Why do we sail?

I do wonder about this sometimes.

Every so often, on meeting someone new, or maybe chatting to someone I don’t know very well, the topic of sailing comes up. And when I mention that I sail I am often met with a comment like:

“Oh, sailing. I’d love to try that sometime. It looks so relaxing.”

And I try (I really, really try) to say nothing. To just agree and move on.

But I can’t. I always have to try and explain that my type of sailing doesn’t involve sitting around casually on a yacht with a gin and tonic, wearing some beige chinos and a white shirt with the top three buttons undone, and perhaps a pair of deck shoes (but definitely no socks), making charming conversation with other beautiful people.

(Although, now I think about it, I really should give that kind of sailing a go.)

Instead I feel compelled to explain that my kind of sailing involves getting wet and hiking out hard and racing other dinghies, mostly in the freezing cold.

And when I think about it afterwards I do wonder why I’d rather portray an image of myself as a strange man thrashing around in a small dinghy, racing against other strange men and women, frequently in the driving rain, rather than a successful chap living the high life on a yacht.

It’s baffling really.

Enjoying the great outdoors?

Of course, having briefly described the kind of sailing that I do, I sometimes get asked why I would do it.

I mean, what possible appeal could my type of sailing have?

Frequently I will say something about spending time outdoors in the elements, and taking pleasure in using them to sail a boat. It is something we often hear sailors talk about. And it is true, to a degree. There is something hugely satisfying in being out in nature – we’re lucky that our race tracks are frequently found in some of the most beautiful places in the world.

But, if I’m honest with myself, it isn’t the reason I sail. It is a huge bonus, but it definitely isn’t the main reason I sail.

Spending Time with Wonderful People?

Another benefit that often springs to mind is the people.

Having spent a time sailing in local clubs with friends, in major championships with serious athletes, around the Norfolk Broads in 80+ year old boats with family and enthusiasts, or in sunny countries (where sailing actually makes sense) with other holiday makers, I can attest to what a fantastic, social pursuit sailing is.

And then there’s the post race drink, chatting about sailing (and sometimes other things too).

So spending time with great people is definitely a reason that I sail. It just isn’t the reason that I sail.

The Competition?

I’m a competitive person. At least in as much as I love competing. But, when you pass your early thirties that extreme competitiveness eases a little, and the challenge of good competition becomes more a thing to enjoy in and of itself, rather than just the hope of glory.

At least that’s what I tell other people, anyway.

However, much as competition is important to me, it also isn’t the main reason I race. Like spending time with good people, it is a big part of where I get my enjoyment from, but I also get the same competitive buzz from soccer, or squash, or even running.

Also, I’ve learnt over the last couple of years by doing some sailing with my kids and other forms of non-competitive sailing, that I love sailing whether I’m competing or not these days.

So, for these reasons, I can safely say that competition isn’t the primary reason I sail.

The Actual Main Reason I Sail

Of course there is no one reason that any of us sail. There are a myriad of influencing factors, and I’ve mentioned three of the main ones for me already.

But I think there is one, main, underlying reason that I love sailing above all other sports and pastimes. And it is a reason that I hadn’t been consciously aware of for literally years.

So what is it?

There is something about the level of physical and mental engagement that sailing induces that is just enough to make it the perfect distraction.

That’s it.

Doesn’t sound amazing, does it? But it is amazing, in its own way.

In this age where mindfulness has become a big thing, and being ‘in the zone’ is one of the main aims in sport, it has become more and more apparent to me that sailing is able to induce this type of relaxed focus much more quickly and more naturally than anything else I’ve done.

And, in much the same way as I judge how good a holiday destination is by how quickly I can switch off from the real world, I realise now that sailing does this for me, in miniature, every single time I go out.

Your mind and body are engaged so much that you literally can’t think about anything else – work pressures, school pressures, home life pressures.

It’s like a meditation session, but a lot wetter, and with considerably more chance of being hit over the head by a metal pole.

But the weirdest thing about this particular revelation was that those people who don’t sail, the ones who say things like “Oh sailing. I’d love to try that sometime. It looks so relaxing”, those guys were actually right. In a mindfulness-y kind of way, sailing is relaxing.

It just isn’t relaxing. If you know what I mean.