Bringing sexy back to sailing

Besides the common love they share for water and wind, sailors share a lifestyle that sets them apart from any other sport. Dolphin Coast sailors give you a sneak peek of what the sailing lifestyle is all about and why it is one they cannot live without.

Umdloti’s Wayne Smith is probably the most happy-go-lucky of the wind lovers and for him, life without a boat is unthinkable.

“I’m solely in it for the lifestyle – good friendships, total freedom and absolute passion for the outdoor life is what sailing means to me,” said Smith, who is a catamaran or multihull sailor.

“Sailors sail on and off the water, because they use their tactics and strategy skills wherever they are. Tactics are used for the minor day to day challenges, while strategy is about how to approach the bigger picture.”

According to Smith, the sailing lifestyle is so attractive because it offers a good, clean and stress-free type of living.

“Sailors are generally good folk and I think you can tell a person’s personality by their boat,” he said with a twinkle in his eye.

He explained that some sailors want to relax, so they are the cruiser types, while others want to do the hardcore, long distance races like the Vasco,

“Hobie sailors just want to have fun, which is why they buy a Hobie. We make a noise, we do not wear collars or ties and we live for a race around the cans or a blast along the back-line, followed by a hot shower and a cold beer,” said Smith, who has named all his boats after Pink Floyd songs.

According to Smith, monohull sailors are the better sailors from a technical perspective and have good attention to detail, but they are a little more risk averse.

Fellow Umdloti sailor, Paul Changuion is one of those monohull sailors.

“Sailing is a lifestyle that you can enjoy competitively and socially your whole life long,” said Changuion.

“It gives you the opportunity to travel, knowing that a yacht club anywhere in the world is a sanctuary for a travelling sailor.”

Fellow monohull sailor from Ballito, Thomas Funke is a 505 sailor (monohull) and said all that is required in a sailor’s life is a love for the sea, surf, wind and fluidity.

“Unlike most sports, sailing is dependent on wind and weather conditions and this dependence makes it somewhat fluid in form, which only sailors or people who have been involved in the sport understand.”

For Funke this fluidity is what adds to the excitement of the sport and lifestyle, because everyday is different and the challenges associated with this keeps it interesting,

“The beauty of sailing is that this lifestyle caters for everyone, be it the Sunday fun sailor sailing on an old wooden boat or the serious Olympic campaigner racing super fast modern day skiffs. Try it, you’ll understand,” said Funke.

According to Smith, hybrid sailors are the ones to look out for, especially those who come from the school of monohulls, because their tactics and strategies are more calculated.

One such hybrid is another Umdloti based sailor, Luke Wagner, who feels at home on anything that floats.

“Sailing is who I am, no matter where I am or what I do, I keep my eye on the wind and think about my boat,” said Wagner, who has competitively sailed on mono and multihulls.

All four sailors agree that sailing needs to grow and they want to encourage more people to try the lifestyle they love so much. Smith said that the typical sailor grows up on a boat, because someone in the family sails, but that this is not a sustainable model.

“We have to make sailing sexy with groovy boats and good people, who can make their excitement and passion for the lifestyle contagious,” said Smith.

So get your sexy on with sailing and get into a lifestyle based on wind, water, fun, friendship and that cold beer.