achieve maximum speed. This means there are often times where boats can be a few hundred feet from each other even though it's a neck-and-neck race between those boats... and that only becomes obvious when the boats approach each other again.

Myth: You have to be physically fit to sail

Nope.

• Look at your friends or the people in your office... that is what sailors look like. We're in all sizes and shapes. Some are in wheelchairs.