Sailing encourages children to be disciplined and independent while also forming part of a team, says Anna Rossi from the Malta Young Sailors Club. She talks to Sandra Aquilina about the experiences.

Anna Rossi is in no doubts about the benefits of sailing for children. And most of these are not necessarily physical. “Sailing is an individual sport which makes you disciplined and forces you to take decisions on your own initiative,” she says. “You get a thrill out of racing and sailing with the wind and the sea splashing over you… and it’s just you… your decisions… and at the same time you are a team - because you sail with your friends every weekend and also race against them.”

As secretary general of the Malta Young Sailors Club (MYSC), Anna plays a key role in sailing in Malta. The club has an enviable track record: its sailors have gone on to win gold, silver and bronze medals in the Games of the Small States of Europe and in the Coji Games. They have also garnered good results in overseas events. And the club organises training clinics and the Euromed International Regatta, an international sailing event held in December in Mellieħa, which attracts sailors from a number of countries. And all this apart from the club’s participation in the European and World Championships.

“This summer we have eight sailors going to Wales for the Europeans and the coach will be Jean Paul Fleri Soler who is the national Optimist coach and the MYSC coach. I will be going to Wales as the team leader. We then have four sailors going to the World’s in Poland,” Anna says.

It’s an active scene – and one which is growing fast – although perhaps not fast enough, considering the beauty of our seas as an island. Anna agrees that there is great potential but points to the lack of proper premises for the club as well as the need for a better slipway which is private and made easy to launch. “We want to grow - but the premises we have do not let us grow as much as we wish to and as much as we are capable of,” she sighs.

The club – which is located at Tax-Xama in St Paul’s Bay - currently has around 25 sailors sailing on a regular basis, although this number dwindles in winter when parents opt to send their children to other sport disciplines. Most are boys, although more girls are being attracted to the sport. The club runs a summer school and children generally start out at the age of seven and sail an Optimist – a small, single-handed sailing dinghy - up to the age of 15.

Beginners start out learning how to rig their boat; once on the water, they learn to sail together with another Optimist sailor in the boat with them for the first few sessions; by the end of the course, they will know how to handle the Optimist on their own.

Is it a risky sport for kids? “Any sport has risks - but I wouldn’t say that sailing is a high-risk sport,” says Anna. The children never go down on the water alone – they are always accompanied by the coaches; they are also not allowed to sail without a life jacket. The Optimist is equipped with buoyancy bags so, if it capsizes, the boat does not sink – the kids can turn it round, get back into it and bail the water out.

What makes a good sailor? “There are various elements – but, as in other sports disciplines, some are just naturals. However, regular training and exposure to regattas help the sailors improve their skills.”

With its reputation as an expensive sport, the club provides a lot of support, including boats and equipment. But how can the children continue practising if they don’t have a boat? “

For the first year of sailing and sometimes even more, the club provides the boat and all equipment, including the life jackets.”

Anna herself got involved when her youngest son started sailing at the club, when the MYSC kicked off. “I was always exposed to the sea because my parents had a boat and we spent the whole summer cruising. Even though my son is now well out of an Optimist I am still very involved at the club.”

Despite the technical skills required to sail a boat, like most sports, sailing is about much more than physical prowess. “The main benefit of sailing an Optimist at such a young age is the independence. You learn how to set up your boat… and to set your sail… you are alone in the boat, so decisions taken during the race are yours.”

Is it relaxing or high-adrenaline? “It’s both… but once the children get a good command of the boat, then it’s high-adrenaline.” When a boat is sailing well, everything comes together: boat, sea, wind and sailor are as one. What are the thrills like? “It’s such a rush when you are out there - with the wind blowing and you are there, riding the waves.”

www.maltayoungsailors.com