Anne Marie Wood (below) from Hambrook near Emsworth, and her team of helpers have been instrumental in making youth the largest growing section at Hayling Island Sailing Club. Under Anne Marie, youth sailing at the Sandy Point club has been broadened with the introduction of a number of fun and informal formats designed to get children on the water and enjoying themselves.
The HISC Youth section had always been a strong and vibrant part of the sailing club, particularly in the youth racing scene, but when Anne Marie Wood took over as Rear Commodore Youth in 2012 she decided to broaden its appeal. She set up a progression programme for children that would suit all abilities and enable them to sample sailing in a more relaxed, fun and informal manner; an ideal route for those not keen to embark on the racing programme but wanting to be part of the active youth section..
One of the first initiatives Anne Marie had set up in 2008 was ‘SEALS’ which uses the warm, shallow waters of the lagoon at high tide to provide a safe and fun environment for the youngest children to mess about and gain confidence on the water. The formation of ‘SEALS’ coincided with a surge in family membership at HISC. It relies on fun and informal parent-led activities using any type of craft including dinghies, paddle boards, kayaks, canoes and windsurfers with the aim of getting children on the water for the first time. Over 100 children now regularly attend these sessions, held over a couple of hours during high tides in June, July and August.
The ‘SEALS’ initiative has continued to grow and as the group gets more involved and confident the activities include picnics to East Head, sailing football, trips to see the seals in the harbour, pirate adventures, treasure hunts, camping weekends and youth cruises.
Stepping down recently after six years on the HISC Youth Committee and the last two as Youth Rear Commodore, Anne Marie commented, “I’ve thoroughly enjoyed getting more children on the water and learning to sail. Having grown up at the club and been a member all my life, I strongly believed that it was time to give something back to the clubâ€