Written by  - Current Member of  WGCSC

Sailing has been part of my life for as long as I can remember.

My love of it began in South Africa on the Vaal Dam, sailing 16-foot Hobie Cats. They were fast, exciting and a brilliant way to learn.

On hot Highveld afternoons, thunderstorms would roll across the horizon and the wind would begin to build. We would catch those stronger afternoon winds and fly across the dam, sometimes with lightning flashing in the distance.

Looking back, dodging lightning on a Hobie Cat probably wasn’t the wisest thing we ever did, but at the time it felt exhilarating.

Those early days gave me the sailing bug, but sailing with my father and my two brothers turned it into something much deeper.

My father’s yacht, became the centre of some of my greatest memories.

We sailed around Durban and Richards Bay, and Mischief became our classroom. This was before GPS told you exactly where you were at every moment.

We learned to read nautical charts, understand compass bearings, recognise landmarks and plot a course.

Then there were the stars.

Offshore at night, away from the lights of the coast, the African sky seemed endless. I learned that the stars weren’t simply something beautiful to look at — they were a map.

Standing on the deck of Mischief at night, surrounded by the Indian Ocean with my father and brothers nearby, are memories that have stayed with me throughout my life.

Our sailing eventually took us further offshore, including towards Madagascar.

There is something extraordinary about watching the African coastline disappear behind you. Your world becomes the boat, the wind, the waves, the horizon and the people around you.

For me, that was sailing at its purest — adventure and freedom.

Then life moved on.

Work, family, moving countries and everyday responsibilities took over, and for many years sailing became something I remembered rather than something I did.

But the longing never disappeared.

A yacht on the horizon, the smell of the sea or simply feeling a strong breeze would bring it all back.

Then I discovered Welwyn Garden City Sailing Club at Stanborough Lakes.

It might be a very long way from the Vaal Dam, Durban, Richards Bay and the Indian Ocean, but the moment I stepped back into a sailing boat, something clicked.

The sound of the water, the pull of the tiller and the feeling of the boat accelerating as the sail filled with wind were all still there.

I had found my passion again.

And what has made Welwyn Garden City Sailing Club particularly special is not only the sailing, but the people.

Being part of the club and helping new sailors gain confidence has added another chapter to something that has been with me almost my entire life.

My sailing journey has taken me from Hobie Cats beneath Highveld thunderstorms, to sailing Mischief with my father and brothers, across the Indian Ocean towards Madagascar, and eventually to a small lake in Hertfordshire.

The water may be very different, but the feeling is exactly the same.

The sail fills, the boat begins to move, and that wonderful sense of freedom returns.

For me, sailing has never been just a sport.

It has been family, adventure, memories, friendship and freedom.

And after many years away, I’m incredibly happy to have found my way back.