All of this week, we’re going to be sharing experiences of University of Nottingham students in various sports societies. We hope this will encourage you to #GetInvolvedAtUoN ! We spoke to the President of the sailing club, Iona about their exciting events, team spirit and great socials. Read on if you want to get involved!
What do you study at Nottingham?
I’ve just started my second year of Veterinary Medicine and Science.
Why do you like sailing at university?
The club is made up of a really nice group of people that are great to be around and as it’s a mixed gender sport, you can hang out with guys and girls. The socialising and sailing makes a good distraction when work is getting too much and I love having an outlet for my stress and competitive side. There are also lots of socials often involving fancy dress, which is a brilliant and hilarious excuse for going out!
When did you get involved and how?
I used to sail before I started University, so I wanted to take the opportunity to sail in new places in new boats. I went to the taster session, then to the first event in Leeds at the end of October and liked it so much I stuck around! Lots of people join as beginners too which we love, it creates a really nice social and relaxed side to the sport.
What’s the best part about being part of sailing at Nottingham?
We all come from different backgrounds, but we all love sailing so there is a great supportive and competitive atmosphere in the club. We get to travel all over the country going to different competitions and meet students from loads of other universities. I have so many good memories and stories from weekends away that you just don’t get with other sports that only practise on Wednesday afternoons.
What kind of things do you get up to during the year?
We have weekly socials, doing everything from nights out in Crisis to bowling. There is social sailing and beginners’ sessions every other Wednesday, plus training most weekends. We also have a load of weekends away, competing in places like Sheffield, Birmingham, Loughborough and Cambridge where there is a black-tie dinner. We also end the year with a week of yachting in the sun, cruising in the Med is the best way to relax after exams!
What do you offer for those who have never sailed before?
We have beginners’ sessions which we aim to run every other Wednesday afternoon. It’s super casual, we put you in a boat with one of our qualified instructors who will sail with you and teach you everything you need to know to get to grips with the sport.
How does being part of sailing differ to other university sports teams and societies?
Sailing is a great way to enjoy being outside and on the water and be active without it feeling like hard work. We’re a close-knit society and have loads of fun together. Not many other sports give you quite the same experience – plus, how many other sports let you spend a week on a yacht in Croatia?
What would you say to people wanting to get involved?
Definitely give sailing a try, it’s a sport for life because you can join a club anywhere in the country after you leave university. Come along to one of our taster sessions or find us on Facebook where we post all of our sign-up information for socials and sailing sessions.