Writes Jai M. (L6th)
Last Friday, the CCF Royal Navy Section ventured down to the Welsh Harp reservoir for a day of water sports. The weather was not ideal for such a day with there being a bit too much wind and cold. Nevertheless, we were able to try our hands at three different water sports, where all of us enjoyed the camaraderie and sense of calm we felt when rowing down the reservoir. For me, the highlight of the day was the canoeing session, where I was able to go out on my own on the reservoir. We even did a tug of war with two canoes attached to one another at their ends and both boats paddling as fast as they could. Unfortunately, I lost.
The wind on Friday made the canoeing both more challenging and more rewarding as we had to battle against the conditions. That said, the activity that was most affected by the wind was the sailing. After a brief introduction to the basics, we were let out onto the water to figure it out for ourselves. We all learnt a lot from that session, and most found it thoroughly enjoyable experience. Many of us did end up in the water during the sailing, as the heavy wind caused us to capsize. Indeed, the wind was so strong that we were even able to sail the length of the reservoir with no sail and just an empty bin bag!
All the instructors during the session were very helpful and great at teaching us all new skills. They were also very kind and even provided us with hot chocolate during lunch to warm us up. Overall, it was a thoroughly enjoyable day, and I can’t wait to do it all again next year.
