Sir, – Jonathan Liew suggests removing sailing from the Olympic schedule as it was made for “super-rich men who love yachts”, is “inaccessible” and “unwatchable” (“Farewell to sailing, golf and horsey stuff: Olympic sports that deserve the chop”, Sport, August 12th).
I learned to sail off the coast of Sligo in a three-metre Mirror dinghy built by my father sometime in the early 1990s. So did my siblings, my cousins, and my nieces and nephews. The boat is called Sideshow Bob, and it has been holed, capsized and repaired so many times that the Ship of Theseus could take notes. We travelled to competitions around Ireland and even made it abroad a few times in these Mirror dinghies. As adults, some of us graduated to larger boats and some drifted away, but we can all still tie a damn good knot.
I say this because the image of sailing people have in their heads is probably not shivering in a hand-me-down wetsuit in a tiny wooden boat, watching a vicious squall come in, too high on adrenaline to eat your damp, salty cheese sandwich. I’m certainly not a rich man, and I’ve never been on a fancy yacht (but am available as crew, especially if it is somewhere warm).
Yes, sailing is frustrating when the weather is against you, when gusts knock you sideways and send another boat flying ahead. The rules are many and complex but parsing them is surprisingly exhilarating. A coastline is not necessary – lake sailing also exists, which might surprise Jonathan Liew. It is definitely not obligatory to own a boat, and most sailors would advise against it. I won’t deny that sailing’s sneering reputation can be deserved. Snobbery lingers, but things are changing. All sports have issues around access, but as ever, community-level funding does wonders. Around the country, you’ll find initiatives aimed at children with disabilities, children from lower income areas and asylum seekers. Adult courses, including LGBT and Women on the Water schemes, are also common – the only qualification you need is to be able to shout. Everyone should experience the satisfaction of a perfectly fat spinnaker, of just squeezing over the startline, of a surprise gybe and capsize.
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I can only speak to my experiences in Ireland (UK sailors did tend to be strange creatures, with excellent posture) which have all been challenging but positive. Last week, three generations of my family gathered around the TV to watch Finn Lynch and Eve McMahon race at the Olympics. The next day, my brother put another hole in Sideshow Bob. To Mr Liew: get in the sea. You might just like it.– Yours, etc,
SHEILA ARMSTRONG,
Kilmainham,
Dublin 8.