Steering the Course - Lesley Freeman
Published 19:40 on 22 May 2021
Steering the Course Women's Sailing Festival at Bartley Sailing Club
#SteeringTheCourse
Stories from our female sailors; Lesley Freeman.
Hi, my name is Lesley and I have been sailing for 4 years now.
Sailing never crossed my horizon until my late 50's when children had grown up and left home and I was able to reduce my working hours to become semi-retired.
A 'Push the Boat Out' event at my local club in Dudley piqued my interest and I enrolled for my RYA level 1 course, never having stepped foot into a dinghy before. This really grabbed my interest and at every opportunity I went to the club and sailed a variety of dinghys, double and single handed. I had my first capsize in an ancient Wanderer at the club, through my and my sailing partners inexperience at trimming the sails and balancing the boat. This didn't put me off, and after completing my RYA level 2, I began looking for my own boat.
A member at a nearby club at Trimpley was retiring from sailing and selling on his much loved GP14. Sailing double handed with more experienced sailors who are always keen to help the newbies, increased my confidence no end, and I soon became a regular club racer at Trimpley, helming my own boat, and crewing for others. A couple of Open events followed, which found us at the very end of the fleet. Encouraged by the friendliness of fellow sailors further Open events were planned, but circumstances changed due to Covid and events were put on hold.
I had attended a GP14 training session at Bartley just prior to lockdown, and was again impressed by the friendliness and helpfulness of fellow sailors. Bartley is a much bigger water and the wind is far more consistent than I had experienced at either Dudley or Trimpley waters. Taking the plunge, literally in my case, I bought an old Solo, joined Bartley SC, and have been sailing, capsizing, and racing, again at the end of the fleet, since covid restrictions were eased earlier this month.
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.
Downloads
Last updated 16:57 on 21 April 2025
