Sailing. The sport I love so much is, in my view, one of the best things that can happen to anyone. If you have seen, as I have its power to transform lives, enable youngsters to realise their potential, and give happiness, peace and delight to so many then it's hard not to care about the sport's visibility, and let's face it, events like the Olympics give it the sort of visibility it needs - not the high end glossy big boat side of sailing, but the grassroots, £100-Laser-dinghy sport that is perfect for all the family.
The Olympics inspires so many youngsters to give sports a try - and if you have seen what sailing does to turn around some of our wayward youth, then you would wish that everyone could get the chance to try it. It's NOT EXPENSIVE and there are plenty of opportunities for youngsters to get involved - if they can be inspired to give it a go.
My dad taught himself to sail at the age of 30 when we moved to the coast. He bought a converted 'Optimist' for peanuts and my brother and I shared it. I say 'Optimist' as it was a home built version with no buoyancy, a bowsprit and a jib! And no buoyancy... we learn to sail on that and our family dinghy - a wooden Dutch scow he also bought for less money than a bicycle (it was cheaper than a secondhand Mirror dinghy so that says a lot!).
I've seen sailing cure depression, ease grieving, help those battling illness, give deprived young people a sense of pride and control over their own lives... it is an amazing sport. In my view, if more people took part in it, the world would be a better place!
