Steering the Course - Jennifer Foort
Published 12:36 on 25 May 2021
Stories from our female sailors; Jennifer Foort.
I started sailing in 2015 by accident after my cousin's wife persuaded me to do the RYA 1 and 2 courses with her - I was already in my forties and I thought I would do the courses and then that would be it. However, I completed the course at Earlswood Sailing Club, which is a much smaller club than Bartley, and had experienced my first capsize within 20 minutes of my first lesson! This didn't put me off fortunately and quite the opposite I was hooked. I had never found a sport that I really enjoyed enough to do it regularly and it took me 40 years to discover sailing! I wish now that I had started when I was younger and fitter and am in awe when sailing alongside great sailors who have been sailing for 40 years or more.
I initially started out as crew to a couple of Entreprise sailors at Earlswood and also on a Stratos and occasionally on a Lark. This was a great way to learn about the wind and to see good experienced helming close up which eventually gave me the confidence to try for myself. While crewing I had some great experiences and crewed in the Anglesea Offshore race in 2016 - 16 nautical miles along the Menai Straits and up to Red Wharf Bay. The experience on the sea was very exciting and totally different to our little reservoir.
I then heard about the Southport 24 hour race from one of the other members and I managed to convince the Earlswood members to rejuvenate their team entry and we took part for the next three years getting a little better each time - brilliant fun with a team having to keep a dinghy going around a circuit for 24 hours with quick running changes on and off the quayside, some hilarious and very wet mistakes with that and my first experiences of sailing in the dark.
Later in 2016 I bought my current laser and named it after my late Dad who had just passed away - this made me smile every time as Dad was scared stiff of water and couldn't swim and he had been amazed that I took up sailing as I am also quite out of my comfort zone being not a strong swimmer.
After a summer of very little water at Earlswood a few of us moved to Bartley and decided to stay as it was time to try a bigger body of water. It was a totally different experience with a much more varied selection of courses and range of skills and classes. Everyone has been very friendly and I have received some great help and lessons from some truly talented sailors here. There is a great mix of levels and its fun to sail amongst so many people you can learn from. Unlike some of the club's female sailors I will never be a regional or national champion and enjoy sailing more for the release from modern life and the sense of achievement when you get something right and can keep up with the fleet. I still want to get much better and love to take part in any training thats on offer. After a few months at Bartley I found the confidence to start travelling to regional open meetings and again that was a great experience to meet and sail against other sailors and experience different stretches of water. The regional circuit is very friendly and everyone is welcomed at all levels. In 2019 I decided to go to Vassiliki in Greece on a laser sailing holiday and learn to enjoy warm weather sailing and falling in in much warmer water! Can definitely recommend this!
In 2019 I decided to broaden my experience and took my Day Skipper qualification on the Solent. This was also tremendous fun and the dinghy sailing I had done to date was really helpful. I enjoyed plotting the courses and sailing to lovely places along the coast. I would love to do more coastal sailing in the future.
Sailing is a wonderful release and a place free from mobile phones and technology and I feel very happy to have met so many lovely people and to support Bartley Sailing Club and all its wonderful members. In short sailing will lead to great friendships and great fun in the fresh air!
Want to know more about sailing and water sports at Bartley Sailing Club? Just contact us via our Facebook or website www.bartleysailingclub.com. We have a very active sailing, SUP and Windsurfing programme and many training opportunities offered through our partner Andrew Simpson Centre Birmingham based at the club.
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Last updated 14:02 on 16 April 2024
