Aye, aye, Mumbai

It's a picturesque setting… boats of every kind dot the blue sea beyond Mumbai's Gateway of India — from catamarans that ferry visitors to the Elephanta Caves and fancy yachts, to sailboats, rowboats and dinghies. Once the exclusive preserve of the rich and famous, sailing is today growing popular among Mumbaikars, with many of them developing a passion for the sport.

It was a love of the sea and the philosophy of letting nature take its own course that attracted T. Surendar to sailing. “I liked sailing as it taught one to live with circumstances. You could never say when the winds would blow your way,” says Surendar, deputy editor at Fortune India business magazine, who has been sailing for 15 years now.

An outdoorsy status symbol

The sailing season in Mumbai is from October to May. “There is a discerning lot that is getting into sailing as a sport,” says Zia Hajeebhoy, Director of Aquasail, a company that conducts courses in sailing and aqua sports. For newbies, her company offers an introductory course called ‘Discover Sailing' at Rs 3,000 a person. During 90 minutes of sailing, participants get to experience what it's like to steer the boat, tug the rope and, of course, feel the breeze in their hair.

As an adventure sport, sailing tends to attract those who love the outdoors. “Sailing has definitely picked up as a sport,” says Bipin Mullaji, Honorary Treasurer of Colaba Sailing Club, who has been sailing for 25 years. “The boat shows held in Mumbai create a lot of awareness about sailing and, of course, news and photos of yachts purchased by industrialists generate curiosity in people's minds. After you buy a car, buying a boat is the next exciting thing,” he observes.

Join the club

With 600 members, Colaba Sailing Club offers sailing facilities at affordable rates, while Aquasail's rates range from Rs 15,000 to Rs 60,000.

When Surendar enrolled for sailing classes, he found it very rigorous, especially at the club level, but didn't let that deter him. “At times it was a great way to spend the weekend, and there are days you can chill by just letting the wind carry you along. At other times, the competition at the club level was severe and it was rather intimidating to sail with the biggies — nothing was polite in the boat — you had to be on your toes literally, doing a lot of work like pulling the ropes, trimming the sail and so on, to keep the team ahead.”

Learning the ropes, early

Sailing calls for a certain mindset, and one that can be easily learnt. And it's never too early to start either. “Children as young as seven can join sailing,” says Zia. “We at Aquasail have boats that are right for the Indian setting. For the first-timer to feel comfortable, they must have boats that are easy to sail, easy to manoeuvre; and even with boats that have power steering, one should feel safe with speed. For instance, we have the Optimus, which is for competitive sailing, while the Laser Pico suits training for leisure sailing.”

After learning to sail, one can graduate to other water sport such as wind surfing and cruising. “We also have events for those who have learnt with us. It is like a community with shared experiences,” says Zia.

At the beginner's level, Aquasail organises leisure activities such as fun sailing and beach picnic, besides boating lessons.

“If you are new to sailing, just spend the first few days observing the waters and the traffic in the bay area. Take control of the boat, but also allow yourself the pleasures of sitting and watching the day go by. Once you get the hang of the water, sailing will prove to be a pleasant surprise on every occasion. You can race, or just cruise along the harbour on a fancy yacht — it won't leave you disappointed,” Surendar enthuses.

Sailing community

Beyond the learner's level, the opportunities are as limitless as the wide open sea. “Once you learn, you can join local sailing clubs. The fees are quite reasonable, and at the Colaba Sailing Club you can use its more than half-a-dozen boats for free throughout the year. The club takes care of everything — maintaining the boats, paying the salaries of the tindal (caretaker of boats) and other maintenance. You just have to book the boat a week in advance. You can take the boats and anchor them across the harbour for a fee. Sailors usually need handymen, and if you love sailing enough you won't find it difficult to get invited on sailing trips.”

Women set sail

Sailing is attracting a significant number of women too and Aquasail offers courses seven days a week. Interestingly, you don't have to know swimming to be able to sail. “Some of the best sailors don't know to swim,” says Zia.

Reminiscing the early days in his sailing experience, Surendar says, “The sea takes time to get used to. You have to begin to like it in order to sail. Your friends might envy you if you tell them you go sailing, but in reality it is a lot of hard work. If there are no winds on a sunny afternoon, then that can be plain unlucky for you, especially if you happen to be accompanied by someone with stars in their eyes over your sailing reputation!”

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